Matt Mindell

Once a professional actor, now Executive Manager, Matt Mindell has the distinction of turning a classic show business story upside down. In the usual scenario, a young Jewish boy is pressured by his family to become a rabbi or cantor. But he rebels to pursue his dream of Broadway lights or rock'n'roll stardom. It's the stuff of legends.

But counter-intuitively, Matt was encouraged early on to pursue his acting dream and by his mid-20s was well on his way to achieving it. He lived the life, complete with an agent, in New York and LA, dashing off to audition and early calls, followed by late nights at parties. You may have seen him on TV shows such as "Saved by the Bell", and "The Equalizer" or in films like "A Change of Seasons" in which he co-starred with veteran actor Eli Wallach or in national ad campaigns for LA Gear, Doritos and Clearasil.

Then, to the surprise of family and friends, Matt got this "Jewish idea" in his head. But clearly it was meant to be. While working in LA Matt landed a role in "The Survivor,
"a play based on an eyewitness account of the Jewish teenage gang that heroically fought the German army in the Warsaw Ghetto.

In researching the role, Matt encountered something he had only minimal interest in his own Jewish heritage. "Suddenly it took on a real meaning," he explains, "as a guide on how to live and appreciate life, with a joyousness and wisdom, I had not experienced before. "And so the role on stage led him to study that heritage in Jerusalem.

Soon after Matt combined his new Jewish education with his professional skills. Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation hired him as its Northeastern Director. While there Matt spearheaded the documentation of "Spiritual Bravery, "an oral history of the religious traditions upheld by Jews even though they were imprisoned in concentration camps. Many of these courageous souls dared to observe Passover, and even keep kosher in the midst of inhuman conditions.

The latest role for Matt is as Executive Director of the Jewish Enrichment Center. The JEC has evolved into an energetic, hip, cultural, educational and spiritual place located in mid-town Manhattan and in Greenwich Village. It's completely dedicated to enriching the lives of Jews of all backgrounds.

The JEC was recently honored as the official follow-up center for birthright israel in the greater New York area. This partnership between JEC and the birthright israel Foundation partnership offers 16,000 New York alumni exclusive events that are fun,relevant and meaningful.

In fact, the JEC has just opened its new location and cafe aptly called "Reunion." It's
a cafe-grill with a spacious contemporary design, located in the heart of the Village on 13th street. On opening night, several hundred young men and women turned up. Reflecting on the work of the JEC, Matt notes, "there are plenty of dedicated Jewish actors in Hollywood and New York but not nearly enough of us helping young people gain the benefits of their own heritage."