Few things give Jewish Federation more pride than seeing young Jewish leaders realize their potential. That is why on Sept. 16 the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia was thrilled to honor three outstanding volunteers with its Young Leadership Awards: Alison Benton, Jonathan Alexander and Jonathan Korman.
“Since 1959, the Jewish Federation has acknowledged our finest young leaders with this distinctive recognition,” Jewish Federation Board co-chair Gail Norry said at the awards presentation. “All three recipients embody the spirit of service and commitment to Jewish community.”
At the awards ceremony, which took place during the Jewish Federation’s Board of Trustees meeting, each awardee was introduced by a former award winner.
Alison Benton, the recipient of the Mrs. Isidore Kohn 2020 Young Leadership Award, has been active in the Philadelphia Jewish community since she moved to Center City in 2003. Since 2014, she has served on the Board of Trustees, Women’s Philanthropy Board and NextGen Board. She has also gone through the Women’s Leadership Development Program and served on the committees for the Jewish Publishing Group, Israel Engagement Grants and Community Engagement.
Ensuring that there is a strong Jewish community in the Philadelphia region today and for future generations to come is very important to Benton, and that fuels much of her work with the organization.
Professionally, she has more than 13 years of marketing and advertising experience, primarily in the health care and higher education industries.
She is a strategic marketing manager for Drexel University Online, where she develops and implements marketing strategy for a portfolio of more than 50 online degree and certificate programs. Benton recently completed her MBA, which was a lifelong goal.
Jonathan Alexander, the recipient of the Myer and Rosaline Feinstein 2020 Young Leadership Award, grew up in Syracuse, New York, and is a graduate of Temple University. His work with the Jewish Federation began in 2010 when he participated in the Leadership Development Program. Since that time, he has served on the NextGen Board for the past nine years, holding positions as high as campaign chair. Alexander has also served on the Commission for Jewish Life and Learning for the past six years.
Among his other volunteer work, Alexander is actively involved with the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity Alumni Group of Philadelphia. Professionally, he is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional with a mission to provide straightforward, easily understandable financial advice in a fiduciary manner. Alexander’s practice focuses on young families and people heading into retirement. He resides in Bryn Mawr with his wife Jessica and son Max.
Jonathan Korman, the recipient of the Jack Goldenberg 2020 Young Leadership Award, has served in a variety of leadership roles on behalf of the Philadelphia Jewish community over the past 10 years. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Jewish Federation, serving on the Committee for Jewish Life and Learning, the Day-School Task Force and the Nominations Committee, and a member of the Regional Board of the Anti-Defamation League.
Korman was also a member of the most recent cohort of Jewish Federation’s Legacy Philanthropy Program and the Philadelphia cohort of the Wexner Heritage Program. Prior to joining the Board of Trustees, Jonathan served for nearly a decade on the Board of Directors of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia and one of its successors, the Greater Philly Hillel Network.
Professionally, Korman is a partner in the Philadelphia office of Holland & Knight, focusing his practice on representing national and regional banks, nonbank lenders and corporate borrowers in a wide variety of syndicated, club and bilateral financings.
He lives in the Graduate Hospital section of Center City with his wife Alexandra and their daughter Miriam.
To ensure a strong Jewish future, Jewish Federation cultivates the next generation of leaders through programs designed for different ages and stages. For more information on NextGen involvement, contact NextGen Director Max Moline at [email protected]
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