My name is Daniela (Dasha) Gorenshteyn and I’m currently a senior at Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia.  Growing up in a house that is primarily Russian speaking had definitely shaped me into who I am today.  Being Russian and speaking Russian at home as well as at TY’s Havurah program has taught me more about myself than anything else ever has. In the summer of 2012, I attended Young Judaea’s junior camp in Wisconsin and the two following Summer’s were spent at in the Havurah program where I embraced being Russian and was surrounded with Jewish-Russian speaking teens who shared the same background and values as me. Just this past summer, I attended Young Judaea during first session and my eyes were opened even wider. I learned what it meant to be Jewish, what it meant to be a Zionist, and most importantly; I learned what it meant to be me.

Young Judaea has taught me many important things such as the importance of the state of Israel, the impact of social action and the meaning of true friendships. I would definitely not be who I am if it weren’t for YJ.  Being elected as the Havurah programmer for the 2016-2017 year, I hope to open up the Havurah kids eyes to the core values that Young Judaea holds and has shown me and shaped me into being who I am today. As of right now, the two programs are very separated and I hope to change that. A big issue I see is that the parents of the Russian teens aren’t being informed as much on what YJ is really all about so as Havurah programmer, I take it upon myself to enlighten the parents and explain to them how beneficial and life changing Young Judaea is. I hope to change some of the programs that go on during second session for the Havurah campers and gear it more towards Israel-based discussions and not to only focus on being Russian.  After this year, I hope more Russian speaking teens urge to be involved in all that Young Judaea has to offer year round and I hope they bring what they learn about social action and leadership to their hometowns and begin spreading their values to young teens around them.

Before I was ever involved in YJ, I can honestly say that I wasn’t exactly sure who I was nor did I know what my core values were. Throughout my five years of being involved with Young Judaea, I can say that I am now grounded with a better understanding of who I am and what I stand for. I give YJ almost all the credit for this because I wouldn’t be able to have certain experiences I’ve had including doing social action around the States and spending a month in Israel exploring and deepening my appreciation for my Jewish heritage.  I’ll never forget the feeling I felt when our Machon group of 57 kids landed at Ben Gurion Airport. I felt at home.

Hi everyone, my name is Rachel Powell, and I will be your Social Action Programmer for the year. My mom, Julie Kolman Powell, was very involved in Young Judaea. I guess that is what got me to go to camp. However, that is not why I choose to be involved. I choose to be involved because Young Judaea has given me more than just zionist education, leadership skills, and friends. Young Judaea has given me a purpose. It has given me something to look forward to every week through the New Jersey region events. It has given me many events throughout the year. When I had nothing to look forward to, Young Judaea was there.

One event in particular that really helped me find who I am was Alternative Winter Break in Los Angeles. During this trip, I learned the importance of spending money to spend time with people that need the money I spent. I learned the importance of a conversation and the importance of company. Young Judaea has forever given me company when I felt alone.
Through Alternative Winter Break I discovered my passion when I met Lydia. Lydia was a 12 year old girl who was hungry. Not “I need a snack hungry,” but really hungry. A hungry I have never seen before. A hungry I believe we as a movement have the power to solve. Food is a necessity.

When I was in Sprout Lake, they used to always say MADIMOW which stood for making a difference in my own way. I truly believe everyone can make a difference but more than that, I believe if we all work together to make a difference we can make an even bigger impact. I plan on using Young Judaea as a tool to make the difference I want to see in the world, this is why I chose to be Social Action Programmer of a movement that means so much to me.

Hey! My name is Raccia Abramson and I’m serving on the National Mazkirut as Pirsum. I first became involved in Young Judaea in 2008 when I attended my first summer at CYJ Sprout Lake, following in my mother’s and older brother’s footsteps. Starting my first summer there, I knew I had found myself a place in a very special community. Over the years attending Sprout Lake, Tel Yehudah, and year-round Young Judaea events, I have developed a love for the Jewish people and culture, a sense of self-confidence, and honed my leadership skills. YJ has helped me become the person I am today, and for that reason, I am devoted to doing everything I can to give others amazing experiences similar to my own.

For me, the heart of Young Judaea is really the community. It’s all about the people in the movement and the relationships we form with one another. That’s why I decided to be Pirusm, or Director of Communications. Communication is the major underlying force which keeps the movement alive, and as your Pirsum, I will do everything I can to encourage and expand it. Through the Young Judaea newsletter, Kol HaT’nua (Voice of the Movement), Facebook, Instagram, and other social media, I will keep everyone updated on what’s happening throughout the movement, and bring people together to overcome geographical differences. I want people who do not live in active regions to still be able participate in year-round Young Judaea through the national community and also to help them gain support to set up regional chapters, like some communities have done recently such as Flemington, New Jersey and Atlanta, Georgia. YJ used to have several chapters within each region, and I think we can bring that back in some areas where we have YJ roots and interested Judaeans. I will always be here talk to people who would like to be involved in Young Judaea. Let me help you figure out how YJ works and how you can find your place in year-round programs! Please feel free to reach out to me at raccia@gmail.com if you want someone to talk to about anything YJ, or anything in life really. I am also always taking article submissions for Kol Hatnua, so if you have any topics that you want to share your thoughts on with the movement, please don’t hesitate to reach out!!

My name is Eliana Sarfati-Magill, but more or less everyone in YJ calls me Eli (eh-lee). From Brooklyn New York born and raised and I’ve lived in the same house since day one. I’m the national OTP (Offarim tzofim programmer), this means many things, one of which being that I identify as a fun-loving hooligan. A motto of mine is meaningful shenanigans, it’s my way of saying that I want to always be having fun and doing things that are both memorable and meaningful/significant in whatever capacity that may be. That’s was my attitude toward being a counselor at Sprout this summer, and stays true in my plans for events aimed at our young Young Judaeans this year.

I’ve been a Judaean since my first day at Sprout as a second year Tzofim in 2010, and since then camp and YJ have been a huge part of my life. I loved being a camper at Sprout, and then Ty, and then being on H+ back at Sprout. My love for YJ started with all of my experiences at camp and my love for all of my camp friends and the overall , camp community and grew into (what some might call an obsession or)  love for YJ as a movement.

This overall impression of what YJ is why people stay involved, and that’s what I want to give to the Offarim and tzofim age kids.  My life would be completely different with out Young Judaea, and I think that showing young kids how amazing the movement is will make them want to not only  a part of the movement, but be more involved as they get older. I can’t wait to spend the year planning and participating in shenanigans full  of Zionism, pluralism, peer leadership, social action, and Jewish identity!

 

What’s Kraka-Lakin Young Judaea? My name is Noa Krakow and I’m from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I’m beyond excited to serve as this year’s 2016-2017 National Administrative Vice President. When I’m not planning YJ events, you can find me dancing, color coding my notes for school, and on a rare occasion sleeping. I’m an avid believer of the ‘Paul McCartney’ conspiracy theory and I’d love to have a chat with you about it. I first became a part of the movement when I was eight years old at Camp Sprout Lake. I instantly fell in love with the atmosphere and people, that I continued to Camp Tel Yehudah. Since then, I have been a part of the Eastern Pennsylvania Region’s leadership team and spent the last few years overseeing the region.

Young Judaea is different from anything else I’ve experienced. It provides me with a community of people who all feel a similar passion towards Jewish values. Where I’m from, the Jewish population identify themselves, however  they do not feel the same connection to Judaism as I do. Young Judaea provided me with this connection, and has given me the opportunity to explore who I am.  Young Judaea is special because it empowers me to the best of my ability. It challenges me to see the world around me and help me grow into a better person. From the influence of YJ, I am now a more confident person who feels that the most important thing in life is to be happy, and care less about what others think. I feel proud of my beliefs, opinions, and I’m not afraid to be “too passionate” about something. I have changed so much from Young Judaea’s influence, because it has helped me understand why I’m Jewish and why I make the decisions I follow.

This year, I want to focus on connecting each region from across the nation to unify Young Judaea as whole. We all come from different backgrounds, different places across the world, different beliefs of Judaism, but we’re all connected through Young Judaea. Everyone has their individual way to lead and I want to enhance that opportunity towards others.

Hi, My Name is Mikayla Carno Harf I am from Cleveland, Ohio. I have been involved with Young Judaea since 3rd grade, even though I wanted to start before 2nd grade but my mom would let me. This was probably a good decision on her part because I have not stopped talking about YJ ever since then. I have served on the Midwest Mazkirut for the past 2 years as both the Social Action Programmer and Bogrim Programmer. Also over the past 4 years I have served in many different positions on my Temple Youth Group board as 8th grade liaison, Membership and Communications VP, Religious and Cultural VP, and I currently serve as the President. NFTY has also been a big part of my life, but never as big as YJ. NFTY has allowed me to stay connected with my local Jewish community and temple, while YJ has allowed me to really find myself and discover my own opinions.

Just this year I was accepted into the Saltzman Youth Panel, a Jewish Teens Philanthropy Panel through the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Additionally, I was one of two scholarship recipients of Hadassah’s Leaders of Tomorrow for Young Judaea’s Machon in Israel Trip. Machon was the best summer of my life, so far. And I cannot wait to have many, many more with YJ.Young Judaea has taught me many things, but the most unlikely one was YJ taught me how to be a student which improved my high school experience immensely.

As you can probably tell, I like to stay busy. Young Judaea has been a huge part of my Life in all of this and I’m excited to serve this year as Young Judaea’s National Bogrim Programmer.

P.S. I wrote my National Maz Speech, in my head, while showering. Yes I announce this to the entire Asepha body at NMW and NO I am not ashamed to admit it.

I’m Kayla Lesch and I am very honored and excited to serve as the 2016-2017 National Mazkira. I’m from Evanston, Illinois and a proud Midwestie. Young Judaeans love their regional pride and Midwest is clearly the best. I mean, it even rhymes.

When I’m not flying back and forth between Chicago and New York for Young Judaea events, you can find me diving at my school’s pool or practicing gymnastics. I love trying new sports, and the more flipping I get to do the better. I’ve been a gymnast for six years and a diver for three. I might not be at quite the level of Simone Biles, but trust me, I’ll get there one day. Until I make it to the Olympics though, I’ll just have to be happy spending my summers at camp.

Nobody believes me when I say this, but when I first started out in Young Judaea, I kind of hated it. As a little sixth grader, I came home from my first summer of camp with no plan of ever returning. Fortunately, my mom forced me to go back, and for that I am forever grateful to her. Growing up in Young Judaea has been the best thing that could ever happen to me. I’ve gained amazing friends and unforgettable memories. Every valuable skill I have, from how to be successful in a job interview to how to plunge a toilet, I’ve learned during my summers spent in Waupaca and Barryville.

When I decided to run for Midwest Mazkirut, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. One day, I was just a camper watching the older kids run around stressed about sikkums and not having enough pens; and then, suddenly, I was that older kid. And there were never enough pens!

I loved spending two years on the midwest mazkirut. But after my summers at TY, I realized how important National Young Judaea is. Coming from the Midwest, I never knew that other regions of Young Judaea existed and did not even hear about TY until my bogrim year of camp. From talking to other campers, I’ve learned that this is the case with many other regions as well. This year, the national mazkirut will be working on changing that phenomenon. I may have lots of regional pride, but I’ve learned that being on mazkirut is not just about making sure that the Midwest kids are the loudest at rikkud. To me, being on mazkirut is about ensuring that every single camper that steps foot into TY or into a convention has the time of their life. Every camper in Young Judaea, no matter where they are from or how long they’ve been in the movement, deserves to have the opportunity to be a peer leader and to participate in year round functions. With this in mind, the national mazkirut this year will be focusing on connections in and between all the regions. We will be mentoring regional mazkirut members and connecting regional counterparts to each other to create stable support for every leader in Young Judaea. We are reaching out to Young Judaeans across the country, from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, California, starting new mazkiriot and supporting new clubs popping up all around. We are hoping to bring our campers across the country together and to strengthen Young Judaea as a national movement. I look forward to a great year on mazkirut and cannot wait to get this year started!

2025 Annual Report