Related Blog Posts on Youth Engagement

If you know a teen looking for an unforgettable experience that combines leadership, Jewish values, and community, look no further! Here are nine incredible programs to consider for the coming year.

URJ camps provide a respite from the challenges of college life, offer a warm and affirming Jewish community, and allow students to cultivate skills they can use in their future careers.

Over the weekend of January 17-20, over 250 teens from 11 NFTY regions - the largest NFTY event since 2020 - were welcomed to URJ Camp Newman in Santa Rosa, CA for a weekend of connection, joyful Jewish moments, social action, and fun.

At The Collab, these teens met new people, learned about social justice issues, and shared their traditions with one another.

Over the past months, the URJ Teen Israel Organizing Immersive has been a haven for Jewish teens.

"Stop being nostalgic for the past and start helping to build what is already happening, because it's happening, with or without you. And we want you with us."

Over the past 150 years, the impact of our youth has been nothing short of remarkable. As we reflect on the past, we can't help but take pride in the transformative influence of programs like URJ camps, NFTY, Heller High School in Israel, Yallah! Israel powered by NFTY, and L'Taken Social Justice Seminars.

There has been a lot happening in the teen and youth space over these past weeks, and many more opportunities are coming down the pipeline.

A few weeks ago, I had the joy of being at the "NFTY-GER Ball," one of the many NFTY events being run by Reform teen leaders across North America. A room full of teens gathered at Temple Sholom in Scotch Plains, NJ to dance, laugh, get to know one another, and celebrate Jewish life.

During the COVID pandemic in southern California, we saw our Jewish communities weaken. From our camp spaces disappearing to our teen youth groups (TYG) struggling, many of us stopped programming and decreased in membership, while a few of us thrived the best way we knew how - by joining forces. For us, as youth directors, advisors, and educators, we knew this was the way to keep teens inspired and engaged with one another.