NFTY

We sat down with two Reform Jewish youth leaders, immediate past NFTY president Benji Rosenblum and former NELFTY vice president Milton Sender, to discuss the evolution of the Jewish teen experience in North America, leadership, identity, and community.

How are teens really doing? In the spring of 2024, BeWell, the mental health and wellness initiative of the Jewish Federations of North American (JFNA), in partnership with the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (The Network), conducted the first national study of American Jewish teenagers to explore how their communal involvement, interpersonal connections, and perceptions of themselves as Jews relate to their overall wellbeing.

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.

Asking for donations in a Jewish context can feel like a paradox: tzedakah is one of our most cherished values, yet many of us were raised in homes where discussing money was taboo.

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.