August 25, 2025 — Minneapolis, Minnesota
September 2025
Henry Karpovas Lisak
University of Minnesota, 2027
AJC Campus Global Board Member, 2025-2026
As a Jewish leader, I have participated in many different leadership development programs, from intimate 35-person weekend retreats, to an 800+ person conference in DC featuring prominent figures like former Prime Minister Bennett. However, none were as impactful to me as American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Campus Global Board (CGB) Leadership Retreat in Chicago from August 21-24, 2025.
AJC's Campus Global Board is the organization's student advisory council that connects college student leaders with AJC's global advocacy work. This 4-day retreat was an unparalleled opportunity, not only to learn about the tools available to me as a CGB member, but also to welcome 14 returning CGB members and 16 new CGB members for the 2025-2026 cohort. As a global board, CGB ensures representation from six continents, including students from Australia, South Africa, Latin America, Europe, Israel, and the United States. This was novel to me, as most US programs involve only American and some Canadian students.
What made the retreat so unique was that it created the opportunity to meet all board members in person for the first of three gatherings we have throughout the year. Sharing meals, conversations, and laughter in person brought depth to relationships that had only existed digitally. Suddenly, my fellow board members across the ocean weren't just names on a screen—they were real people I'd hugged and connected with. These in-person encounters were the best part of the retreat for me.
In addition to connecting with peer leaders from around the world, the CGB retreat in Chicago provided us with critical skills and a foundational understanding of AJC’s global advocacy work.Through focused sessions on AJC's global structure, objectives, and key areas of work, I gained clarity on what I should be aiming for as a partner and developed a more realistic understanding of the organization. I found the mission statement writing session hugely valuable, where each board member wrote and shared what they hoped to achieve by the end of the year.
I also appreciated the small-group discussions about opportunities in our local communities. This gave me the chance to hear about the state of the community in Brazil, where I come from, and to share my thoughts on my local community in Minnesota, where I am a full-time student. It also allowed me to express my expectations for the Jewish community in Hong Kong, where I am currently studying abroad. And of course, canoeing in the Chicago river was another highlight, as it helped us build personal connections with other members while having a great time together.
I left Chicago with a much deeper understanding of what AJC's mission is and how I can contribute as a member of the Campus Global Board, but also with a stronger sense of belonging to a truly global Jewish community. Meeting peers from across six continents gave me new perspectives on the challenges and opportunities we face, and reminded me of the importance of bringing diverse voices to the table. I also realized how vital personal connections are to making our work meaningful–whether through serious conversations about our communities or simple moments of laughter on the river. Above all, the retreat showed me that my role is not just about representing my own community, but about building bridges across borders and contributing to something much larger than myself.
