Testimonials from Past Participants
 

Acharai builds community…

“The connections with the other participants (ones I had previously known and many I didn’t) in the program gave me an opportunity to form deeper and more meaningful relationships that I expect will endure for many, many years. The people also were of an extraordinary caliber in terms of their commitment to and involvement in the Greater Boston Jewish community. A few years later, I continue to find many of my peers from the program deeply engaged as leaders in the community.”
- Darren Black

“Having the opportunity to get to know such a wonderful group of peers was in and of itself worthwhile. Our Acharai group has formed deep connections and I believe that we will be there to support each other in meaningful ways in the years to come. In addition, we were exposed to an impressive variety of Jewish leaders both inside and outside of CJP. I gained a much better understanding of CJP and the Greater Boston Jewish community.”
- Leslie Pucker

“To me, Acharai was a true honor! I was so grateful to be chosen from among many to participate with such a wonderful, thoughtful, diverse, bright, and passionate group of men and women in Acharai. I miss our regular opportunities to get together, to share ideas, to laugh and cry together, and simply learn for the sake of learning from so many leaders of the Jewish community.” 
- Marni Levitt

“As a working adult parent, I rarely get the opportunity to make new and lasting friendships given the demands of family, work, and life in general. Acharai was a gift in that regard, and I now have 19 people whom I can truly call ‘friends’ that I would never otherwise have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with. The trip to Poland and Israel was also unparalleled. CJP provides great accommodations and amazing tour guides who you would never have access to on your own that really made all the difference. I felt so much more connected to my Jewish heritage in a way that I never would have without Acharai.”
- Elise Busny

“Acharai is connective tissue. The Jewish community in Greater Boston is quite broad. Through Acharai you meet leaders who you had never known, and where it goes from there is limited only by imagination.”
- Dana Gershon

“Acharai was an inspiring experience, one which gave me the confidence and skills needed to pursue leadership roles in the philanthropic community.”
- Karen Sisselman

“Without a doubt, what made the Acharai program so special was the opportunity to forge new and strong relationships with other Jewish peers who are active in the community.”
- Andy Janfaza

“Acharai influenced my involvement with CJP and the Greater Boston Jewish Community by exposing me to the breadth of what is available and by expecting me to be involved. This wasn’t a burden, but rather an affirmation of faith and belief in me and what I could bring to the table. Also, for someone who had never been involved previously, Acharai made me feel like an ‘insider’ and through my connection with my Acharai-mates, I found the areas in which I wanted to become involved, and that involvement has evolved to become something meaningful in one area of Jewish life in Greater Boston.”
- Carolyn Perelmuter

“Acharai gave me the opportunity to make contacts throughout Greater Boston’s Jewish community. It is the ultimate ‘LinkedIn’ in the community. Graduates of the program are now leaders of Jewish (and non-Jewish) organizations all over Boston. Acharai prepared me to take on leadership roles not only at CJP but also at other nonprofits in the community.” 
- Mark Friedman

“Acharai gave me a connection to the community that has enhanced my Jewish connection through other people who are involved, smart, funny, passionate, and have that same drive to light the Jewish flame in more and more people.”
- Matthew Appelstein

“To me, Acharai was the single most rewarding adult experience I have had outside of my family. I grew as a person, a Jew, a community member, and an activist. I look forward to many more years of participation in Jewish life in Greater Boston.”
- Judy Levenfeld

“Acharai is a vital program for CJP because it has a profound influence on people at a seminal moment in life, when you desire and can afford to further connect with your Jewish heritage and feel a responsibility to pass your identity to your kids. If that isn’t a sufficient call to action, I don’t know what else would be.”
- Jeffrey S. Swartz

“I am forever grateful that I chose to participate in Acharai and for the indelible imprint that visiting Auschwitz made on my soul.”
- Joshua Hamermesh

“Acharai was the most meaningful opportunity for personal growth that I have experienced since becoming a parent.”
- Dena Boronkay Rashes