Peer Tutoring Program Helps Struggling Elementary School Students

By Isabel-Duarte Gray, Program Assistant, Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)

Every Tuesday morning, 33 Gideon Hausner 8^th graders pile into parent carpools and ride to Theuerkauf Elementary School in Mountain View, where they spend the morning building the literacy skills of K-3^rd grade students. In their assigned classrooms, the teen tutors work one-on-one with the younger students, wander the classroom providing help as needed, or sometimes lead groups to enhance their tutees’ reading skills through cooperative exercises. “As I read with them, I try to use techniques that I remember from when I was younger that helped me learn to read,” says Lucy, an 8^th grader taking part in the peer-tutoring program. “For me, what is most important is that I want them to know that I love reading too, and that I am helping with it not because I was sent to, but because I want them to develop the same love of reading that I have.”

Peer Tutors at Palo Alto’s Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School strengthen the reading skills of younger students at Mountain View’s Theuerkauf Elementary School.

Tzedakah. Tikkun Olam. Gemilut Chasadim.

Seven years ago, coordinator Ora Gittelson-David was tasked with constructing a program to teach these crucial Jewish values to 7^th and 8^th graders at Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School as part of the Avodah La’Olam - Work for the World Program. “As a former social worker, I was searching for a meaningful volunteer program that would enable our students to develop a significant ongoing relationship,” Ora explained. Then a parent told her about a tutoring program in which she and her son had participated over the summer with the Jewish Coalition for Literacy, which brought them face-to-face with students in underserved schools to share the joy of reading. JCL’s peer tutoring work perfectly fit the bill and Ora knew she had found her model: “The connection with JCL was made, and the rest is history.”

Each week, after they return to Gideon Hausner, the peer tutors discuss their classroom experience and often distill those thoughts into written assignments. “I am deeply touched by my students’ ability to reflect upon what they have seen going on in a classroom in which they are tutoring, being open to learn about issues based on what they have seen, and reflecting upon their own contribution to a young child’s learning,” says Ora. The value of peer tutoring lies not only in the individual service it provides to struggling elementary school students, but also in the lesson it reinforces in its tutors about the value of community service.

“The fact that our school is able to set aside time during our school day on a regular basis for our students to give of themselves to others speaks volumes to our students in terms of understanding the value of Tikkun Olam and the piece of our mission that speaks to community responsibility.”

When students, parents, and teachers work together to better the world, everyone benefits.

The Jewish Coalition for Literacy’s partnership with Gideon Hausner Day School is one of six programs JCL has guided and trained throughout the Bay Area since 2008.  While the Jewish Community High School of the Bay sends high school tutors into San Francisco public schools twice a week in collaboration with The Village Project, Oakland Hebrew Day School’s 8th graders tutor at Greenleaf Elementary School in Oakland, and Contra Costa Jewish Day School 5th graders serve as “Big Buddies” to students at Fair Oaks Elementary School in Pleasant Hill. All have received crucial training from the Jewish Coalition for Literacy.  JCL’s programs have earned rave responses from students, teachers, and parents alike.  This spring, JCL received a grant from the South Bay Jewish Teen Philanthropy Board to facilitate this extraordinary work, in addition to funding from an anonymous donor in the East Bay.

JCL’s Literacy Trainer, Barbara Pearl, prepares 5th grade Peer Tutors at Contra Costa Jewish Day School for their work in the classroom.

Back at Gideon Hausner, the Avodah La’Olam Theuerkauf Mentoring Program is rooted in two basic Jewish values: the love of learning and the mitzvah to better the world through acts of loving kindness.  Some of the most powerful feedback Ora Gittelson-David has received from her program is praise from parents of Gideon Hausner students, who are grateful for the lessons their students have learned about the diversity of their community and the fundamental importance of literacy. “Our students gain an understanding of the fact that there is a large community out there, one that is in very close geographic proximity, that can benefit from the skills they have learned and from their willingness to give to others,” Ora explains.

But Ora doesn’t need to explain – her students can beautifully articulate the value of this program for themselves. As Moriah, another Gideon Hausner Peer Tutor, puts it: “Education is an important Jewish value, and I know that I am not only educating them now, but I am also giving them the opportunity to continue their education further in their lives, because they have been given the skills to strengthen their reading.”

Become a JCL tutor: Register for a free tutor training workshop at www.jclread.org.

The Jewish Coalition for Literacy is funded in part by a $95,000 JCF annual grant and is a joint project of Jewish Community Relations Council and the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.

What Nachas is All About

by Caroline Poland
Director, North Peninsula Jewish Teen Foundation

I am grateful that the work I do every day is infused with inspiration and passion, reflecting my love for life and philanthropy. My name is Caroline Poland, and I’m the Director of the N. Peninsula Jewish Teen Foundation. In my work I have the privilege of seeing teens grow and evolve as young Jewish change-makers. Recently I’ve had cause for even more nachas – we’ve grown the scope of our work to continue our connection with our JTF alumni through our Alumni Councils or AC’s (presently there are two, Marin/SF and NPJTF AC’s respectively).

The beauty of this work

Our Alumni Councils engage teens beyond their JTF board service, and are largely focused on giving back to our local community through Jewish programing and hands-on projects. From teaching philanthropy workshops for 7th grade Hebrew School classes at local synagogues, to participating in our Federation’s Super Sunday fundraising event; these motivated youth are taking the leadership skills they learned with the Jewish Teen Foundations to a new level.

The story of Zoe and Max

Max, Caroline, and Zoe

Zoe and Max are in their first year of college. Zoe, an Engineering major attends Tufts University in Boston. Max, a Broadcast Journalism major attends Syracuse University in upstate New York. Zoe and Max found time during their winter break to come to a JTF meeting to share their experiences on how they connected to Jewish life on campus and the ways their JTF training has served them in this new chapter. Both are associated to their Hillel on campus where they heartily noted, “The food is so much better than the dining halls!”  Zoe was drawn to Hillel by a friend who invited her to attend a retreat about sustainable farming and food justice. Today she attends services weekly and remarked, “After I finish my week of work, there is something really special about getting ready for services, meeting friends, and walking together to Hillel for on Friday night.”

Max enjoys the diverse themes Hillel creates for services that encourage camaraderie and inclusion.  “I connect with friends I don’t often see during the week, and we really have fun at services and Shabbat dinner together.”

Calling on their JTF skills in their new chapter

Max’s connection to Hillel immediately called on his JTF experience and skills when he was asked to take part in a fundraising campaign. He said he quickly got back in the fundraising space, and used his experiences with elevator pitches with donors in his new role with Hillel.  He also mentioned using his leadership and advocacy experience to land the internship of a lifetime at a local news station.

For Zoe, her work as a young philanthropist has inspired her to participate in a number of groups on campus and she remarked on how her experience has fueled many conversations about creating change.

As the person who witnessed the growth of these two remarkable teens, and their unwavering commitment to doing so much good in the world, it’s an absolute gift that leaves me deeply humbled and hopeful that the next generations of Jewish philanthropists are indeed becoming ready to rise and lead us in our collective new chapter.

Learn more

In the past 10 years, the JTF’s have granted more than $1 million to nonprofits in the Bay Area, Israel and world-wide.  Learn more by watching a video, getting insight from participating teens, reading the JTF Impact Report or contacting Caroline at 415.512.8303.

Realizing a Vision of a Camp Environment Open to the Entire Community Year Round

Sitting in the Santa Rosa Mountains of Sonoma County is URJ Camp Newman, a Reform Jewish summer camp serving 3,500 adults and children for off-season retreats and 1,500 Jewish youth (grades 3 to 12) through its summer camp program.  Every summer, these young Jews begin a journey of lifelong Jewish living and learning. They join a loving community where friendships thrive and self-esteem flourishes.

The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund is proud to announce a $1 million grant in support of Camp Newman

The grant supports the camp’s comprehensive $30 million campaign to conduct critical improvements to its infrastructure, housing and program space. With the new retreat center, Camp Newman will be able to serve upwards of 13,000 individuals a year. Including the Federation grant, Camp Newman has already raised $12 million.  A state-of-the-art retreat center and a welcome and wellness center are envisioned to serve the entire Northern California Jewish community with innovative, immersive Jewish experiences.

New Campus Center Rendering

New Welcome and Wellness Center Rendering

Beyond the grant

Camp Newman worked with the Federation’s Capital Planning Committee to help hone their message, think through any challenge areas, and build bridges to supporters in the community that they might not otherwise have known.  “Our endowment fund represents the legacy of hundreds of members of our community and exists to ensure a vibrant Jewish future. Given the vital role that camp plays in building a strong Jewish identity, Camp Newman is an essential part of the fabric of our community, and this grant will ensure that it remains so for generations to come,” said Jennifer Gorovitz, Federation CEO.

Elements of the project include:

•    Constructing a Campus Center as a hub for Camp Newman, tripling the number of retreat groups during an off-season that is currently booked to capacity.
•    Developing a Welcome and Wellness Center to provide on-site health care practitioners and social services.
•    Replacing core infrastructure, including electrical, wastewater treatment, plumbing, and other physical plant systems.  (This stage has already been completed, with $5 million in funding coming from the Union for Reform Judaism.)
•    Build 16 new cabins to accommodate campers in the summer and retreat groups during the academic year.

New Cabin Rendering

The Campaign for Camp Newman is still in its early stages, with leadership-level gifts as the focus of campaign efforts.  Camp Newman is seeking the involvement of the thousands of current and former campers, parents, and staff.  For more detailed information about the project or campaign, please contact Advancement Director Ari Vared by e-mail or at (415) 392-7080. The entire project is being phased over several years, so that neither the off-season retreats nor the summer camp will be impacted. 

“Camp Newman is honored to receive this generous support from our Federation,” said Daryl Messinger, Board Chair and along with her husband, Jim Heeger, a lead donor to the campaign.  “It is wonderful to have the Federation as a partner in ensuring that everyone can be a beneficiary of the immersive magic of Camp.”

For more information on Jewish Camp for Kids, visit One Happy Camper which provides incentive grants of up to $1000 to families with children attending Jewish overnight camp for the first time, or apply for need-based scholarships.

Instilling Teens with the Skills Needed for Life-Long Activism and Philanthropy

An optimist and an activist

“If 22 Jewish teens can help at-risk youth on the streets of Tel Aviv, anything is possible.” – Ari Goldstein, JTF board member

I try to keep myself busy.  I run track & field. I’m a leader of my school’s Jew Crew, Model United Nations team, and Eco-Council.  I am also passionate about photography and love the outdoors. I first heard about the Jewish Teen Foundations at a program fair at my synagogue, and was immediately interested because it was a way for me to make a difference in my community. The more I read about it, the more interested I became, and so I decided to apply

JTF is a group of teens that raise money to work towards solving a certain issue in the world. We choose a cause – any problem that needs solving – and spend months writing letters and making phone calls to raise money. Then we review grant proposals and choose five or six great nonprofits to receive grants.

By learning about the issues that face us and the groups working to solve them, I see the world through the lens of an activist and an optimist. If 22 Jewish teens in San Francisco can help at-risk youth on the streets of Tel Aviv, anything is possible.

What I have been most surprised by is how many people are willing to support a worthy cause. It gives me hope that so many people, even in these economic conditions, want to help in any way they can.

Consensus, leadership, and outreach are some important life skills I will definitely take away from the Jewish Teen Foundation and will be able to apply in college and beyond. I know I will look back on this experience with pride, and view it as a reminder that a small group of dedicated people really can change the world!

Realizing I could make a difference

“Often adults will overlook your potential and might not always take you seriously. However, throughout this process, we have met with dozens of adults from various nonprofits who have taken us very seriously – and it feels good!” – Hallie Goldstein, JTF board member

I first heard about the JTF at my synagogue’s teen involvement fair. I remember hearing about the program, and knowing that it was something I could definitely envision myself being a part of.

This experience has taught me that, even as an individual in a world of close to seven billion, I can make a difference. From the time I was little, I have been taught that, but never really believed it until I became a part of JTF. I realized that it is totally possible to make an impact on the world, and as an active member of the Jewish community, I feel it is an obligation to continue this philanthropic work in any and every way possible.

The most interesting thing I discovered by participating is that adults will take you more seriously in the nonprofit world than I had previously expected. Often adults will overlook your potential and might not always take you seriously. However, throughout this process, we have met with dozens of adults from various nonprofits who have taken us very seriously – and it feels good!

I plan to use the knowledge I gained involving nonprofits, budgets, overhead, impact, and reliability throughout my life. I plan to be someone who stays involved and connected in my community and in the greater Jewish community as well, whether it is monetarily or through service. Despite feeling very satisfied about my fundraising, I am still a firm believer in practicing tikkun olam through service as well.

See the entire impact report and learn more about the Jewish Teen Foundations.

When Is Camp More Than Just Camp?

When it’s Jewish camp. At Jewish overnight camp, “the summer of your life” is more than just an expression. It’s a gift. It’s a place where your child can discover who they are—and who they want to become—while having a total blast.

 Jewish camp is just plain fun. But it’s also so much more than that—it’s camp with a soul where your child will have an amazing summer racing down a zipline, singing under the stars, and making lifelong friends. They’ll also learn values like self-confidence, independence, and leadership that will last them long after the summer’s gone.

At Jewish camp, ruach (spirit) is part of every activity— from dancing to hitting a home run—allowing campers to explore their connection to Judaism in a meaningful way while having the summer of their lives.

ONE SUMMER OF CAMP, A LIFETIME OF JEWISH CONNECTION

The challenge of passing along Jewish connection and commitment to the next generation has become one of the most important concerns of the American Jewish community.  Based on CAMP WORKS, the 2010 study by FJC studying the long term impact of Jewish overnight camp, there is compelling evidence that camp is a proven means of building Jewish identity, community, and leadership.  It found that adults who attended Jewish overnight camp are 37% more likely to light candles regularly for Shabbat, 45% more likely to attend synagogue at least once a month, and 55% more likely to feel very emotionally attached to Israel.

“The Jewish summer camp experience affects children in countless ways and opens their hearts to the joy of being Jewish,” says Foundation for Jewish Camp CEO, Jeremy J. Fingerman.  “We are passionate about making that experience possible for every Jewish child and deeply grateful to all of our partners who share our commitment to that goal.”

And it’s working… Apply today!

MAKE YOUR CHILD ONE HAPPY CAMPER.

If your child has never been to Jewish overnight camp before, you might be eligible for $1000 off.   Apply today!

One Happy Camper is a program of the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund with the Foundation for Jewish Camp and Jewish overnight camps across North America. One Happy Camper provides need-blind grants of up to $1000 to families with children attending nonprofit, mission-driven Jewish overnight camp for the first time.

Teens Nationwide Now Eligible for Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards

The Helen Diller Family Foundation is expanding the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards, issuing a national call-for-nominations to identify Jewish teens whose volunteer service projects demonstrate a determined commitment to make the world a better place. Up to ten selected teens, five from California and five from other communities across the country, will each be acknowledged for their visionary actions with an award of $36,000, to be used to further their philanthropic work or their education. Nominations are now being accepted; the deadline for nominations is January 6, 2013.

What started as a simple idea for Bay Area philanthropist Helen Diller in 2007 has grown tremendously since its inception, and the Helen Diller Family Foundation has given more than one million dollars to 30 teens to further their visions of tikkun olam.

“It has been a joy to celebrate so many incredible Jewish teens over the past six years, and to support them in their efforts to repair the world. This opportunity to empower and nurture teens throughout the entire United States is a dream come true, and a simple way to foster the spirit of tikkun olam among our future leaders.” -Helen Diller

The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and their network of 155 Jewish Federations throughout the country will collaborate with the Helen Diller Family Foundation to publicize the awards and garner nominations.

“We applaud those who demonstrate such dedication to Jewish values and service at a young age,” said Jerry Silverman, president and CEO of JFNA. “The Helen Diller Family Foundation is known for its commitment to providing enrichment opportunities that truly do change lives. We are delighted to collaborate with them on this innovative program, which will help create a vibrant future for the Jewish People.”

Learn more about past recipientsof the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards here.

The 2012 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award Recipients

Jewish Teen Foundations Instill Lifelong Activism and Philanthropy

“Teens step up when they are entrusted with responsibility.”

by Rachel Levenson, JTF Alumnus

I do not know even where to begin or how to express the importance of the Jewish Teen Foundations on my life. Starting with the JTF board from 8th grade onwards, this experience has been one of, if not the most important thing in my life for helping me find my personal interest and think critically.

The Teen Foundations provided me a place to interact with adults as peers, and I owe a lot of my personal growth to the program. It made me step back and think about what my role – as a Jew and as a global citizen – was and is in the larger worldwide community. I had to think about ways to integrate my Jewish values into projects that are bigger than just the Jewish community.

The Teen Foundations helped me find what I am passionate about. This year, I am starting a job in Malawi where I will be running an evaluation of a project that reduced the barriers to accessing savings accounts. I could not be more excited to be part of an organization that is working to try to measure effectiveness. There is no doubt in my mind that I would not be where I am today without the Teen Foundation.

WHERE IS RACHEL TODAY?

Rachel focused her university studies on international development in Africa. She conducted research over the course of 4 months in Uganda which ultimately led to her thesis. She participated in American Jewish World Service learning in Nicaragua and Uganda, and studied in Senegal where she perfected her French.  Rachel spent a year at Oxford studying international development. Today, Rachel is a Wesleyan University graduate, who has opened a  donor advised fund at the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund and has pledged to give at least 10% of her income to charities until her retirement.

You can learn more about the Jewish Teen Foundations on their website. Applications for the 2012-2013 boards will open on August 22.

The 2012 Diller Teen Fellows check in from Israel

Diller Teen Fellows cohorts from six North American partner communities have just returned  from their much anticipated three week long, Israel Summer Seminar (ISS). Here, six North American cohorts, each filled with twenty 10th and 11th graders of different backgrounds, explored Israel, participated in a four day Diller International Teen Leadership Congress, and experienced a week of home hospitality by their host families in their Israeli partnership cities. The Diller ISS is part of the continuing effort to empower participants to be active, effective leaders with a strong Jewish identity and a responsibility to their communities, Israel, and the Jewish people.

The cohorts have blogged throughout their time in Israel–so check this post to see highlights of their trip!

Baltimore Dillers at the Kotel in Jerusalem

Baltimore

Day 2!

Miriam Pomerantz and Robert Monfred, July 19, 2012

Baltimore Diller Teens floating in the Dead Sea

Let’s back track…to Friday!

Alex Green, July 22,2012

An update about our time in Jerusalem from one of the amazing JCs – Danielle Gelber!

Danielle Gelber, July 24, 2012

Beit Canada is Always a Highlight!

Morgan Plant and Sam Sugarman, August 5,2012

Los Angeles

Day One: Spread of the Sass

Rachael Cohen, July 22, 2012

The Sass Strikes Back

Chelsea Rapoport, July 30, 2012

Shalom to the Sass

Chelsea Rapoport, August 5, 2012

MetroWest New Jersey

Shabbat morning, the Old City, and Havdalah at the Kotel

San Francisco Diller Teen Fellows start their time in Israel

Marisa Parnes, July 21, 2012

Carrying on our history…As leaders.

Rachel Scheckman , July 22, 2012

Learning from each other

Nick Sarano, August 1, 2012

The “Aha” Moments

Rachel Gordon, August 3, 2012

San Francisco

Day 2: The North of Israel

Nadine Herman and Kamala Sloss, July 19,2012

Shifting Gears: From Congress to Community Week

Matt Blumenthal, August 1, 2012

Community Week: Army Day

Alex Jekowsky, August 6, 2012

Pittsburgh

Diller blog 7/26/2012

Tova Perlman and Sophie Abo, July 26, 2012

Our Shabbat at Congress

Noa Weil, Sarah Gamble, Simon Neft, and Bailey Spivak, July 29, 2012

A Quick Look Back Into the Diller Teen Fellows 2011-2012 Program Year

As the Diller Teen Fellows start to prepare for their Israel Summer Seminar, we look back at their experiences this past year through this program. Over the past year, Diller Teen Fellows from across North America in six different cities have attended workshops in their hometowns about leadership and Judaism, have explored Israel’s culture, and have even participated in the 2012 North American Seminar with their partner city in Israel, where Diller teens from Israel traveled to North America to learn about the culture and way of life of American Jews, and compare their counterpart’s lifestyle to their own lifestyle in Israel. This summer, North American Diller Teen Fellows will be able to apply the skills they have developed through this past program year in the annual Diller Israel Summer Seminar, where Dillers from twelve cities from both North America and Israel will be exposed to different cultures and lifestyles, and new ideas about leadership and Judaism in a 3-week trip to Israel.

Before they head off to the holy land, here are a few highlights from each cohort’s past year in the program, including a post about the San Francisco cohort’s tikkun olam project planting a garden at a low-income housing project and a post from MetroWest describing one Israeli’s eye-opening and exciting time in New York City.

Los Angeles Diller cohort’s first havdalah together

Baltimore

First Diller Shabbaton….AMAZING!!
Leah Gold, November 4, 2011

Los Angeles

North American Seminar|
Rachael Goldman, April 5, 2012

Last Shabbaton Before Israel
Chelsea, June 26, 2012

MetroWest cohort showing their Israeli partnership New York City!

MetroWest New Jersey

Who is a Jew?
Noah Lisser & Omer Kinor, March 27, 2012

American Culture: the BIG Apple
Peleg Kazaz, March 28, 2012

It’s Monday morning, but that doesn’t mean “good bye”
April 6, 2012

San Francisco

The 2012 North American Seminar–Reflections on Partnership
Jenny, April 17, 2012

The Diller Teen Fellows J-Serve-ing the Community
Gabriel Kaufman & EJ Weiss, April 27, 2012

For more information about the Diller Teen Fellows, visit our website.

Beyond Freedom: A Journey with the Jewish Teen Foundations

By Sara Nesson, Director, Marin/San Francisco Jewish Teen Foundation

I am sitting in the Kurland Lounge at the Marin Jewish Community Center and our speaker, Sagie, is telling us about what it’s like to see young male teenagers gathered around sex shops on the dark streets of Tel Aviv in the middle of the night. “You know how they make a living,” he says, “and you know it involves sex and drugs, but you really just don’t want to think about it.”  Many of these boys are homeless, he explains, because their Orthodox families would not tolerate their homosexuality.

Sagie, who represents a nonprofit based in Israel, takes a breath and admits he is a little nervous, and everyone in the room takes a moment to smile and acknowledge the courage it takes to speak to a group of strangers about something so difficult. Some speakers get extra nervous about presenting to high school students, although I know you won’t find a friendlier or more caring group of people than the members of the Marin/San Francisco Jewish Teen Foundation, who are fundraising for programs that serve at-risk teens in the Bay Area and Israel and will soon be facing some very tough choices about exactly where to allocate their funds.

Marin/SF Board member Elizabeth Stern works with fellow board members to untangle from a “human knot.” (Photo by Ze’ev Klapow)

It’s right before Passover and later in the meeting I will say a few words about the holiday and how we all will be taking time at out Seder tables to remember people in the world who are still not free, like the young people we are learning about this year who are on the streets in San Francisco or Tel Aviv.

Recently, one of the teen leaders in our program, Ryan, spoke at our Parent Night. “You can look at a list of twenty Jewish values in Sunday school,” he said, “and it’s just that, a list of great Jewish values.  But doing this work has actually made those values a physical, tangible experience.”

This is one of those times that I think I know exactly what Ryan is talking about.

Sagie goes on to tell us how the kids come rolling out of the sex shops and alleys when they see the van his nonprofit sends out.  Inside the van, they hang out on the couch, talk to the staff, get something to eat or drink.  After a while, he explains, you can begin to see them relax, even act like teenage boys again, joking around, but then, eventually, they go back out to survive on the streets.

Sagie also tells us about the particular project we’re considering funding: a classy restaurant in downtown Tel Aviv that is largely operated by at-risk teens.  Staffing this restaurant offers these young adults a place to experience and express responsibility, commitment, and community.

As we are wrapping up, Hallie, another teen leader in our program, comes back to the youth on the street.  “Can they participate in the restaurant program?” she asks. “What happens to them?”

Sagie says that the boys at the sex shops are not called “at-risk,” but rather “high-risk” or “fatal-risk.”  Most of them are not ready for the restaurant project.  “You just can’t put a chef’s knife in the hands of a drug addict,” he explains. It will be up to those kids to take steps that bring them to the nonprofit’s center where they can benefit from other programs, such as working with a social worker, dealing with substance abuse issues, or earning a high school diploma.

We all know that many of the kids on the street do not make it.

Sara Nesson, Director of Marin/SF Jewish Teen Foundation

On the second day of Passover, Jews are commanded to begin counting the Omer, a ritual that was once about preparing sacrifices of grain to offer in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem.  These days, many people turn to the Kabbalistic practice of using each of the seven weeks before the holiday of Shavuot (the revelation of Torah) to reflect on qualities such as love, power, compassion, wisdom, and discernment–emanations of God that we can also develop in ourselves.  It’s not enough to be free, the ancient mystics seem to be saying, but what are you going to do with that freedom?

In the next weeks, my students will take the final steps in the journey of their foundation year—working to bring qualities like love, compassion and wisdom to their final grant allocations and to serve others from a place of humility and respect.  They will not meet many of the teens that will benefit from the grants of our foundation, but those lives will be linked to theirs by an invisible partnership about freedom and possibility.

Today as I walked in the early morning rain by my favorite lake, I sang a simple Modah Ani, (“I give thanks”), and then went on to take in the many brilliant shades of green moss and new leaves all around, the carpet of damp Redwood needles beneath my feet, the newts plodding steadily back into the forest after laying their eggs by the shore.  I love those newts, and in a way, I think we are a little bit like them.  We must keep plodding along, shaking off one season to welcome another, remembering our hard-won freedoms, but never stopping there.

Be inspired by Jewish Teens who are changing the world.
See photos from the Marin/SF region’s  Grant Celebration Ceremony.