This past summer I participated in Camp Tel Yehudah’s leadership program, Hadracha. I learned a lot about what it means to be a leader. One of the many things we did this summer was going to Washington D.C to lobby for issues we were passionate about. At the beginning of the session, we split into 10 different groups, called Tikkun groups (from Tikkun Olam) that were based on various problems people face throughout the world. I was in the women’s rights Tikkun group. At first, we looked at many broad problems regarding women, including reproductive rights and the wage gap. As our trip to our nation’s capital approached, we decided to focus mainly on the topics we agreed were most important; reproductive rights and the wage gap.

The night we arrived in Washington D.C., President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to replace Judge Kennedy in the Supreme Court. This nomination played an important role in our trip because we educated ourselves on some of Judge Kavanaugh’s ideas for the future, as we already knew he was in the running to replace Judge Kennedy. We discovered that many of his plans would be very detrimental to women’s reproductive health for generations to come.  The next day was “Organization Day”. Each tikkun group split up and went to different organizations that were scattered throughout Washington. These organizations focused on some of the issues we were learning about.

The women’s rights tikkun group went to the National Partnership of Women and Families, Planned Parenthood and the National Council of Jewish Women. Each organization provided us with information about what they specialize in and gave helpful tips on how to lobby and speak to government officials. This was super helpful for the next day when we spoke with the staff of Representative Rosa DeLauro and Senator Susan Collins. These meetings were particularly important because we had the chance to try to persuade the staff of these significant representatives to vote against the appointment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Because of this, as a group, we did our best to try and mention the important issues that could result if Kavanaugh is confirmed. Receiving this opportunity to have the chance to help shape the future of women was unique and something that doesn’t happen every teen.  

~ Hannah is an 11th grader from Plainview, New York and serves as the Administrative Vice President of the LI NYC region of Young Judaea.

During this past summer, I spent two weeks at Szarvas, an international Jewish sleep-away camp in Hungary. The camp brings together Jewish children and teens from the ages of 7-17 from across Eastern Europe, the U.S., Israel, and India; unites people who probably would never have otherwise met on the basis of one characteristic about themselves: Judaism. It was an incredible experience filled with singing, dancing, conversations with new friends from around the world, and more than a little bit of trying to pronounce words in tons of different languages.

While there I took note that as a Jew living in America, I’ve had the incredible opportunity and freedom to express my Judaism. I live in a peaceful community where I am surrounded by Jews of all ages, I go to a thriving synagogue, and have attended summer camp and Jewish youth events for my entire life. However, the same cannot be said for many of the other chanichim at Szarvas. Many came from small, struggling, or shrinking Jewish communities, and some shared with me that they’ve faced harsh antisemitism. For many, the only Shabbat that they would celebrate during the whole year was at Szarvas.

There was one moment that particularly stood out to me. During Shabbat prep, music was playing over the loudspeakers. Initially some traditional Jewish Shabbat tunes like “Hava Nagila” or “Shalom Aleichem” could be heard. But then, I heard songs that were really out of place. Things such as “Chanukah O’Chanukah” and even the tune to the “Four Questions” from Passover were played. This confused me and most of the other Americans as well. Then, our group leader explained that for many of the chanichim, they don’t know that some of the songs that were played were traditional for holidays that were months away. To them, they were simply Jewish tunes.

So, on the 4th of July, my American delegation and I delved deeper into what it means to be Jewish and American, and how to express that in an international setting. Through our discussion that day we identified how we could bring our knowledge of Judaism to the camp community. We discussed our role in helping to lead others in areas they may not have as much experience in, such as tefilot or shira. Meanwhile, we had to open ourselves up to new traditions and thought from our fellow chanichim. That day, we also received a privilege check. While many of us Americans could afford the cost of camp this was not the case for all.

In conclusion, Szarvas truly was an incredible experience. I experienced the diversity of the Jewish community on two levels. The first was just within the American delegation, which represented varying levels of observance and diversity of opinion. The second was on the global scale, representing various cultures from four different continents. Through the interaction and exposure to Jewish teens from many unique cultures, Szarvas successfully celebrates the vast and amazing diversity of the Jewish people.

~ Evan Ressel, National Mazkir 2018-2019

Hello from Israel! I wanted to share a short idea on this weeks Torah portion, Ki Tavo, as we enter the last Shabbat before our Year Course journey begins.

With the Israelites on the cusp of entering the land of Israel and the 40 years of wandering almost over, they are told that once the land has been settled the farmers must “take the first of every fruit…put it in a basket and go to the place that your God, will choose” (Devarim 26:2). This Mitzvah is known as bikkurim and required the first fruits of the harvest to be brought to the tabernacle, and then eventually the Temple, as soon as the land had been settled.

Having this command juxtaposed with the moment the land was settled seems strange at first because one would assume there were more pressing issues at hand. However, by looking at the Mitzvah closely we can begin to gain an understanding as to why this was a priority for the Children of Israel.

The commandment to bring the first fruits was more than just a ritual sacrifice but symbolic of the Jewish people’s new reality in the Land of Israel. Once they entered Israel, the Jewish people went from being wanderers and victims to masters of their own destiny in their own land. This gave them the opportunity to function as individuals within a society and fulfil the potential they were destined for since the days of Abraham. By taking the literal fruits of the land and offering them to God, the Jewish people were demonstrating that they were now able to thrive in the promised land, recognising its potential, and showing a sense of gratitude for what they had been given.

It’s interesting to note that many Zionist thinkers pinpoint this particular portion of the Torah as mirroring the creation of the state of Israel and everything that came with it, due to the seismic change in our peoples reality.

It also seems appropriate that this portion falls as your journey in Israel is about to begin. The start of Year Course is an extremely exciting time with so many opportunities for you to live, learn and grow in our homeland. I hope that you are able to maximise each and everyday you are here, while showing gratitude to all those that have brought you to this incredible time and place in your lives.

To echo what Moses says to the Jewish people at the end of Ki Tavo, that once they enter Israel they will have “a heart to know, eyes to see and ears to hear” (Devarim 29:3), may you all also have experiences of lifetime that are only possible in this unique and incredible country.

Shabbat shalom and looking forward to meeting and learning with you all,

Rabbi Adam Drucker

TY campers make a difference on the Hill

Check out Sprout Brooklyn Day Camp‘s trip to Governor’s Island – we can’t wait to see where they go next!

Who comes out on top at this year’s Maccabiah Session 1 at Camp Young Judaea Texas? You’ll have to watch to find out!

By Gaby Faigenblat, Machon ’18 Participant

This week was insane! We did so much I don’t even know where to start. One of the most challenging things I had to do this week was wake up at 4 am to hike Masada. It was exhausting to have to hike with only 5 hours of sleep. As challenging as that was I learned a lot from it, most importantly that there is a lot more to Israel than meets the eye. I learned this while doing a street photography workshop with a man named Jonnie. He told us to go up to Israelis on the street and ask them what they love and what they hate about Israel and all the answers were so diverse. It really opened my eyes to how locals really see the land us diaspora Jews see as perfect. We also went to the Dead Sea and we got to put the mud on our faces and it felt amazing. We got so many cute pictures, and after I washed it off my skin was softer than anything I have ever felt in my life. This week was so much fun and I can’t wait to see what next week brings!

So they don’t miss out on all the opportunities that life offers

I have grown up with Young Judaea in my life but not the way all my friends did. They have clubs and year round programs with overnights and events, I had nothing but summer camp and an occasional convention all the way across the country. I had nothing I could drive down the street to participate in. Living through the experiences of my friends and my mother was the only way I could feel like I was a part of more than just the summer components of Young Judaea because there is so much more they have to offer that I haven’t been able to partake in. With all of that in mind an idea struck. It wasn’t necessarily my idea alone. My mom would tell me about how Young Judaea once existed in Phoenix but it disappeared with CYJ West. I waited until I was old enough and could take more responsibilities and more action and I started my very own Young Judaea club in metropolitan Phoenix. I want to give kids in my area the chance to be a part of this life altering youth organization that is all about zionism, peer leadership, pluralism, Jewish identity, and social action. Around here all most kids know is NFTY and BBYO. Young Judaea doesn’t have a voice here. That’s why it was so important to me to bring YJ back to the valley so it can thrive again like it once did.

Going to TY for the first time was extremely scary. I was one of probably 20 midwesties in a camp full of almost 500 people. It was hard at first. TY had new traditions, new types of people, a new atmosphere. While it took a while to get used to, I am now pleased to say that Tel Yehudah is my home. I have made some of my favorite memories and dearest friends in my two short summers spent there. After my Yachad year, I thought no other summer could top it. I had a chug (a portion of your eidah that you spent most of your time with) filled with crazy Miami boys and the sweetest Northeast and Texas girls. I consider most of them still some of my closest friends today. However I proved myself wrong by enjoying my next summer more. Hadracha was the most life changing summer of my life, and I truly feel like a new person coming out of it. I have never felt such a strong sense of community with so many different people in such a short amount of time. Yachad was great to get really close with select people, while everyone bonded with everyone in Hadracha. There are people I met this summer whom I would never have thought I could get along with who I consider family. And that’s the best part about TY: meeting and bonding with new people and experiencing their camp life. Tel Yehudah has changed my life in the most incredible way possible; in a way only Young Judaea can.

~ Tamar is from St. Louis Missouri