Elenna King, Social Worker at Jewish Family Service, and Educator at Kehillat Israel

My family was always involved in different ways in the Jewish community. My grandfather – my saba – is a BJE board member and past president, and always talked about BJE and other Jewish organizations when I was growing up. I didn’t know what it meant then, but I knew my family was involved. I joined USY in high school and especially liked the social action programs.

Things really clicked for me in college at Hillel. I started to see social work and Jewish communal work as something I wanted to do professionally. My family didn’t really understand what it was all about as a career, but my saba said if this is really what you want to do, you need to meet someone. When I met Miriam Prum Hess at BJE, she said “Welcome” and I knew I was in the right place.

In May it will be four years since I completed my Masters in Social Work and Jewish Communal Service and began formally working in the community. But it’s really been much longer. I love what I do, and I think my saba and family are proud of me.

Elenna has demonstrated a strong identification with and commitment to the Jewish community.  She is the third generation of our family involved professionally in Jewish education. We are so very proud that she has chosen Jewish communal work as her path.”

- Herb Abramsz"l, Elenna’s saba and a past president of BJE

Elenna works at Jewish Family Service Los Angeles, and at Kehillat Israel, where she teaches religious school and works with the KITT teen philanthropy program.