A New York native, Rich Topaz, who today chairs the Ben-Gurion Society (BGS), recalls his moving to Baltimore and the warm welcome he received by the Baltimore Jewish community and IMPACT, The Associated’s young adult division.
“My wife, Heidi, is from Baltimore but I am not,” explains Rich. “So, when we moved here five years ago, I didn’t really have a social or professional network. That’s where The Associated, particularly IMPACT, stepped in.”
Rich knew he wanted to connect with other young professionals, and quickly found himself attending networking events, building relationships and ultimately participating in Young Leadership Council (YLC), a professional development program through IMPACT.
Today, five years later, Rich’s involvement with The Associated has grown tremendously. Rich sits on the boards for IMPACT, The Louise D. and Morton J. Macks Center for Jewish Education (CJE), and The Center for Community Engagement and Leadership (CCEL).
“There is a theme with the agencies I am involved in, which is that part of their missions is to provide entry points for people – both native Baltimoreans and transplants like myself – to become more involved in the Jewish community.”
