Over 200 members of the Baltimore Jewish community came out to the Gordon Center for Performing Arts on the Rosenbloom Owings Mills campus on May 30 to celebrate the 12 years of service that Barak Hermann, CEO of the JCC of Greater Baltimore, has given to the organization and larger community.
Hermann will be taking on a new opportunity as CEO and president of the JCC Association of North America at the end of June and leaves behind a lengthy resume in the Baltimore Jewish community.
The event brought several high-profile community figures out to share their stories of Hermann and his leadership over the years, including several elected officials, agency CEOs, past and present board leaders, JCC staff and community members.
Baltimore County Council Member Julian Jones Jr. called Hermann a “pillar of service and leadership” in Jewish Baltimore during his time at the JCC of Greater Baltimore and noted Hermann’s work as the head of the Corporate Roundtable of Owings Mills.
“I’m proud to share that Barak is stepping onto the national stage as the new CEO of the JCC Association of North America! I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor. Barak is a top-notch leader, a dedicated community builder and someone I’m proud to call a friend,” Jones Jr. said.
During the event, Hermann received an official citation from the Maryland General Assembly from Maryland State Senator Shelly Hettleman in recognition of his work at the JCC of Greater Baltimore.
“So happy he will be staying in Baltimore and sharing his talents nationally and internationally, but we will certainly miss his local focus. Many, many thanks, Barak!” Hettleman wrote on Facebook after the event.
During his time at the JCC of Greater Baltimore, Hermann was noted for his work transforming the JCC’s camping, culture and arts programs while building Jewish family engagement and teen leadership, improving the facilities and bolstering community collaboration.
In his upcoming role, Hermann said he’s looking forward to deepening Jewish family engagement, helping shape the Jewish identities of young Jews and finding new ways to support JCCs across the country.
There is currently a national search underway to find a new CEO for the JCC of Greater Baltimore.
