Read about Miriam Schler, Young Judaean and Executive Director of the Tel Aviv Sexual Assault Center.

[Warning: this article contains discussion of sexual violence.]

Growing up, Miriam Schler lived and breathed Young Judaea: each summer, all summer long, from Sprout Lake Kesher to Tel Yehudah MH, while active during the school year in Gesher Shalom and serving as AVP of the region. A daughter of Holocaust survivors, Miriam was raised knowing the importance of fighting for justice and against evil. Her experience at camp and in the YJ movement transformed those ideas into something one could and should actively pursue. Ani v’ata neshaneh et ha’olam became her rallying call and shapes her worldview to this day as Executive Director of the Tel Aviv Sexual Assault Crisis Center.

YJ opened Miriam’s eyes to life being less about scholastic achievement and material gain and more about envisioning and creating a better world. Strong madrichot and Golda Meir as the first woman prime minister of Israel got her thinking about gender roles and equality. When she decided to make aliyah, after graduating from the University of Michigan she knew that simply putting down roots in Israel would not be enough. It was cardinal for her to take an active part in tikkun olam, in making Israel, and the world, a better place.

Upon graduating with a law degree from Tel Aviv University, Miriam actively sought to volunteer. At the sexual assault center, she was excited to work on micro and macro levels: on the micro, impacting individual lives by validating experiences and providing medical, psychological, and legal aid; and on the macro, bringing a hushed-up problem to the forefront and effecting social change. In 2004 Miriam became Executive Director of the Center, and she points to skills such as contemplating problems and planning solutions cultivated in Etgar, creating community as experienced in MH, and the inspiring leadership examples of her madrichot and madrichim as lighting her way for the past two decades.

Under Miriam’s stewardship, the Center transformed from a tiny NGO into a powerhouse bringing the subject of sexual violence into the mainstream collective consciousness; facilitating groundbreaking programming for women, as well as for male survivors and survivors across the spectrum of Israeli society; fielding 12,400 hotline crisis interventions; conducting educational outreach; and managing 250 volunteers.

The horrors of October 7^th have shined an unbearable spotlight on sexual violence and brutality. The Center is dealing with a precipitous rise in interventions for October 7^th survivors, witnesses, citizens exposed to graphic evidence, and especially for rape survivors triggered by evidence that continues to emerge. With Israel’s government in disarray, the Center has become an ER for psychological help and is pioneering resilience training for first responders, ZAKA volunteers, and therapists bearing witness to the unbearable. Miriam’s childhood vision of justice and fighting evil has been brought to bear in the most extreme circumstances.

Special circumstances require special measures. The Center’s annual Weekend Fashion Bazaar fundraiser, which raises 20% of the Center’s annual budget could not be held. And in September 2023 the government inexplicably cut 30% of state funding for all of Israel’s rape crisis center’s, and despite the current strain has not reinstated the cut budget. In these heart wrenching times and in honor of the important role Young Judaea played in inspiring Miriam’s life work, we would like to give readers the opportunity to contribute.

In Miriam’s words, may we all share in rebuilding this broken world.

Lean more and visit the Center’s website here

The Center is not only working hard to aid Israeli survivors, but we are also trying to raise consciousness worldwide regarding the deeply disturbing trend to “question the veracity” or even to justify the rapes that were perpetrated that day. Please read/watch and share:

• Op-ed Times of Israel: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-obscene-betrayal-of-israelis-who-survived-and-didnt-survive-rape/
• November 29, 2023 on I24 News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbxdRLrN3lA
• December 5, 2023 on I24 News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwPtsEvM1bA
• December 29, 2023 on NBC Nightly News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mEjPe6S4Xo&t=85s
• January 7, 2024 on I24 News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b47hRpm5ul4

Dear Students,

Thank you for showing up. 30,000 proud leading the historic march on Washington for Israel with a total of 300,000 strong.

On October 7^th everything changed for us as a people, for your generation and for mine too. But seeing you standing there in Washington on November 14^th, standing with pride, in unity and resolved to act, brought a ray of light to this ever so dark time in humanity’s history. You shared your thoughts and worries about the present and dreams and hopes for the future. The words you used that day gave us all permission to be afraid, while feeling strong; be confused, while having clarity; feel helpless while feeling empowered; feel shame while feeling pride. In your words, “a plurality of opinion and debate is important, it’s also very Jewish.” And I would add, it is quintessentially Young Judaean.

We are sorry.

What a world, what a world that you’ve inherited

Who ever thought that in our lifetime, “never again” would have been forgotten?

Who ever thought that in our beloved country, the one that welcomed your grandparents with open arms and the American dream,

There would be shouting of death to the Jews, from the river to the sea, an actual living nightmare.

This generation is the woke generation, and yet, for all our wokeness, we will never be one of them.

We will always remain other, but somehow, we are still seen as the oppressor and never as the oppressed.

Now, I am not saying we don’t have to check our immense privilege, and we do, it is on us to take responsibility for what we do.

But history is showing us that not even that privilege will protect us when they come for you.

So, you might ask, what is one to do?

Don’t be ashamed.

Stand proud, Shma Israel, for five thousand years our people have proclaimed their faith

Don’t lose your way.

Stand on principles, Am kadosh, we must earn our blessedness with every spoken word and action taken

Don’t be cynical.

Stand with idealism, B’emunah shlemah, and tap into that inner optimist

Don’t despair.

Stand with hope, Hatikvah, it is our secret Jew power

Don’t stand on the sidelines.

Stand ready to act, Na’ase v’nishma, we are a people of action and not just words

Don’t let them divide us.

Stand with open hearts, Am echad im lev echad, one heartbeat, one people

Don’t do this alone.

Stand together , Ani v’ata, Together, You and I will change the world.

As you return to your schools and campuses, we know we have a lot of work to do. But as it has been Jewish tradition for millennia, we refuse to stop celebrating when we’re together, we refuse to pause any practice of Judaism, and despite all the good and the bad, we will never stop choosing life.

Am Israel Chai.

With deepest admiration,

Adina Hocsman Frydman, CEO of Young Judaea Global

 

 

Written by Young Judaean Talia Bodner, spoken at the March for Israel in Washington DC on November 14, 2023

It’s been 38 days, thats 1 month plus a week
Since our lives turned upside down and the world turned their cheek
I wake up each morning wracked with worry, the world feels bleak
As we fall victim everyday to baseless hatred and constant critique

But we are not defenseless and we are not weak
We have an army that will make this a winning streak
We are modern day Maccabees, strong and unique
And we have each other and the power to speak
To speak up about justice and to fight for what’s right
To give voice to the victims swallowed up in the night

Like you – I am a Jew
And I am a proud one too!
there is so much that we have all been through
And now I am here standing in front of all you
So what are we here to do?
What brought you to this place on today of all days?
What is it that you all have to say?
We’re here because we are tired of being quiet.
We have a voice, and now it’s time that we try it.

You see
This is not only about our tiny home across the sea
And the soldiers who fight each day to keep Israel free
This is about all those who feel hurt, sad, and angry
We have lost too many innocent lives it’s hurting everybody
Both Palestinian and Israeli
We all deserve dignity

This is about Jews around the world, in every community
This is about those who make up the rest of our family tree
This is about my friends at Columbia and the Jewish Theological Seminary
This is about students on campuses where they don’t like what they see
This is about day schools, youth groups, gap years, camps, and our chosen family
This is about you and this is about me
This is about all of us who came from around the country
To cry out in the face of insanity

We are Jews proudly
And we will defend Israel loudly
Let us stand up against inhumanity
Let us fight for a land and home we will never have to flee
We are a nation who does not go down so easily
You and me, we stand in unity
We have agency
We write our own history
Let’s make our own destiny.

Thank you for your work, it means more than you know
Though the work that we do feels ever so slow
Steady we work towards a better tomorrow

Here we stand, proudly at the capitol of our nation
We bring the new generation
We are ready to lead
We stand here today to sow the seeds
For a more perfect future that we know this world needs
Today we raise our voices as loud as our deeds

Today we do not need to be quiet with heads bowed
Today we are allowed
We can raise our voices out loud
We stand in a crowd to express our Jewish pride
We say to the world, we will no longer hide
Let our voices ring out, echoing far and traveling wide
We will not be denied
As we stand alongside
Together our voices amplified
And we will be heard

We sing for Israel, our voices sweet like song birds
And we will be heard

Our love for our homeland transcends more than words
And we will be heard

Hear us now, hear our message word for word
Today we raise our voices loud to the world

And we will be heard
We will be heard

 

Get to know Young Judaea’s new Central Shaliach and Director of Israel Education, Amit Castel!

 

By Jonny Jentis, National Mazkir 2023-2024
Spoken at the YJ Community-Wide Havdalah on October 14, 2023

Shalom everyone,

My name is Jonathan Jentis and I am the national Mazkir this year. I am a senior in high school living in New Jersey. Having been in Young Judaea, Zionism and Israel have been major parts of my life. Even this summer I was able to journey to Israel on Gesher where I saw a perfectly peaceful Gazan border and experienced the joys and wonders of Israel. With that in mind, I would like to speak, not about the shocking and disturbing events that we have all heard and seen over the past few days, but about my experience and the whirlwind of contradictions I have faced.

Saturday morning started like any other; I woke up about 2 hours after my alarm, rolled out of bed, and meandered downstairs to my kitchen. There I was greeted by a snapchat message from one of my friends in Israel from the Gesher trip; The message read “I am in a bomb shelter right now. My parents are in the south where Hamas attacked. I haven’t heard from them in 3 hours.” This is how I found out about the attack; not a news article, not an Instagram post, not some random Tiktok. A desperate cry of fear and anxiety from someone I had lived with for almost an entire month over the summer. A cry for help from someone I had no way of helping. I sent thoughts and prayers and tried to help them stay positive, but from what I knew, I was almost certain their parents were dead. That’s how I spent Saturday with contradiction #1; trying to convince her that her parents might still be alive while being almost certain they weren’t.

By some miracle, the IDF did manage to save her parents. This gave me time to process my other emotions and see other reactions. Expecting unilateral Israel support, I found a friend from school posting a Palestinian flag with the caption “Takeover is near”. This led me to another contradiction: What’s the difference between Pro-palestine and Pro-hamas? At the end of the day I advocate for peace, and as I tried to explain how problematic the post was, my classmate seemed to indirectly justify the actions Hamas took. “War is war” and “Israel does it too” were her responses to me. The line between wanting peace in the Middle East and terrorism should not be close; the ideas should not even be considered as alternatives to each other yet Hamas’s heinous actions have pushed the limits so that supporting one has become synonymous with the other. We as Young Judaeans have to be able to call people out when they cross the line; for the safety of ourselves, the Jewish people, and the state of Israel.

It seems that everyday, a new email comes in marking the passing of yet another alum from our Young Judaea community. Friends, counselors, family; everybody knows somebody. It is more important than ever that we stay connected even while separated across the country. We have lived together, we have laughed together, and now we mourn together as a YJ community. But there will come a day when we will celebrate together again.

That brings me to one of my final contradictions: supporting Israel’s right to defend itself from this horrendous act but also a cry for peace in the Middle East. Israel needs to defend itself from this attack but more death will not bring back what we all lost. In support of peace, my Maz (teen board) and I are looking for ways to contribute. Keep on the lookout for more Israel initiatives by following the @yjteens Instagram. Hopefully any teens on this call will join us tomorrow for a community Israel event to learn and digest what is going on right now. Please look out for a link to donate to help fund many of the actions YJ is taking in Israel. Our Year Course teens are already working to do what they can in Israel, and we hope to raise money so YJ can support refugees, package supplies, and give relief and aid to all who need it.

Lastly, we must address Israel. I know in the past I have been critical of Israel’s government and its decisions; just like America, or the UK, or any other country in the world, Israel makes good and bad decisions. But being critical does not mean we have to denounce Israel. Everyone here I’m sure has a variety of opinions on how Israel should handle the coming days and weeks; but the important thing is that the people of Israel need our support. Something one of my Rabbis said to me this past Thursday at a vigil has stuck with me: “In the first 12 hours of Hamas’s attack, we saw what it would be like if Israel didn’t exist”.  Israel is a safe haven for us and needs the support so as to not be destroyed by the many enemies it has. I know for certain, I and many others may still criticize the decisions of the Israeli government, but, no matter what you or I believe, my support (and hopefully yours) will never waver. Israel doesn’t just deserve to exist; its existence is a necessity for the Jewish people and the generations to come.

Shavua tov and good night.

The following statement was released from the 2023-2024 National Mazkirut on October 9, 2023 following the horrific attacks in Israel.

Edan Coben, Ilan Goldstein, Jared Schermer, and Jake Siegel were all brought together through various Young Judaea programs, culminating in having the time of the their life on Year Course! Now, the four of them live in New York City and recently hosted the 20’s/30’s Shabbat Dinner on October 20th (with over 50 attendees!)

We caught up with them to ask about their friendship, and favorite YJ memories.

How did you all meet? 

Edan: I met Jake and Ilan on our amazing Year Course. I met Jared shortly after (and many others) through my Year Course friends.

Ilan: Jared and I met for the first time at camp Tel Yehudah in 2011 but did not really become friends until 2018 during our first unofficial YJ winter trip. I met Jake in the summer of 2014 a few months before our Year Course started when he was visiting some of his camp friends who were my close friends from high school. It was then that I officially became his first friend on Year Course. I met Edan in the first week of Year Course at one of our Siyurim in Bat Yam and within six weeks we became roommates during the volunteer period shuffle.

Jared: Edan, Jake and Ilan went on Year Course with my best friends from Camp Judaea. So when they got back we became close over the years. I like to say I became friends with them without having to pay for it, but I definitely still have Year Course FOMO. 

Jake: I met Edan and Ilan through Year Course, and I met Jared through Coby Tuchman, Ari Lusky and Leon Faigenblat after YC in Miami. All of us have been brought together both directly and indirectly by Young Judaea.

 

What YJ programs did you do? 

Edan: I grew up going to CYJ Texas where I was a counselor for two summers when I got older and then had a blast on Year Course! 

Ilan: I spent two years at camp Tel Yehudah, where I first became convinced that I would go on Year Course. After coming back from Year Course I attended 3 annual JNF conferences as part of the YJ delegation. 

Jared: Camp Judaea (2006-2010, staff 2013 and 2015), TY and Machon. 

Jake: I actually hadn’t done any YJ programs in the past, me finding Year Course was a purely serendipitous happening. One that has had a profound effect on my life.

 

What are you all doing in NYC now? 

Edan: I’m working as a Software Engineer for an agriculture company and connecting with lots of amazing Jewish people. 

Ilan: I currently work in clinical research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and spend my free time exploring the city and introducing my YJ circle to other friends who live here. 

Jared: I work as a creative at an advertising agency. Edan also filled a wall in our apartment with like 120 restaurants, venues and experiences around NYC, so we’ve been trying to hit as many of those as we can. Ask him about it. 

Jake: Lots of time spent with the Young Judaeans in the city, playing soccer, and shredding up the guitar.

 

What’s the most unforgettable memory from Young Judaea? 

Edan: Celebrating my 19th birthday on Year Course in Jerusalem with so many amazing people. Love the friendships we built. 

Ilan: Walking around the Old City of Jerusalem during one of the first days of Spring with three friends who I had known for 18 years, 5 years, and 6 months (in order of oldest to newest) and feeling equal love for all of them and spiritual connection to the space around me. 

Jared: It’s got to be the Camp Judaea trip to NYC when we were in Kesher. A lot of stories have withstood the test of time from that. 

Jake: Sorry to be this way but truly the entire year of Year Course was unforgettable and something I’ll take with me for the rest of my life 

 

Can you share a funny or unexpected incident from a Young Judaea event or camp? 

Edan: The kitchen raids I led as a camp counselor, we had permission to sneak into the kitchen and “steal” ice cream but the kids had so much fun I’ll always remember how happy it made the campers.

Jared: One time a camper climbed a tree at CJ and people thought he was missing. For like hours. Turns out he just fell asleep in the tree, and he was really surprised when he woke up.  

Jake: I dropped Edan on his face while trying to spin him around on Year Course, luckily he forgave me soon after and we can laugh about it now.

 

How has Young Judaea influenced your Jewish identity? 

Edan: My time with Young Judaea has made me very proud to be Jewish. It has challenged me to think deeper about what is means to be Jewish and how it can enrich your life. 

Ilan: I have unofficially been a part of Young Judaea since I was in the womb. As a legacy Year Courser (Dan “Spor” Goldstein, ’79-’80) and former resident of Kibbutz Ketura, I’ve grown up with strong Zionist values and a drive to be part of Tikkun Olam.

Jared: YJ gave me my friends, spirit, life outlook and a sense of humor, all of which I’d say are pretty Jewish. It also gave me a strong connection to Israel that’s only grown since. 

Jake: YJ helped my communication skills while discussing Jewish life and Israel with others. It’s important because it’s a big piece of my identity and I’m grateful to my Year Course experience for growing that part of me.

 

Learn more about what it means to be on the National Maz here!

Shalom Chaverim,

My name is Jonathan Jentis and I am the new National Mazkir for 2023-2024. I am a High School Senior in New Jersey. Growing up, I went to Camp Sprout Lake for six years and then continued my YJ journey to Camp Tel Yehudah. Unfortunately my first year of TY was ripped away by COVID, leaving me longing for more Young Judaea. While TY-fi (virtual TY) was a fun substitute, it was not nearly enough, until I discovered the wonders of year-round YJ (now known as YJ Teens).

Instantly in love with YJ Teens, I decided to see how I could get involved in my regional chapter, but I found that, after COVID, New Jersey didn’t have a Maz (teen board). Jumping into action I contacted the LINYC (Long Island/New York City) mazkirut to find out how to create my own. I gathered a group of camp friends to set out and create something; the only problem was that none of us had ever done any year-round events and were completely lost. Bumbling around, we planned some great events including our very own Purim Party. The next year at the Northeast convention we were able to elect a full New Jersey Maz! I felt as though I had done my job but I wanted to do more to bring the YJ experience to even more people. After two years as New Jersey Mazkir, I have now made my way up to National!

Young Judaea is a place for teens to grow and discover themselves. In an ever-changing world where Judaism and all religions are fading in newer generations, Young Judaea allows young teens like myself to keep that connection.

The National Maz and I are working to create easier entry points for people into Young Judaea events. Often teens are hesitant to risk entire afternoons or weekends if they don’t know if they will enjoy it. One entry point we want to create is through fundraising for the kitchen that caught fire at Tel Yehudah this past summer by creating merchandise and donating the proceeds; this will be an easy way for teens to link together their camp and YJ experiences. Another opportunity we want to explore is Zoom events like Challah baking; this could be a calm and easy activity for everyone to join.

A goal of mine is to expand to reach teens outside of Young Judaea. Establishing a stronger YJ teens presence in places like the Southwest and Southeast would allow for more participation across the country. I am excited to continue building our already established regions like the Midwest and Northeast, and strengthen all of the regions’ connections to one another. On a more regional level, attempting to work with organizations outside of Young Judaea like JCCs and synagogues could create a steady and easy way to reach a new base of teens we would never have been able to reach before. All this is to say, throughout this year I am looking forward to working with the rest of National Maz to bring the Young Judaea experience we all know and love to more and more teens across the country!

As the song of YJ says ‘ani v’ata neshaneh et ha’olam’, you and I will change the world. I look forward to working with everyone in and out of YJ to build an even stronger and wider community!

Jonny Jentis
National Mazkir, 2023-2024