New and exciting things at JYP Naples

By Cayla Schreier, Jewish Young Professionals Coordinator

I am honored to announce that I have been selected as the new JYP Naples coordinator. I will be succeeding Maya Williams, who has done a wonderful job as coordinator. I have been an active member of this group since Oct. 2022, and I am very excited to continue to help build the Jewish community, specifically for young adults in their 20s and 30s.

A little bit about me

I am originally from New York, but I moved to Boca Raton, Florida during my sophomore year of high school. I have always been proud of my Jewish culture and upbringing, so I joined every Jewish social group possible. In high school, I was a member of BBYO, the Jewish Student Union and NCSY. Upon entering Florida Gulf Coast University, I became a proud Jewish Eagle. In addition, I was a board member of Chabad of FGCU and the Jewish Student Association. I also served as treasurer of the Jewish sorority, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi.

Since graduating with my bachelor’s degree from FGCU, I have been employed in Fort Myers as a purchasing manager for an engineering company. You may recognize my name from the Federation Star as I am also employed part-time by BBYO as the director of Naples BBYO, where I work with Jewish middle and high school-aged teens. I am very excited to be the new coordinator for JYP Naples.

Past events

Numerous JYP members attended the Greater Naples Federation’s Yom Hashoah program in May. We were very moved by the speeches and the candle-lighting ceremony honoring those who survived and perished in the Holocaust.

My first event as new coordinator took place on Friday, May 17 when, along with Ruthie Segall, I hosted a Lag BaOmer Shabbat dinner attended by 10 of our local young professionals. One of our other members, Dani Cohen, hosted a Shabbat dinner on Friday, May 25, which was also a celebration of Cohen and Ariel Singer’s birthdays.

Future events

Details about upcoming events will be distributed via email and the Facebook group chat. Please reach out to Reneé (rbialek@jewishnaples.org) if you would like to be added to those group communications. We also have a Google form for members to offer feedback and ideas on what type of JYP events they would like to see in the future.

As young professionals, we love to network and get to know others who have excelled in our chosen professions. We are looking to set up a mentorship program and event within the upcoming months to help members learn from current and former professionals, expand their network and gain a new perspective on their chosen careers. We have numerous members with different occupations, so the more expertise we can gain, the better.

If you or someone you know would be interested in participating in a mentorship program with our local Naples JYP group, please reach out to Reneé.

Thank you, Maya Williams, for your wonderful leadership and event programming for JYP Naples. We wish you the best of luck.

I look forward to seeing everyone soon!