Jaynie Levinson — Connecting Jewish Young Adults
An Interview with P.G. Sittenfeld on Cincinnati’s Jewish Community
One of my goals with the Cincy Jews online community is to highlight Jewish young adults who are investing time and energy in our city to create change. There is no one better to kick off this series than P.G. Sittenfeld, who moved back to Cincinnati and committed his career to making the city a better place. I had the opportunity to sit down with P.G., who grew up with a Jewish father and a Catholic mother, to ask him questions about Jewish identity, why Cincinnati and to give advice for other young adults with an itch to create change.
S: Let’s start with your personal story. Why did you move back to Cincinnati after studying on the east coast and in England?
P.G.: Cincinnati was and continues to be on an awesome upward trajectory. I looked at where Cincinnati was going to be and I liked the vision I saw. I thought I could make a real contribution to it. Living in New York or San Francisco, it might be harder to point to the fruits of your labor…Big picture, I love Cincinnati and I thought being an elected leader was one way I could be useful.
S: Why it is valuable to have a strong Jewish community here in Cincinnati?
P.G.: Cincinnati has such a rich Jewish tradition, as the birthplace of Reform Judaism and the many contributions Jewish community members have made to our city. It isn’t unique to Cincinnati, but the Jewish community makes such great contributions to broader communities. I want Cincinnati to have a strong Jewish community because that contributes to a strong Cincinnati.
S: How are you connected to your Jewish identity/the community?
P.G.: I have a Jewish father and Catholic mother, so exposure to both faith traditions was very important to them. I went on Birthright in college, and I went back to Israel this past summer (see blog post about his trip). Birthright was powerful in the way Israel is always powerful and transformative, but this most recent time I was really thinking about the history of the country, global affairs, Iran, etc. (as a side note, P.G. is also on the board of the Jewish Community Relations Council).
S: What are some areas you think need change here in Cincinnati?
P.G.: The ship is sailing in the right direction. Our incredible progress around LGBT inclusiveness sets a good example. Not long ago, we were not a very LGBT city, and now we’re a very welcoming LGBT city. I want us to continue to put a focus on attracting and retaining young talent, which is also important for our big companies. We need Cincinnati to be an attractive place for startup companies and entrepreneurs. We need to make sure we’re reaching out to the most vulnerable members of our community. We need more educational equity and less poverty. We are a diverse city, but I want to make sure we are both diverse and cohesive. That people don’t think of Cincinnati in terms of East and West side, black and white, but we really come together.
S: What could a young adult do about any of these issues?
P.G.: Really think hard about what you’re passionate about, and then make sure your time and output live up to that passion. If you say you’re passionate about, for example, sustainability, are you doing things to improve the sustainability? Make sure there’s real action behind that passion. If everyone does their part, sky’s the limit for Cincinnati.
S: A lot of young Jews reading this might have a great innovative idea or big dreams, but might not know how to take the next step and make it happen. What advice would you give them?
P.G.: Be fearless in the execution of your idea, but also make sure you’re tapping the incredible sort of mentors and existing leaders in the community. Do your thing and do it your way, but benefit from the wisdom that came before us. I think an incredible resource in our community is our retirees, and part of that is mentoring the next generation.
S: Any last thoughts?
P.G.: I think everybody should call a couple of friends around the country and say, “Come to Cincinnati, You won’t believe what you’re missing.” …I also give the Jewish community a huge amount of credit for being forward-looking with the community. I think we’re doing the things that will allow us to thrive.
