NFTY has long been a catalyst for teen leadership and social change. Two remarkable teens, Maccabee Anderson and Lucy Targum, embody the innovative spirit and commitment to being the change they wish to see in the Jewish world and beyond.

I'm Benji Rosenblum from Phoenix, AZ, and I have the honor of serving as the NFTY North American president. I'm currently taking a gap year, and when I'm not engaged in NFTY work, I love to cook, spend time outside, and read.

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

NFTY's Teen Jews of Color Fellowship is a nine-month program that offers leadership development, value building, and deep communal connection by and for Jews of Color. All of these are especially crucial in these challenging times.

"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."

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.

Almost exactly six years ago, I ran for NFTY-TOR regional president. I lost. And yet when I look back at my election materials in a bout of nostalgia, I stand by absolutely everything I said, now having seen how much the ideas I mentioned still influence me and the way I think about leadership, both personally and as an organizer working with NFTY and Reform Jewish teen leadership. 

NFTY has been very busy the past few months and will soon install a new North American board.