“Meeting Young Jews Where They Are”: A Q&A with JDC Entwine’s Evan Majzner
Evan Majzner brings to JDC Entwine a belief in the profound impact of global Jewish travel — and a passion for cultivating the next generation of Jewish leaders.
By The JDC Team | August 10, 2026
Immersive Jewish travel has long been a passion for Evan Majzner. Committed to connecting young Jews to the rich array of global Jewish life, he now brings this sense of dedication and purpose to his role as JDC Entwine’s new executive director.
In this Q&A, we sat down with Majzner to talk about what inspired this life path, the importance of traveling abroad, and why he’s both thrilled and honored to lead Entwine.
Q: Tell us about your Jewish journey. How would you describe your community growing up and the role Jewish life played in your upbringing?
A: I was raised in New Jersey in a Jewish household. I went to a Conservative synagogue and I attended Jewish day school. I was privileged to be given a Jewish education my entire childhood and youth.
Both my parents are the children of Holocaust survivors. I was separated from the Shoah by only two generations, and this informed how my parents raised me and saw the broader Jewish world. I’d say it shaped my own perspective, too.
Q: When did you realize that working with young Jewish leaders would be a central part of your life and career?
A: I studied abroad in Rome when I was in college. Soon after I started, the head of the program approached me and asked if I’d like to intern at Il Pitigliani, the Jewish community center in the Trastevere area of Rome. So, for two days a week, I’d work in the kindergarten and then spend time with the young Jewish adults.
Seeing Jews thrive in communities outside of North America and Israel was a definitive moment for me; it widened my perspective and inspired me to learn more about global Jewish life.
In college, I threw myself into Jewish activities on campus. I staffed a few Birthright trips and a United Synagogue Youth (USY) trip to Israel and Poland. Going to Poland was a formative experience, not only because I visited the camps, but because I led a group of 40-50 young Jewish adults experiencing this Jewish history and culture for the first time.
I got to see Jewish Poland through their eyes, but also my own.
In law school, I pursued a summer associateship at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), where I worked on refugee applications for asylum seekers.
I practiced law for five years; then, I started the next chapter of my life.
Q: What was that next chapter?
A: I realized I wanted to devote my career to advancing the Jewish community, which led me to join the Birthright Israel Foundation.That’s where I cut my teeth in Jewish professional work. Then, I went to itrek, which was still a relatively new organization.
My role at itrek was multifaceted. I oversaw fundraising and helped grow their budget threefold. I was also responsible for their alumni programming, working with the board, and helping to build an advisory board. There, I learned the importance of a strong alumni network and why it’s crucial to have a clear, actionable vision for growth.
Q: What inspired you to join Entwine?
A: By the time I came to Entwine, I’d worked in the Israel space for more than 12 years. I started asking myself, “What’s next? How can I broaden my perspective?”
I’m someone who, when I go on trips, I want to experience the local Jewish life. I often joke with my wife that I drag her on all these fascinating tours of Jewish communities. These communities have always intrigued me, and having the chance to activate that same sense of wonder and connection in young Jews is deeply resonant for me, especially at this critical moment. That’s really what drew me to Entwine.
Q: How would you describe Entwine’s mission?
A: At Entwine, we ask, “How do we meet young Jews where they are? How do we empower them? And how do we give them the tools to act on what they’ve learned in Jewish communities around the world?”
Entwine seeks to build a generation of young Jews who lead a life guided by global Jewish responsibility. We create immersive travel experiences, educational programs, and tailored leadership development opportunities through which they can discover, find meaning, and take action.
A good example of this is our Entwine Insider Trips. Whether they’re traveling to Israel, Ethiopia, or Mexico, participants have a profound experience that transforms their perspective, deepens their Jewish identity, and alters their life trajectory for the better.
Insider Trips aren’t tourism — we don’t just show up to Jewish communities and visit a museum or gift shop. Rather, participants live and breathe local Jewish life in real time. They celebrate Shabbat alongside the community. They talk to inspiring local leaders. And they learn about the groundbreaking work JDC has done there for years.
We see each participant as having the potential to be Jewish changemakers, and many of them already are. At a time when young Jews to feel isolated, disempowered, or under attack, these trips immerse them in a larger Jewish world. Participants break bread with local community members who may have similar dreams and face similar challenges. They leave the trip saying, “I’m not alone — I’m a part of something much larger than myself.”
Insider Trips create these connection points. Participants start to contextualize their own lives, connect the dots, and see that they have a stake in shaping the Jewish future.
That’s the essence of what we do. Entwine — and JDC more fully — help foster that lifelong commitment to Jewish mutual responsibility.
Q: Five or ten years down the line, what does a strong Entwine look like to you? What’s your vision?
A: At this difficult moment, we need bold changemakers who are guided by Jewish mutual responsibility. Entwine plays a central role in cultivating these leaders. So how do we keep doing this work and deepen it even more?
Even in the few months I’ve been at Entwine, countless people have told me that it was their experience with Entwine that catapulted them into a lifetime of leadership. And they pay it forward — they reinvest in the next generation.
We need bold changemakers who are guided by Jewish mutual responsibility — Entwine plays a central role in cultivating these leaders.
Entwine gave them the tools, training, and network to do this crucial work, so we have to keep strengthening these programs. That also includes the Global Leaders Initiative (GLI), an invitation-only program for young Jews to serve on JDC’s Board of Directors.
If we want to know what JDC’s future can look like — and see the next generation of movers and shakers who will power our global work — Entwine initiatives like GLI are a great place to start.
Q: Finally, what do you find most meaningful about the work you do here at Entwine?
A: I’m continually inspired by the talented, accomplished, and dedicated people on my team as well as at JDC as a whole. It’s meaningful to meet people whose lives have been transformed through Entwine. Having the chance to spark that inspiration and catalyze Jewish leadership is such a unique privilege — I’m grateful and thrilled for what the future will bring.
Evan Majzner is Executive Director of Entwine, an initiative of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), which aims to cultivate the next generation of Jewish leaders through global travel, service and education.
Previously, he served as the Chief Growth Officer at itrek, an organization that empowers current and emerging leaders from graduate programs and other influential networks to engage with Israel through transformative, peer-led treks.
Evan is also the founder of DLead, a nonprofit that convenes leading fundraising professionals from across the Jewish communal landscape to elevate talent, strengthen collaboration, and advance the field.
Before joining itrek, Evan practiced law with a focus on investment management services. Motivated to contribute more directly to the Jewish future, he transitioned into the Jewish professional sector, joining the Birthright Israel Foundation, where he played a key role in building New York City’s fundraising infrastructure.
Evan holds a B.A. from the University of Rochester, a J.D. from the Cardozo School of Law, and a certificate in Jewish Philanthropy from Yeshiva University, and was selected as a Wexner Field Fellow. He lives in Westchester, NY, with his wife, Lindsay, and their children, Nate and Nessa.
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