By Josefin Kanin, Special to JTNews
In 1999, the JCC Association began an ambitious project to establish Young Judaea groups as endorsed programs at Jewish community centers nationwide. The Stroum Jewish Community Center of Greater Seattle was among the first to take on this challenge.
Last year, the JCC offered several programs sponsored jointly by the JCC and Young Judaea (YJ). This winter, they are going one step further, and giving Young Judaea a permanent home at the JCC. All youth group programs will be open to both JCC and Young Judaea members. For an additional $25 a year, JCC youth can participate in Young Judaea regional conventions and receive the YJ newsletter.
“We’re taking two strong programs and combining them,” said JCC Youth and Family Services director Robin Wehl. Mathew Risman, new Young Judaea assistant director for the Pacific Northwest, also is pleased with the new arrangement. “We’re trying to get Jewish kids together to have a good time and to educate and interest them in Judaism through a little non-traditional, informal education,” he said. “You don’t have to feel like you need to know a lot about Judaism to participate in our events.”
Risman, 23, graduated from the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University this past spring with bachelor’s degrees in American History and Modern Jewish Studies. He accepted the position at Young Judaea after former assistant director Suzy Sostrin left to work for the Young Judaea group in Portland, Ore. Risman is committed to building a love of Judaism and Israel in Jewish youth. Once the JCC program is firmly established, he plans to start a college extension of Young Judaea in collaboration with Hillel.
Young Judaea’s mission is “to provide Jewish youth of all affiliations with a positive Jewish experience and foster their close identity with Israel through the use of games, arts and crafts, storytelling, social gatherings, and exposure to Jewish and Israeli culture.” This goal blends perfectly with the spirit of inclusiveness and Jewish community-building at the heart of the JCC’s own mission.
All JCC/YJ events are listed in the JCC’s Winter Program Guide and on the JCC Web site, www.sjcc.org. They are organized by age group: Ofarim, grades three through six; Tsofim, grades six through eight; and Bogrim, grades nine through 12. Planned activities include a Tu B’Shevat Seder, a Kosher Hawaiian Luau, and a sleep-over at the JCC with kids from the Portland YJ group. To register for the programs, call Robin Wehl at 206-232-7115, ext. 254 or Mathew Risman at 425-467-9299.