By Jessica Davis, JTNews Correspondent
In order to accommodate to their growing needs and attract more members, some Seattle Jewish youth groups are adopting new programs and hiring new employees.
Young Judaea
Young Judaea, a peer-led Zionist youth movement, reopened its Seattle office in September and hired Mindy Katz to fill the post of a part-time city coordinator and advisor for metropolitan Seattle.
A Mercer Island native and a member of Herzl Ner-Tamid Congregation, Katz feels privileged to be working with members of the local Jewish community.
“It’s a pretty exciting opportunity for me,” she says. “It’s fun to be involved in the Jewish community and I enjoy the challenge of working with older kids.”
The movement, founded in 1909, is dedicated to instilling Jewish values, Jewish pride and a lifelong commitment to Israel in its members. Programs are designed to appeal to affiliated Jewish youth across the spectrum, but also to unaffiliated Jewish youth. All Young Judaea programs are planned in accordance with the Sabbath and the laws of Kashrut.
“Young Judaea challenges Jewish youth — through clubs, conventions, camps, Israel programs and university campus events — to become involved in social and educational activities that develop and sharpen their senses of Jewish and Zionist identity,” says its Web site.
“I’ve learned a lot already working in this job,” says Katz, who has discovered more about the Israeli Army since her involvement with Young Judaea.
Club involvement begins as early as third grade, and Young Judaea graduates can remain involved with Hamagshimim groups on college campuses and, in later years, with alumni programs across the United States and in Israel. Young Judaea is separated into three different age groups: Ofarim (grades 3-5), Tsofim (grades 6-8) and Bogrim (grades 9-12). Ofarim and Tsofim often do activities together. Katz says that Young Judaea is one of few groups in the Seattle area open to younger Jewish children.
Before Katz was hired, local Young Judaea members went without Seattle meetings and events but continued to attend programs regionally. Now, a board of eight to10 high school students plans events monthly. “The kids on the board are very involved and want to see the group succeed,” said Katz.
Locally, events can include anything from an ice cream social to a visit to a senior home. Kids from as far as Bellingham and Olympia have participated in the Seattle-area events. Young Judaea has been sending flyers to schools and networking in the local Jewish community, to attract more members.
“We’re definitely trying to build membership,” she says. “It’s okay to belong to more than one youth group and meet new people.”
In the summer, Young Judaea offers a variety of different programs nationally, including Camp Young Judaea West, a three-week overnight camping program for third through eighth graders in Salem, Ore., and Camp Tel Yehudah, offered to ninth to 11th graders, on the banks of the Delaware River in Barryville, N.Y.
“It’s a good opportunity to meet kids from different states,” says Katz.
Internationally, Young Judaea offers Israel Summer Programs and Year Course in Israel — a year of work and study for recent high school graduates.
Young Judaea receives full sponsorship from the Hadassah women’s organization. For more information about Young Judaea, call Mindy Katz at 206-284-9980, or the regional office at 503-244-9322 or visit www.youngjudaea.org.
National Conference for Synagogue Youth
Started in the 1950s, the National Conference for Synagogue Youth reaches out to both public school and yeshiva students who wish to increase their commitment to Judaism. Although most of its effort has been in North America, NCSY is also now reaching Israeli teens.
NCSY is a multi-faceted Jewish youth group open to all Jewish youth regardless of background and affiliation. Social and educational programs are offered in hundreds of communities across the U.S. and Canada. There are hundreds of NCSY chapters across the country.
Seattle’s chapter, headed by Rabbi Yona Margolese, offers a variety of social and educational events including onegs and Jewish Student Union Israel clubs. Recently, the chapter added Dinner ‘n’ Learning and Latte ‘n’ Learning events to give its members the opportunity to learn and casually dine with each other.
“Latte ‘n’ Learning is a very chilled out environment where both public school and yeshiva kids hang out and discuss various topics on Judaism, facilitated by myself, and drink lots of free coffee,” said Rabbi Margolese.
The rabbi visits public high schools to expand NCSY’s Jewish learning programs, such as the Israel Awareness Club at Mercer Island High School. The programs have recently been extended to Bellevue High School and the Northwest Yeshiva High School. There are 70 active members locally in NCSY, plus an additional 50 teens that come on a regular basis to the JSU clubs and Latte ‘n’ Learning.
On Presidents’ Day weekend, Feb 12–16, Rabbi Margolese will take kids to New York City for the “New York Experience,” a tour of Jewish New York. The trip is $399 and that includes everything from airfare to room and board.
“This is my third year and I really enjoy working with the Seattle kids, because they come from so many different backgrounds and have so many different perspectives on life,” says Rabbi Margolese. “I feel as though we’ve really grown and we are slowly but surely reaching our goal of spreading out over Washington.”
For more information about NCSY, call Rabbi Yona Margolese at 206-723-6373 or [email protected] or visit www.ncsy.org.