Six young leaders from Pittsburgh were among more than 200 Jewish Federation leaders from 39 communities across North America, who joined together at the National Young Leadership Cabinet Retreat in Scottsdale, Ariz. to plan for the future and take the 2011 annual campaign to new heights.

The retreat focused on leadership development training and strategic visioning. Aiming to take the Federation movement “to the next level,” Cabinet members worked with scholar in residence Rae Ringel to hone their skills and plan for the future. They also participated in Open Space, a dialogue exercise to engage with pressing communal issues.

The leaders also focused on fundraising for the 2011 annual campaign,and Pittsburgh representatives made their 2011 annual campaign pledges amounting to a 43 percent donor-for-donor increase over their 2010 pledges.

“It is such a gratifying experience to take responsibility for our community in Pittsburgh and abroad, and we must lead by example and we must give,” said Michael Klein, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s National Young Leadership Cabinet chair. “We are extremely honored to be surrounded by young adults who feel so strongly about community.”

A range of dynamic speakers also addressed Cabinet, including National Women’s Philanthropy chair and Cabinet alumna Linda Hurwitz and Jewish Federations of North America President and CEO Jerry Silverman.

“Engaging young professionals and emerging leaders in our community is a major priority for JFNA,” Silverman said. “The thinking, dialogue and results that our Cabinet delivered during their retreat represented practicing leadership at the highest levels.”