Esther Leah Teldon (She, Her, Hers)
Want to honor this person?
Make a donation to JUF in recognition of this 36 Under 36 honoree. This year, thanks to The Hineini Initiative, all 36 Under 36 donations will be matched—doubling your impact!
DONATE NOW
Creating and maintaining community is something that comes naturally to Esther Leah Teldon.
A Youth Director at Chabad of Wilmette, Esther Leah is always looking for ways to grow and improve the Jewish community. When the pandemic hit, she came up with creative ways to ensure Chabad's Sunday school program remained available to its students. On the side, Esther Leah baked weekly challah that she delivered to local seniors who were enduring the pandemic alone.
She also spearheaded the "Lawns of Hope" project where hundreds of local families put a beautifully designed sign on their front lawn with a message of hope and positivity to counter the gloom of living in a pandemic. The project was so successful that it was implemented in 50 other communities!
Most recently, Esther Leah is laying the groundwork for a new Montessori preschool she hopes to open in Wilmette in the future. At home, you can find Esther Leah spending time with her husband and five girls.
AGE:
30
PRIMARY GIG:
Youth Director at Chabad of Wilmette and future Director of Gan Montessori
ON THE SIDE:
Mom, Wife, Friend, and Sushi Aficionado
YOUR BEST PIECE OF ADVICE:
We’re all going through stuff. Give as much slack to someone else as you’d like to be given on your worst day.
HOW YOU JEW IN CHICAGO:
I love creating Jewish memories with my children. We bake challah together, I bring them along on visits to the homebound, and we give them an opportunity at the Shabbat table to share something interesting they learned that week.
CHICAGO'S JEWISH COMMUNITY IN 10 YEARS:
Thriving! I’m excited about all the innovative leaders appearing on the Jewish scene in the past 3-5 years because I know they’ll be making real change.
WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN THE LAST 10 YEARS:
Being a mother to our five girls. Watching them grow up into their own little selves gives me all the feels.
.jpg)
