Nov 3, 2020

Jessie Gindea, Miami Jewish Educator, Wins Prestigious National Award

A hearty Mazal Tov to Jessie Gindea, senior educator of Federation program Base Miami, one of five emerging Jewish leaders to receive the 2020 Pomegranate Prize from the Covenant Foundation. The prestigious honor recognized Gindea for her innovative and impactful efforts at building community. Along with her husband Rabbi Adam Gindea, she spearheads Base Miami, which offers young adults ways to strengthen their Jewish identity in an accepting, pluralistic environment. During the pandemic, Base Miami programs have provided connection through activities such as cooking classes, Zoom hangouts and socially distant meals and learning sessions in the backyard of the Gindea home in the Brickell community. In addition to her work with Base Miami, Gindea serves as an Associate Director at KAHAL, an organization that gives Jewish students studying abroad tools and resources to engage with the local Jewish community.

For Gindea, the award is a meaningful validation of her philosophy as a Jewish educator. “In my roles, I think about what the Jewish community looks like both on a local and global scale,” she said. “I help people explore what it means to be Jewish and understand that it does not fit in a box. Every person has a place in the Jewish world.” With the stress of the coronavirus, Gindea finds solace in what she does. “This is such a difficult time and to be able to impact other peoples’ Jewish journeys is so rewarding.”