Taking on a leadership role in the Jewish community isn't about whether or not someone has the time; it's about making the time to make a difference in the world, says Heidi Penziner-Weinberg.

Penziner-Weinberg serves on the executive committee of the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey board and chairs the federation's Partnership 2000 Living Bridge program, which promotes cultural exchange between Israeli and American Jewish communities. Now she's heading national United Jewish Communities' Young Leadership Eastern Regional Conference, which will take place March 21-23 at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh.

The conference includes workshops on how young leaders can turn their concerns into social action, says Penziner-Weinberg. Topics will cover a wide range of interests - from relationships and family matters to Israel and the Middle East crisis.

Speakers and presenters include Stephen J. Dubner, author of Confessions of a Hero-Worshipper and Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return to His Jewish Family; Allen Goldberg, executive director of the Jewish Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Washington, DC; John Loftus, a Boston Irishman and expert on terrorism who recently wrote Prophets of Terror: Jonathan Pollard and Peace in the Middle East.

In addition, events planned include a hands-on social action project and a "blowout" Saturday evening party at the Pittsburgh Heinz History Museum.

Penziner-Weinberg recently talked to NJ Jewish News about the conference, her volunteerism, and the route that has led to her taking this national role in young leadership.

She says her activism in the Jewish community began about 14 years ago, shortly after she and her husband, Steven, were married. She went on a one-day mission to Washington, DC, and heard a lay person speak on why he was involved and how much he valued setting an example for his children.

"I felt as if he were talking to me," Penziner-Weinberg says.

According to Penziner-Weinberg, her efforts to set an example for her children are bearing fruit.

She remembers that when her daughter Alyssa, now almost 13 years old, was little, she heard her mother talk about the importance of helping others. Now for her bat mitzva project, Alyssa is donating money to support the swim team from Arad, Israel. (Arad is the federation's sister city in the Partnership 2000 program, which matches Israeli and Diaspora communities for cultural exchange and economic development.)

And Alyssa's brother, 10-year-old Ian, is also getting the message: In response to a school project in which students were asked what they would do if they had $1 million, Ian said he would contribute to the American Cancer Society and AIDS organizations.

The key to becoming involved is to find an aspect of the community that particularly interests you, she says, get educated about the subject, and "find your own niche. For me it's Israel and overseas allocations."

Some people think they don't have enough time to get involved in community activities, but volunteering "doesn't have to be a full-time commitment," says Penziner-Weinberg, who still finds the time to build her own business as a corporate planner.

So how does Penziner-Weinberg do it? Both children are involved in sports, religious school, and other after-school activities, and she does a lot of driving back and forth to school every day. But, she says, "I do an enormous amount of re-arranging. It's never a question of 'Can I go?' It's a question of 'How can I juggle it all?'"

Penziner-Weinberg says that in addition to being able to manage a number of things simultaneously, the key to her success is her supportive husband. "I tell people he helped to create this monster," she says, laughing. "And I have a great group of friends."

Penziner-Weinberg says one reason she's working on the Young Leadership Conference - for those in the 24 to 45 age group - is because she's enjoyed previous conferences so much. She tells of staying up late with the women she shared a room with, discussing the seminars they had attended as they "bond and get educated."

She says that serving on the Young Leadership Cabinet has been "the most incredible experience of my life," adding that "the friends I've made will be life-long friends."

Being involved in the Jewish community as a working mother isn't Penziner-Weinberg's first experience in social action. As a teenager she was an activist, taking part in demonstrations and picket lines for a number of causes, she remembers. "I've never been one to follow the crowd," she says. "I do what I feel is important."

Then, as now, Penziner-Weinberg has one overarching goal: "I want to feel at the end of the day that I made a difference" - for her family and her community.

As first appeared in the New Jersey Jewish News.

Adar Aleph 5763 - March 2003