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St. Louis There are many great organizations in St. Louis that offer a wide variety of activities for Jewish youth. If you would like to have your organization listed below, please contact Maxine Weil at (314) 442-3753 or mweil@cajestl.org.
Below are a list of National Organizations that offer programs and activities for Jewish Teenagers.
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A year-long educational leadership program for black and Jewish high school students to teach them about their own and each others race, religion, culture, and history, the bigger issues of institutional racism, power, privilege, and prejudice, and teaches them how to have a relationship based on mutual respect and mutual goals, how to dismantle racism, and become change agents. Hazamir is an international organization promoting Jewish choral music. The JCC sponsored teen choir practices regularly, performs at local events and travels to the annual Hazamir International Festival in New York City to join in song with teen choirs from around the country.
Have you ever been in a situation where a classmate or teacher made an inaccurate statement about Israel but you didn’t know how to respond? Do you want your friends to know how cool Israel is but you’re not sure how to do that? iTag empowers teens to take an active role in Israel advocacy efforts, and provide them with tools to do so with the guidance of JCRC staff. If you are passionate about Israel, back from a trip to Israel, or would like to learn more about Israel and how to speak up for Israel, join iTag’s e-list to hear about our upcoming activities.
It’s a Girl Thing! brings Jewish girls together monthly to learn and grow together in the spirit of Rosh Hodesh. Through its informal setting, small group size, and carefully designed activities It’s a Girl Thing promotes empowerment to enrich the Jewish identity of adolescent girls. Programs include: creative arts & expression, celebration of Jewish rituals, role models from Jewish tradition, group discussion, food & friendship! Grade specific groups for girls in grades 6-8 meet at sponsor sites throughout the community. Monthly meetings begin in September. The Jewish Student Union (JSU) of St. Louis reaches out to unaffiliated teens on public school campuses. JSU of St. Louis began in the fall of 2002 and has clubs in Ladue, Clayton and Parkway Central and North High Schools. JSU clubs create a fun, safe and loving community for Jewish teens from all backgrounds providing a full range of services including school-based JSU clubs, leadership training, social and educational programs, conventions, summer camps, and referral to other Jewish organizations and services. JSU activities take place throughout the Jewish community. Contact: Rabbi Michael Rovinsky (314) 498-6279 The JCC Maccabi Games have been offering a life- and personality-shaping experience to Jewish teenagers since 1982. At this Jewish Olympic style event, each of the more than 6000 athletes has the chance to participate in one of 14 sporting events, creating memories that will last a lifetime. The Games also promote community involvement, teamwork, and pride in being Jewish. The energy and excitement make it a unique and unforgettable experience for every participant, from athletes to volunteers, from coaches to Host families. Tryouts will be held in February and March of 2006. Athletes may try out for more than one sport, however, may only participate in one sport during the Games. For a list of sports in which to compete and for more information go to the JCC website (www.jccstl.org), or contact: Joey Boime (314) 442-3423 Fanchon Auman (314) 442-3157 For the past 20 years, the March of the Livign has been the premier Poland/Israel trip in the world. This intensive two-week program brings participants to Poland to visit the concentrations camps of Treblinka, Majdanek and Auschwitz as well as the historical sites of the communities that were once the center of the Jewish world. Holocaust Remembrance day is observe with a gathering of thousands of participants on the "March of the Living" from Auschwitz to Birkenau. The second week is spent in Israel where participants experience Israel's Memorial Day observance and Independence day celebrations. For a more complete description including dates and costs for this Spring's trip, click here. Being a teenage girl can be challenging at the best of times. Nishmah Banot is an opportunity for young women in grades 9-12 to come together in an informal, social setting. Programs mix fun activities with empowering experiences in a Jewish context and begin in late August.
Panim is a national organization that sponsors several programs for Jewish teenagers. Follow the link to learn about Panim's Summer JAM. Click the following link for information on the Panim el Panim seminar in Washington D.C. In St. Louis, Panim's Jewish Civics Initiative (JCI) is administered through the Shaare Shalom religious school. For more information about JCI, in please contact Chani Pinsberg (314) 725-6230 or director@shaareshalomstl.org.
Prejudice often results from a lack of knowledge and familiarity. In response, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) developed Student-to-Student, a program that seeks to reduce stereotypes and prejudice in the students it reaches. The Student-to Student program makes presentations in public schools throughout the metropolitan St. Louis region. Since its creation in 1992, Student-to-Student has reached thousands of students in area schools who now can put a “human face” to Judaism—the best antidote to bigotry and intolerance. Participants are Jewish high school juniors and seniors and is by application only. Contact: Fawn Chapel (314) 442-3871 The Teen Leadership Council gathers leaders from local youth groups for leadership development, training and program coordination. Ask your advisor if you would like to participate or contact:
SLICE is a weeklong opportunity to pursue social justice in our own backyard with teen from other faith communities. For participants in 8th-10th grade the week begins with an interactive poverty simulation to learn more about the lives of low income families including single parents, people with disabilities and senior citizens on social security. The remainder of the week is dedicated to community service projects.
This month-long explores our society’s most challenging problems and the many different ways you can get involved to make a difference. The program uses Washington, D.C. as a living laboratory for learning about social policy from its formation in the halls of government to the impact it has on the individual citizen. For 2007 program dates and applications got to: www.dcjam.org. EventsYom Limmud is a one-day festival of unique Jewish experiences. Over 200 Jewish teens from St. Louis will gather for an exciting day of workshops with people they don't usually see and on topics that are not part of the normal curriculum. Yom Limmud is a chance to explore all that Jewish life and culture have to offer. Choices: Jewish College Fair is an opportunity to explore your college options from a Jewish perspective. College is the first time you will be on your own in making Jewish decisions about your life, and the first - and maybe most important - decision is where you'll go to school. Have you considered: How many Jewish students are on campus? Is the Jewish campus community active? Are there Shabbat services? Is there a Hillel or Chabad serving the campus? These questions and more can be answered at Choices. For more complete program information, click here. Youth Groups
BBYO is the world's largest and oldest youth organization for Jewish teens grades 9-12. Meets Tuesday night at 7 pm at the JCC Fox Campus. NCSY NCSY is a multi-faceted Jewish Youth group which is open to all Jewish youth regardless of background and affiliation that offers social and educational programming.
NiFTY, the youth group of the Reform Movement offers thousands of young people the opportunity to explore and live Reform Judaism through individual Temple-based youth groups, regional conventions and national camps. For more information, contact your Temple Youth Group (TYG): TIFTY - Temple Israel CERTY - Central Reform Congregation SETYG – Shaare Emeth UHTYG - United Hebrew KABEEY - Kol Am, Bnai El, Emanuel Youth The high school age affiliate of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, USY brings Jewish teens great friends and exciting programs in your synagogue and around the world... and transforms Jewish leaders for the next generation. Bnai Amoona BSKI Shaare Zedek The Jewish Community Center (JCC) coordinates inter-youth group sports leagues for each season. Community School Programs The Jewish Opportunities & Learning for Teens is a Jewish education program for students in grades 8-12. Administered by CAJE, and sponsored by a number of congregations, JOLT offers an elective curriculum to compliment the core courses offered at religious school on Sunday mornings. JOLT meets on Thursday nights from 6:30-8:30pm and this trimester at Congregation Bnai Amoona. Click here for more information. Tichon is a program of Jewish study for students in grades 9-12. Tichon courses are taught from a traditional perspective with Jewish text at the program's center. Meeting on Sunday mornings from 10am-1pm at CAJE, Tichon students choose three elective courses. Students of any background are welcome. For more complete information Tichon, send an email to Tichon@aol.com Jewish Summer Camps Camp Sabra is located on the magnificent Lake of the Ozarks and is a program of the St. Louis JCC. With 70 years of tradition, Camp Sabra helps campers entering grades 3-12 experience the joy of being Jewish with a summer of fun, excitement and adventure. The St. Louis Jewish Community Center offers several options for teenagers, including travel programs with opportunities to interact with teens from other communities, mitzvah projects and counselor-in-training. Camp Ben Frankel, near Carbondale, IL, serves Jewish children entering grades 1-10 with an intimate environment and friendly staff. Hebrew, T'filot, Israeli song and dance, and a wonderful Shabbat experience enable campers to learn more about their Jewish heritage and values and gain a new sense of Jewish pride and Jewish identity. The Robert Krohn Livingston Memorial Camp in southeastern Indiana offers a "magical" summer experience for children and teens. Camp Livingston provides a safe and nurturing environment where campers gain self esteem and confidence, and form lasting friendships, in an exciting atmosphere with Jewish culture and fun in mind.
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