On behalf of the 23 communities of the North Shore, a group of local individuals, both lay people and Jewish professionals, submitted a grant last May to the Jim Joseph Foundation and received approval for a 3-year pilot program. All start up and programming expenses are funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation. Adam Smith was hired to begin as NSTI’s first Executive Director in September 2008.
Adam has spent the last eight years working with the teens of Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, Massachusetts, building one of the premier youth programs in the Boston area. He has been the creative and implementing force behind informal opportunities for teens including tikkun olam projects, trips and retreats, mentoring programs and youth group activities.
A product of Temple Isaiah in Lexington, Adam earned a BA degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. When he returned to the Boston area to work with the Jewish community, he continued studying Jewish educational theory at both Hebrew College and Brandeis University.
Adam and his wife Jodi, who is a Reform Rabbi working at a congregation in Easton, currently live in Brookline with their dog, Tova.