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Charlie Render

Charlie Render
In JumpSpark

Atlanta Kesher Fellowship Launches its 2nd Year with Expanded Options

ATLANTA, GA – The Atlanta Kesher Teen Engagement Fellowship, the exciting new peer- to- peer engagement opportunity for Jewish teens in grades 10-12 offered by the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), has officially kicked off its second year. The 25 fellows participating in 2020-21 represent 14 high schools, 7 synagogues, and 11 zip codes across the metro Atlanta area.

Based on successful models in other parts of the country, the Atlanta Kesher Fellowship brings a different engagement experience to Atlanta’s Jewish teens. Tailored training on peer to peer engagement allows teens to strengthen their relationship building skills, understand the importance of face to face communication, and learn a new way of engaging their peers.

Funded in part by a JumpSpark grant through the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, this fellowship doesn’t involve a strenuous amount of hours, rather it is created for the busy teen and allows them the to create their own schedules strengthening time management skills. Teens will develop a variety of practical business, social, and leadership skills throughout the fellowship and receive expert mentoring and support to create meaningful Jewish engagement for their peers. At the end they receive a $200 stipend for all their hard work! New for 2021, a cohort of teens from The Temple are participating in a modified version of the fellowship with mentorship from Temple staff.

“The Temple is proud to partner with the ATL Kesher Program because we share the same goal of working to connect our teens through peer-to-peer engagement. Our hope is that teens who are connected to The Temple’s teen community will plan a variety of events for their peers while strengthening their own leadership skills, management styles, and ability to build relationships.”  – Elizabeth Foster, Jewish Identity & Experiences Educator The Temple & Breman Education Center

The fellows are tasked with planning three small events (3-10 people) throughout the school year. These events include things, like a Shabbat dinner, Havdalah hike, or a philanthropic father and son basketball game. This year the task is to create exciting events in a virtual setting. These events include things like a virtual Hanukkah cookie decorating class, virtual Jewish Jeopardy night, or a virtual Shabbat Dinner or Havdallah service. The idea is to create small events relating to Judaism that have large impacts on the teens who aren’t as engaged in Jewish life in Atlanta. Creating more ways for teens to positively interact with Judaism will allow them to pave their own Jewish journey and lead to a greater impact on their lives.

At the inaugural fellowship on September 13, the teens learned the importance behind the work they are doing, why face -to -face communication is beneficial, and the power of inclusivity.  This year’s training also focused on how to engage your peers in this new virtual reality. “We are training these fellows to plan meaningful experiences in any setting they can.”- Jessie Schwartzman, Atlanta Kesher Engagement Coordinator. The fellows left the kickoff ready to take on Jewish Atlanta!

Matthew Hirsch (17) reflected after meeting his fellowship peers at the kickoff: “I’m excited to be a Kesher Fellow because I want to make a positive impact in the Jewish Community by bringing people together that would not want to otherwise be involved.”

The 2020-21 Kesher Fellows Include:
Ali Becker, Temple Sinai

Courtney Caplan, The Temple

Tali Cohn, Temple Sinai

Dylan DeSimone, The Temple

Danielle Faulhaber, Temple Kehillat Chaim

Isabelle Fishbein, The Temple

Harrison Frank, Temple Emanu-El

Alexa Freedman, Temple Emanu-El

Matthew Hirsch, Temple Beth Tikvah

Emma Hurwitz, Temple Beth Tikvah

Katie Hurwitz, Temple Beth Tikvah

Caitlin Kilinc, The Temple

Andrew Levingston, Temple Sinai

Jordy Levy, Temple Emanu-El

Tali Lipton, Temple Sinai

Jaron Pearson, Temple Emanu-El

Ben Ragals, Temple Emanu-El

Lily Ragals, Temple Emanu-El

Amit Rau, The Temple

Elisa Rosenthal, Temple Sinai

Sara Serrano, Chabad of Gwinett

Hunter Siegel, Temple Sinai

David Strauss, Temple Sinai

Deirdre Weissman, Temple Kol Emeth

Noa Young, Temple Sinai

“We’re incredibly grateful to JumpSpark and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta for their support and partnership in creating and funding this program. Year 1 was a success despite a challenging spring, and while Year 2 is certainly not what we had planned for, I have no doubt that our teens and staff will continue to be creative and thoughtful in engaging Atlanta’s Jewish teens.”  – Adam Griff, Business and Program Manager, URJ Youth Southeast.

In addition to the peer-to-peer fellowship, the URJ is planning to expand the Atlanta Kesher fellowship to train teen songleaders. Future programming could also support teens engaged in social justice work.

The Union for Reform Judaism’s youth programs instill a sense of joy, compassion, and pride in being Jewish while nurturing a young person’s innate desire to make a difference in the world. Central to the URJ’s strategy is collaboration with Reform congregations, other Jewish organizations and individuals who are committed to youth engagement.

Charlie Render
In JumpSpark

Inspirational Intern Queen: Helping Students Prepare For Life After High School

Story by Mollie Binderman and Audrey Zeff

Now more than ever students need to be prepared for life after school. Internships can introduce you to new careers and make you more prepared for a job of your own.

That’s why it was so impactful hearing Lauren Berger discuss how to find internships and jobs as part of this year’s JumpSpark Strong Women Fellowship. The Fellowship is geared toward teens, many of whom are beginning or have begun the process of college applications, or even making the decision to head straight into the career field. Getting advice on internships and careers from Berger was extremely impactful, because we as young adults are starting to face the time for decision-making for our future. 

Lauren Berger started Internqueen website to help connect youth with internships.

JumpSpark’s Strong Women Fellowship is an educational and empowering program where Jewish teen girls talk about issues facing the world and learn to be leaders. We hear from inspiring people all the time. Last month, we got to hear from Berger, who has two websites, one targeted at adults to help them find jobs, and one focused on college and high school students like us. Her website, Internqueen helps us take the next steps in our career by finding internships according to our passions. 

 

According to Internqueen, Berger’s advice has reached the ears of 6 million people and helped shape their careers. She has also written books and been featured on many notable media outlets like Business Insider, Forbes, Teen Vogue, The Today Show, and more. Lauren’s YouTube channel also has more than 2 million views.

Berger talked about a wide variety of career advice, including how useful it is for high schoolers to get internships. Internships allow job-like experiences and are great on college resumes, which is especially helpful as you’re thinking about college. During the meeting she discussed her own story with us and shared her mistakes and achievements. We all learned a lot about the dos and don’ts when applying and completing internships.

Here are a few of our key take-aways and lessons we learned.

“I learned that it is okay to relax and take a break once in a while.” – Emma

“The value of LinkedIn!” – Rebecca

“To keep up with connections because they may be helpful later!” – Katie

“Reach out to professional contacts at least 3 times a year!” – Audrey

“You should always stay in contact with people.” – Ella

“To always follow up with a thank you email and/or note.” – Mollie

“I really liked learning about how I can effectively prepare for the future!” – Eva

“Always stay in contact with people.” – Rachel

“It’s okay to fail.” – Ariel

Hearing from a speaker like Lauren is so impactful on teens like us as we are growing older and trying to figure out questions like what career we will want to have in 10 years.

Mollie Binderman, 16, is a sophomore at North Springs Charter High School in Sandy Springs, who enjoys hanging out with friends and cooking. Audrey Zeff, 15, is a sophomore at Grady High School who loves playing volleyball and hanging out with friends. They are both participants in the Strong Women Fellowship.

This article was originally published on VOX ATL. Read it here.

Charlie Render
In JumpSpark

Jewish Middle School Club Builds Community

On a Wednesday morning in October, 13 boxes line a screen with joyful middle school students talking about how awesome it is to be Jewish. They feel bonded by a shared identity and are bringing the fun to their virtual meeting.

In this unprecedented moment, virtual Jewish engagement feels both necessary and challenging. People suffer from “Zoom fatigue,” too much screen time with work, school, and activities. The news cycle feels constantly deflating, especially with the neverending rise of COVID-19 cases with no end in sight. Building a strong Jewish identity may be the last thing on people’s minds.

Building Community

However, the newly created Renfroe Jewish Middle School Club proves the importance of building the Jewish community at this moment, even in a virtual setting. In late October, Renfroe Middle School hosted its first Jewish club meeting. Karen Callen, the parent champion of this club who got the club up and running, shares,

“It is very exciting to get a Jewish student club off the ground at Renfroe MS. We have an enthusiastic staff sponsor who is also a member of The Temple, and greatly appreciate the support of JumpSpark to help get us going. There are many unaffiliated Jewish families in Decatur, so it is awesome to have an inclusive space where the kids can come together and have fun Jewish experiences that are easily accessible through their school.”

 

In the first club meeting, we brought in Hannah Zale from In the City Camps to lead fun activities around creating a club logo and name for the club. Hannah’s humor and fun demeanor brought the club to life and got the students excited to talk about Jewish identity. The activities around creating a logo and name also gave the students ownership over the club to make it the space they wanted.

Hannah Zale, Assistant Director of In the City Camps

Oscar Marks, a student at Renfroe Middle School and member of the club, shares,

“The virtual meeting for The RMS Jewish Kids Club was fun and exciting, everyone was full of pride that they are Jewish, and the teachers were glad that we were at the meeting. We had fun activities that would help the club like, choosing the name of the club, choosing the logo, and choosing what the logo would stand for.”

Looking to the Future

With the first meeting being such a success, the club is poised for future growth. Karen Callen feels that,

“The kids fed off the infectious energy of the meeting leader, Hannah Zale, and are excited to have Hannah and other local Jewish educators continue to create fun Jewish programming for them in future meetings. We are confident that the new Renfroe club will continue to grow as more students hear about the club and want to connect with other Jewish kids at their school and in their community.”

While virtual Jewish engagement might feel nearly impossible at this moment, it is so essential to continue building our Jewish community. People need a space to connect over shared identity and have fun together at this challenging time. Oscar Marks shares that he “recommends the club to whomever or whoever wants to be around other Jewish kids.” The new Renfroe Middle School Jewish club proves the power and possibility of building a Jewish community in this time and how important it is we support each other through our most difficult moments.

Interested in bringing Jewish clubs to your middle school? Contact Annie Fortnow, JumpSpark Engagement Manager, at annie.fortnow@jumpsparkatl.org.

Charlie Render
In JumpSpark

Youth Mental Health Training

“We cannot discuss people’s lives today, and the role of Jewish education in those lives, without discussing mental health.”

EJewish Philanthropy, September 2020

During two days in October, youth professionals from a variety of teen serving organizations had the opportunity to gather for Youth Mental Health First Aid training. We covered issues such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and eating disorders. We learned to help identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness. Small group discussions allowed us to role-pay possible conversations and reactions when faced with these signs. Twenty-seven professionals participated and received a certificate in Youth Mental Health training. 

This training was co-sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta Jewish Education Collaborative and JumpSpark Initiatives and facilitated by Jaime Stepansky and Rebecca Brown, both licensed social workers at Jewish Family & Career Services.

Participants had the following thoughts and reviews about the session:

My name is Michael Drucker and I am the Operations Director at Camp Barney Medintz.  I jumped at the opportunity to participate in the Youth Mental Health First Aid training program because I am around children and young adults a lot and thought that if I could learn some skills that could teach me how to approach, listen and support someone who was struggling with a mental health issue, I would simply be more helpful in my role.  As a parent, I thought I had naturally learned how to recognize when one of my children or their friends was struggling with something, but this program taught me so many things that I did not know.  One of the primary things that I learned is that children and young adults simply want and need an adult figure whom they can trust.  I have always tried to be someone who relates to children and young adults so that they feel comfortable when speaking with me, and I now recognize how important that really is.  Thank you to JumpSpark for sponsoring this program and giving me an opportunity to grow.

The Youth Mental Health First Aid course sponsored by JumpSpark brought together such a dedicated group of Jewish educators to learn more about mental health from licensed therapists and from each other. As the world continues to change, having access to extra support systems and discussing best practices (for in person interactions or zoom interactions!) is ever more important. The workshop helped me understand my role as a mental health first aider and made me more aware of the potential impact that I can have as an educator in the Atlanta Jewish community.

The Youth Mental Health First Aid training I received from JC&FS (through their partnership with JumpSpark) was truly a transformational experience. Jaime and Rebecca did a phenomenal job opening our minds to the kinds of mental health challenges that young people may have, and the best way that we can support them. After receiving this instruction, I feel so much more confident in my abilities.

As an educator and childcare provider, I was grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Youth Mental Health First Aid program. The (virtual) space was gender inclusive, as well as thoughtful in regards to how culture and environment affects how we administer mental health first aid. I deeply appreciated the small class size, open dialogue, and the emphasis on an individualized approach to each child. We were able to break down difficult scenarios compassionately and create care plans that felt realistic and attainable. I recommend this training whether you work directly with kids or not; the information is valuable and widely applicable.

Due to incredible interest, we have scheduled an additional training on Thursday, December 10th, 10am-3pm. If you would like to learn more and are interested in participating, you can register here.

Charlie Render
In JumpSpark

“Her Campus Media:” College Dreams Pave The Way For Lifelong Dreams

Her Campus Media is an 100% woman-owned and -operated organization that provides the opportunity for college-age women to publish their voices, is the No. 1 media portfolio for college women, and works to serve and empower young women. The Founder, Stephanie Kaplan Lewis, recently spoke to JumpSpark’s Strong Women Fellowship, pointing out major lessons that she had learned from her experience starting a successful business. 

Lewis gave useful insights meant to guide any young woman who will one day start a business. Her tips include: follow your passions, build a killer team, pump out a business plan, put the pressure on, and spend hardly any money. 

After her initial presentation, Lewis paused for questions, which gave Fellows an opportunity to ask about her experience or ask for guidance about their own projects and aspirations. For instance, Ariella Ayenesazan, a 9th grader at Peachtree Ridge High School, is following her passion through her own mask business and asked intriguing questions on how to grow her business on different platforms like Lewis did.

Next, Lewis led the Fellows in an exercise where the group discussed Impostor Syndrome and finding one’s purpose through questions like “what drives you?” and fill-in-the-blanks like “Sometimes I worry that I’m not as ___ everyone thinks I am.” Lewis was vulnerable with the group by sharing times when she doubts herself and opened the floor to those who wanted to share their thoughts, reactions, and feelings. 

Lewis began her dream while in college, where she met her colleagues as Harvard undergrads while running a student publication for women on campus. The publication’s popularity resonated with college women across the country who began asking for advice on starting something similar at their schools. She has continued on with her passion to this day. 

Lewis spoke to us as a leader who represents female empowerment, inspiring future generations. The interactive event allowed us to ask questions and stay involved. She responded with impactful answers, allowing everyone to be vulnerable and share some stories of our own lives.

Finally, Fellows created a reflective word cloud that included our feelings and takeaways from the meeting, which included words like “driven,” “inspired,” “strong” and “empowered.”

 

Here are a few of our take-aways. 

“It was great to meet a successful woman who was willing to share her expertise with us, and she even said we could reach out to her after the meeting and participate in some of the high school Her Campus media programs. I appreciated how open Lewis was in sharing times she failed so we would not repeat the same mistakes. One thing that I will take away is that if someone has enough drive and ambition, they can do whatever they put their mind to, which I think is an important message for young women and teens to hear, because it motivates them to act on their dreams.” – Amelia Heller

“Her story inspires me to create my own path in life, like maybe create my own business one day. She pulled out all the stops to make her dreams come true, which I aspire to do one day as well. Stephanie is someone we can all look up to and learn from. With hard work, anything is possible.” – Kayla Jacobs

“I learned a lot about what it takes to start a company and the struggles faced when doing so. [Lewis’] presentation was engaging and informative, and I definitely took a lot away from it, especially when we went around and challenged our ‘Imposter Syndrome’ views of ourselves.” – Alexa Freedman

I learned how she started her company with very low expenses. I also really loved the activities we did, because it showed how it is okay to show your vulnerable side.” – Ariella Ayenesazan

“It was so interesting to hear her story about how she created her magazine company. It was so inspiring.” – Miriam Raggs

“I learned that it is possible to start a company without any money. I also learned that sacrifices are necessary to be successful.” – Maya Laufer

Amelia Heller, 15, is a sophomore at The Weber School in Atlanta. She loves musical theatre and hanging out with friends. Kayla Jacobs, 17, is a senior at Pope High School who loves to hang out with her friends, volunteer and shop online.

The Strong Women Fellowship aims to empower Jewish girls and young women through activities and speakers like Lewis who educate, energize, and empower the Fellows to be passionate and successful in their pursuits.

This article was originally published on VOX ATL. Read it here.

Charlie Render
In JumpSpark

Finding Shared Values in a Divided Time

As we watch our country’s election unfold and see how close the results are, we can see a clear divide in what the people of the United States of America care about politically. No matter what side of the aisle one sits, one thing is clear at this moment: our country is starkly divided.

Annie Fortnow, JumpSpark Engagement Manager

Coming together around shared values in this time sometimes feels almost impossible — with nearly everyone holding differing viewpoints, it can sometimes be scary to bring up the topic of shared values. But if we want to create change in our country and live in a more compassionate society, we must do just that and strive for courageous conversations around our shared beliefs.

Moving from Conversation to Action

In late October, JumpSpark hosted a Community Conversation with Wayne Green, Executive Director of the Jewish Teen Funders Network. Community Conversations are monthly calls that bring together Jewish youth serving professionals in Atlanta for informal conversations with a thought leader in the field. The speakers and topics provide an exclusive deep dive for teen professionals and Jewish educators in Atlanta.

In a creative and interactive presentation, Wayne took our group of professionals through a journey of shared values exploration to decide where to allocate a pool of funding to. Wayne encouraged the participants to think critically about a wide variety of values and come to a consensus as a group about what values mattered to us. In doing this, Wayne modeled what a giving circle experience could look like for the teens we work with.

 

Wayne shares, “how we engage with teens to make changes in the world by giving is best when we as educators connect with the context and fundamental values of giving. Empathy and experience in why, where, and how we give is important to be able to effectively work with teens and share this experience. In doing so, our impact is greater for the giver and the receiver.”

As we went through the giving circle experience together, we began to understand the importance of bringing this experience to our teens. Lara Schewitz, Experiential Education Director at Creating Connected Communities, shares, “JumpSpark’s mini giving circle allowed me to connect with my peers in a fun and hands-on way! Wayne is an incredible educator and introduced me to new virtual resources that I plan on implementing.”

Aligning Values and Giving

Through our shared values exploration, our group of professionals landed on the values of human dignity and justice that we wanted to guide our giving together. Through these values, the group decided to donate our pool $240 to AgeWell Atlanta. Amy Glass, Director in Community Planning and Impact at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, shares, “we are so appreciative of the efforts of the Educator’s giving circle. The money they raised for AgeWell Atlanta will provide financial support for older adults who need help paying for assistive devices like hearing aids or glasses as well as home repair for things like grab bar installation. All are critical to enabling older adults to continue to age in place wherever they reside.”

Through defining our shared values as a group, Jewish youth professionals and educators in Atlanta were able to make a real difference in the lives of older adults in our community. Compassionate listening and consensus building helped us get there as a group.

This giving circle experience gives us hope for the future of our country. In a political moment where having conversations across difference can seem almost impossible, the Jewish Teen Funders Network has created a platform through which to have conversations where everyone might not agree and engage in crucial discussions around the values we hold and what we care about. Bringing these experiences to our youth will only help strengthen the compassion in our society now and in the future.

Want to learn more?

Interested in bringing teen giving circles to your community? Learn more at http://www.jtfn.org/

Want to attend future Community Conversations with JumpSpark? Check out our calendar for more information: https://jumpsparkatl.org/programs/professionals/ 

Charlie Render
In JumpSpark

Persevering With My Peers: Insight into Teen Mental Health

I grew up with a school counselor as my mom. Needless to say, I have always known the importance of mental health. Talking about my feelings had never been a problem; in fact, it was normal in my household. Therefore, I brought that mindset into elementary school, which wasn’t anything necessarily special, considering crying and complaining were daily occurrences for most children trying to understand how to share, create friendships, and express themselves. I pretty much had one best friend who knew every thought that went through my head throughout middle school. She was practically my sister, so I didn’t feel any need to keep anything in. Sharing our thoughts and expressing our emotions were normal, everyday tasks. Again, unleashing this vulnerability was a regular and uneventful occurrence in my day-to-day life. 

When I got to high school, I was shocked that, after getting acquainted with my peers through surface-level discussions about our previous schools and favorite nail spots, they weren’t openly sharing their deepest, darkest secrets. Now that we are seniors, my friends are very aware that I am not afraid to show or talk about my emotions. After realizing not everyone is comfortable with feeling things deeply, much less talking about those feelings, I have learned to normalize mental health in my personal life. Most of the time, I encourage my friends to understand that feeling any type of emotion is normal, and you do not have to feel ashamed of it. 

Because of the pandemic going on right now, I have become very aware of my own mental health needs as well as the mental health concerns of those around me. The effects of isolation have been clear: Not only have I become personally acquainted with both anxiety and depression; I have  seen most of my friends struggle. One thing we can agree on in these times of turmoil in our country is that now, more than ever, is the time to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health.

Fortunately, I have had the unusual opportunity to view and interpret real data on the state of teen mental health in the Jewish community through an anonymous survey I created during my internship at the Blue Dove Foundation. One hundred fifty-four respondents, most of them Jewish, from both public and private schools across Atlanta provided insight into teen mental health issues. Some of the information was pleasantly uplifting; however, some statistics reflected the growing concerns society faces regarding mental health. For example, it was shocking to see roughly half the people who took the survey have experienced depression in the past six months, potentially propagated by COVID-19. Although I know, statistically, depression is pervasive among teens, it almost seems unreal that so many people have experienced it, considering I have had very little experience with people close to me opening up about their depression. Additionally, about 29 percent of respondents engage in solo or group drinking or drug use when feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed, which seems like too large of a number. When asked what they would worry about most when confiding in someone for emotional support, about 12 percent of respondents expressed that they do not have anyone they would trust to tell, and about 15 percent wouldn’t even want their friends/family finding out they are struggling.

Many things struck me as concerning in these statistics.  For example, 86 percent of participants have had a friend confide in them about their mental health, yet 44 percent of those respondents were told not to tell anyone about that discussion. Further, 43 percent said they feel as if they do not know how to help their friends’ mental health issues, and 41 percent of respondents don’t open up to others about mental health, because they do not want to burden others with their problems.

Teens are clearly underprepared to effectively help their peers with mental health, yet most respondents said they would go to a friend before talking to an adult about their mental health issues. Because the difference between the number of people who would most trust a friend and the number of teens who feel ready to handle someone’s mental health concerns, it is clear to me things need to change. It is extremely difficult to know the right steps to take regarding someone else’s personal struggles, and there is a lack of resources to point teens in the right direction. From these statistics, it is clear that most teens are “driving blindly” while trying to help their friends with their problems. 

By encouraging data-driven education and advocacy, Blue Dove aims to increase awareness about mental illness and make all of us feel less alone in our mental health journey. When giving teens the opportunity to share and listen to one another’s experiences without judgement, and by dedicating the time and resources needed to teach helping skills, vulnerability and understanding, Jewish youth organizations and day schools can simultaneously help end the stigma and increase the emotional intelligence and resilience of our teen population.

This article was originally published by the Blue Dove Foundation.

Charlie Render
In JumpSpark

Zach Mainzer – Gap Year Spark Grant recipient

Zach Mainer is the valedictorian of the 2020 graduating class of AJA. He was awarded a Spark Grant to participate in a Gap Year program at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh in Israel. Read more about Zack’s experience in a letter we received.

Dear JumpSpark:

Thank you so much for your contribution to my year in Israel. My experience in Israel so far has been invigorating and inspiring. I am studying in Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh, a yeshiva with programs for both Israeli and overseas students. From the moment I have arrived, I have been engrossed in advanced Judaic Studies (even though I spent the first two weeks in quarantine with only five other students). 

This year’s experience differs slightly than normal due to the coronavirus: The students can only spend time with their own “capsule” of students, and we are not allowed to leave the campus of the yeshiva. Despite this, the students have been able to bond, and we have participated in several activities. We package food for needy families once a week, and we also play thrilling nighttime sports.

Officially, the yeshiva goes on Sukkot break after Yom Kippur for three weeks, and the students can explore the country on their own. However, this year, we had to celebrate Sukkot in the yeshiva. Having this experience with the other students was unbelievable. Aside from a packed schedule of activities throughout the break, we also needed to build our own sukkah for the Sukkot holiday out of whatever materials we could find, as the yeshiva had never needed to provide its students a sukkah before. We searched around the campus and ended up building our sukkah out of old doors from a to-be-renovated dormitory, lots of tape and nails, random planks of wood, and palm branches for the roof. We had all been used to fancy sukkahs with solid walls specifically designed to be used for a sukkah. But we were proud of the ragtag sukkah that we built, and somehow, it stayed up for the entire holiday.

I am so glad that I received the privilege to come to Israel, and I am so grateful to JumpSpark for making it possible.

From,

 Zechariah Mainzer


My capsule with the sukkah that we built

 

Charlie Render
In JumpSpark

JumpSpark Launches Innovative Third Year of Strong Women Fellowship

ATLANTA, GA – Jumpspark’s Strong Women Fellowship, an empowering educational cohort for Jewish teens in grades 9-12, has continued to grow in size and expand programming to feature a Teen Board leadership position for third year returning fellows to give oversight over the fellowship throughout the year, interest-based cohorts for increased community building among fellows, small group meetings using Moving Traditions’ Rosh Hodesh curriculum, and increased leadership responsibilities for second-year returning teens. The 68 fellows participating in 2020-21 represent 17 high schools and 14 synagogues from the Atlanta metro.

The Strong Women Fellowship, launched in fall 2018 with an initial cohort of 28 teens, provides unparalleled access to strong women leaders, thinkers and voices shaping their world. Each month fellows meet guest speakers, build relationships in small groups, and grapple with the issues facing young women. The program is funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta, and the Jim Joseph Foundation.

After her experience in the fellowship last year, Sophie Kieffer said, “JumpSpark brought together an array of Jewish girls from across Atlanta with vastly different backgrounds, life experiences, and awareness of social issues. Our sessions taught us the skills to enter the world as college students, exposed us to the rich diversity of Jewish Atlanta, and heightened our awareness on the key social issues impacting our time.”

Monthly guests include local female Jewish professionals and leaders, as well as national leaders and influencers, that speak on relevant topics such as women in business, civic engagement, mental health, disability inclusion, and more. Guests this year include Stephanie Kaplan Lewis (co-founder, chief executive officer, and editor-in-chief of Her Campus), Lauren Berger (CEO & Founder of both CareerQueen.com and InternQueen.com), Caroline Rothstein (internationally touring and acclaimed writer, poet, and performer), Pamela Schuller (internationally known inclusion advocate), and more. For the full itinerary, visit https://jumpsparkatl.org/strong-jewish-women-speakers/.

New this year, JumpSpark has developed a Teen Leadership Board open to third year returning fellows to incorporate teen voice into every aspect of the fellowship. The Teen Board chose the speakers for the year and the topics to be discussed in the fellowship’s small groups. They will also give high-level feedback on the fellowship throughout the year and will continue to shape the fellowship’s growth and development.

The 2020-21 Teen Board includes:

Téa Barton

Emma Cohen

Lauren Cohn

Rachel Cohn

Sydney Fox

Tamar Guggenheim

Katie Hurwitz

Maya Laufer

Stella Mackler

Macy Mannheimer

Emma Nowitz

Lilah Presser

Zoe Siegel

Lili Stadler

Rene Walter

In addition, with the help of Rachel Alterman Wallack of VOX ATL, Atlanta’s home for uncensored teen publishing and self-expression, JumpSpark has reinvigorated a robust Peer Leader program for second year returning fellows offering leadership roles, tailored training and group facilitation resources, event planning experience, and resume-building skills and opportunities.

The 2020-21 Peer Leaders include:

Eva Beresin

Mollie Binderman

Rachel Binderman

Gabby Cope

Sarah Dowling

Alexa Freedman

Ruby Frohman

Julia Harris

Amelia Heller

Kayla Jacobs

Rebecca Kann

Phoebe Kaplan

Kira Mermelstein

Miriam Raggs

Skylar Rosenberg

Jenna Sailor

Peyton Schwartz

Noa Young

Audrey Zef

The 2020-21 Strong Women fellows are:

Ariella Ayenesazan, Peachtree Ridge HS c/o 2024

Téa Barton*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2021

Eva Beresin*, The Weber School c/o 2023

Mollie Binderman*, North Springs HS c/o 2023

Rachel Binderman*, The Weber School c/o 2022

Ella Brill, Decatur HS, c/o 2024

Maia Capuano, Alpharetta HS c/o 2024

Ryan Carter, Grady HS c/o 2024

Emma Cohen*, Woodward Academy c/o 2022

Lauren Cohn*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2021

Rachel Cohn*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2021

Dana Cohn, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024

Gabby Cope*, Lakeside HS c/o 2023

Gavrielle Diamant, The Weber School c/o 2024

Sarah Dowling*, The Lovett School c/o 2022

Sydney Fox*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2021

Leora Frank, Atlanta Jewish Academy c/o 2024

Ryan Frank, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024

Alexa Freedman*, The Galloway School c/o 2022

Ruby Frohman*, Dunwoody HS c/o 2023

Marissa Goodman*, Pace Academy c/o 2022

Jules Greenberg, The Galloway School c/o 2024

Eden Guggenheim, The Weber School c/o 2024

Tamar Guggenheim*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2022

Julia Harris*, Dunwoody HS c/o 2023

Amelia Heller*, The Weber School c/o 2023

Katie Hurwitz*, Johns Creek HS c/o 2021

Kayla Jacobs*, Pope HS c/o 2021

Rebecca Kann*, Pace Academy c/o 2022

Phoebe Kaplan*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2023

Nicole Katz, North Springs HS c/o 2023

Rachel Katz, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024

Leah May Kogon, The Weber School c/o 2024

Kayla Kornfeld, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2023

Maya Laufer*, Dunwoody HS c/o 2022

Amber Lewis, The Weber School c/o 2024

Maya Lewis, The Weber School c/o 2023

Stella Mackler*, Grady HS c/o 2022

Macy Mannheimer*, Milton HS c/o 2021

Kira Mermelstein*, Atlanta Jewish Academy c/o 2021

Mollie Meyerowitz, Pace Academy c/o 2022

Leah Moradi, The Weber School c/o 2023

Hannah Much, Pace Academy c/o 2023

Emma Nowitz*, North Springs HS c/o 2022

Leah Perlman, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024

Lilah Presser*, The Weber School c/o 2021

Rebecca Price, Druid Hills HS c/o 2023

Ariel Raggs*, Chamblee Charter HS c/o 2021

Miriam Raggs*, The Weber School c/o 2023

Zoe Richmond, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024

Lulu Rosenberg*, North Springs HS c/o 2022

Skylar Rosenberg*, Lakeside HS c/o 2023

Jenna Sailor*, Dunwoody HS c/o 2023

Ava Satisky, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024

Ariel Scher, Saint Francis HS c/o 2023

Peyton Schwartz*, Pope HS c/o 2023

Zoe Siegel*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2022

Jamie Silberman, Dunwoody HS c/o 2024

Lenah Simons, Grady HS c/o 2024

Lilly Srochi, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024

Lili Stadler*, The Weber School c/o 2021

Lily Stoumen*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2021

Leah Taube, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024

Rene Walter*, Dunwoody HS c/o 2021

Noa Young*, North Springs HS c/o 2023

Audrey Zeff*, Grady HS c/o 2023

Alex Zelcer*, Woodward Academy c/o 2021

Bailey Zibitt, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024

*Denotes returning Strong Women fellow

JumpSpark, Atlanta’s hub for Jewish teen innovation and engagement, connects and invests in the community to create more meaningful and defining moments for Jewish teens in Atlanta. Serving teens, their parents, and educators that work with teens, JumpSpark offers empowering teen programs, Navigating Parenthood workshops, professional development, and grants. JumpSpark is supported as an innovation initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, by the Jim Joseph Foundation, and by generous donors in the community. jumpsparkatl.org.

Charlie Render
In JumpSpark

Launching RootOne – The Jewish Education Project’s Major New Teen Israel Experience Initiative

Today The Jewish Education Project launched an ambitious new initiative to transform teen travel to Israel. Known as RootOne, the initiative is seeded with a $20 million gift from The Marcus Foundation and will help tens of thousands of teens travel there each summer with major subsidies for trip participants. We’re thrilled to partner with five leading youth serving organizations (YSOs)— BBYO, USY, Ramah, Union of Reform Judaism (URJ), and NCSY—to elevate their Israel experiences and to make them more affordable for more families.

Beyond increasing the number of teens and affordability of these trips, RootOne is an investment in the unique, immersive learning these trips provide. The initiative will support new trip curricula and offer deeper pre and post-trip engagement to strengthen participants’ Jewish identities and connections to community and Israel. We’ve brought on The iCenter for Israel Education to train all American staff who will lead trips, using their similar, proven model through which they train Birthright Israel staff. The iCenter also will help prepare Israeli teens who will join the trips since we know how impactful those peer-to-peer relationships are.

For decades, The Jewish Education Project has supported and resourced educators to deliver meaningful Israel education. But simply put, RootOne is a game-changer that takes these efforts to an entirely new level. It has the potential to impact a generation of young people. During the formative teen years, these trips can set a teen on a path for ongoing, meaningful Jewish engagement filled with lifelong friendships. They can cement a person’s connection to Jewish community, and they are integral to developing Jewish leaders who care deeply about Israel and the Jewish People.

The first RootOne trips are expected to leave summer 2021, with RootOne vouchers lowering the price point by $3,000 per participant. We expect to increase teens traveling to Israel on these trips by nearly 40% year over year. By 2025, we expect more than 10,000 Jewish teens will travel to Israel on RootOne peer programs every summer. And by 2030, that becomes 20,000 teens.

I invite you to check out the new website RootOne.org to learn more. Please share with your friends and colleagues. And we look forward updating you as this exciting initiative takes flight

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