[dropcap]In[/dropcap] the late 1970s, Alla and Vladimir Milstein fled the Soviet Union and settled in Denver so that they could live freely as Jews in a democracy. 

Their daughter, Jessica Milstein embraced the gift her parents gave her, and now devotes her life to the Jewish community and Israel as the Mountain States associate director of Jewish National Fund.

A proud “Rose baby,” Milstein comes from a tight-knit family. She has an older sister Ilana who is married with two children. “We live a mile apart and I see my niece and nephew almost every day,” Jessica says. 

Jessica’s grandmother Anya also lives in Denver. Jessica calls her grandmother her mentor and best friend. “I talk to her every single day and see her about every other day.”

Jessica’s mother Alla worked at JFS in New American Services for 20 years, along with Grandmother Anya and Jessica’s Aunt Yana Vishnitsky, who retired last year as CEO.

Milstein makes time for her family amid a busy professional and volunteer life, which began during her teenage years at Arapahoe High School, where she played lacrosse and managed the boys’ basketball team.

You majored in political science at CU. 

Along with a few other students, I helped found my high school’s first partisan political group. We invited Members of Congress and local community leaders to meet with us, which really ignited an interest in politics for me. I attended political conferences during the summers in Washington, DC.

My interest in political science has always been foreign affairs, with an emphasis on Israel and Middle Eastern relations. I was certain that I wanted a career in politics, but not as a politician. My dream job was to move to Washington, DC and work for an elite think tank, the Council on Foreign Affairs or the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

You worked for AIPAC, 2008-2014. 

There was no greater opportunity at the time than to work for AIPAC, a grassroots political organization whose sole mission is to educate Members of Congress on the importance of a strong US-Israel relationship. I was also lucky in that the job took me to the heart of Jewish America in New York City.

Living in New York working for AIPAC, I really learned what it meant to be a part of the Jewish community, not just a political one. AIPAC really bridged those two communities, with Zionism at the core.

You’re continuing your Zionist work at JNF.

Being an advocate for Israel is my true passion, and I’ve been so fortunate to make a career of it. JNF is unlike any other organization I’ve been a part of: We are literally building a nation, a stronger, safer, more sustainable, brighter future for Israel.

You are bilingual in English and Russian. You emcee the annual Mizel Museum Babi Yar Remembrance event. Are you a bridge between to the Russian Jewish community?

I’ve been attending the Babi Yar memorial and speaking in some capacity since I was a teenager. It’s incredibly meaningful to me, as it is where my family perished in Holocaust. It enables me to honor the history of my family, and honor the memory of so many killed during the Holocaust.

The Russian community wants to continue the customs and traditions that we practiced for generations in Russia. Luckily, there are rising stars in the community, like Rabbi Mendy Sirota of the Western Center for Russian Jewry, who provide much needed leadership in connecting the young Russian Jewish community.

Any interests outside of work?

A friend in New York once told me my tagline should be: “Bibi. Babies. Broncos,” meaning my love of all things Israel, my niece and nephew and the NFL. I have an unhealthy obsession with the Broncos. There’s an unspoken rule in my family that if the Broncos are playing, they can only call with an emergency!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

My family will have anxiety reading this . . . but my dream would be in Israel. Isn’t that every Zionist’s dream?

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