Immersive Experiences: Shaping Our Jewish Future
The URJ’s youth programs engage, educate, and inspire more than 20,000 youth, teens, and young adults each year.
For more than 75 years, the Union for Reform Judaism has provided young people with immersive Jewish experiences in North America and around the world, instilling a sense of joy, compassion, and pride in being Jewish while nurturing our youth’s innate desire to make a difference in the world. The URJ’s youth programs – summer camps, Israel programs, Mitzvah Corps social justice travel programs, and NFTY: The Reform Youth Movement – engage more than 20,000 youth, teens, and young adults each year.
Central to our strategy is collaboration with Reform congregations, other Jewish organizations, and individuals who are committed to youth engagement. Together with our congregations, we offer a continuum of influence that starts during childhood, continues through the college years, and sees expression in Jewish engagement and identification during adulthood. Our goal is not a transactional, “one-off” experience but the creation of committed, transformational, ongoing relationships that ultimately leads to an increase in the number of young Jews choosing to be Jewish, living Jewish lives, and impacting the world in positive ways.
See the URJ’s commitment to health and safety – URJ Youth Policies and Procedures
Search our comprehensive Youth Program Directory, or learn more below.
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Jewish Summer Camp
With 14 summer camps across North America, URJ programs enrich and transform lives by strengthening identity and knowledge, instilling Reform Jewish values, and cultivating lifelong friendships.
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Israel Programs
Our programs have transformed the lives of more than 30,000 young people, instilling a strong connection and love for the Jewish homeland.
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Youth Group Programs
For 75 years, NFTY has offered thousands of young people the opportunity to explore and live Reform Judaism.
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Teen Fellowships
Explore our exciting opportunities for teens, with programs focused on social justice, Israel, and a teen Jews of Color cohort.
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Inclusion & Disability Youth Programs
Through personalized intake procedures, communication, and support, we work to provide an optimum experience for campers with disabilities.
What's New
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Strength, Stress, and Support: A Portrait of American Jewish Teen Well-Being
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.
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Inspiring Teens to be Tomorrow’s Leaders
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.
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Lessons in Fundraising: Inspiring Connection through Tzedakah
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.
