For anyone who grew up in the Jewish youth movement, Young Judaea, pitching in during challenging circumstances is second nature. Steve Berman, a lifelong Young Judaean, put it well: “There’s something in the water we drank. Maybe it’s the shores of the Delaware or the Mediterranean that infused our souls with the same spirit. The spirit of Hineni, calling out that you’re there and ready to serve.”

After the attacks on October 7th and the subsequent war, Young Judaeans lived out this spirit once again. Year Course participants immediately jumped into action, helping survivors in the Gaza envelope who suddenly found themselves without housing, clothes, or basic necessities.

Many Young Judaeans flocked to Israel to volunteer and support in any way they could. Alumni with special skills, like Lisa Fliegel, a trauma therapist, traveled to Israel to help survivors cope. Miriam Schler, Executive Director of the Tel Aviv Sexual Assault Center, stepped up to assist the many sexual assault victims of October 7th. Year Course alumni who have maintained a close friendship, Sam Merrin, Ira Greenberg, and David Cohen-Mintz, longtime friends from Young Judaea’s Year Course volunteered on Kibbutz Kfar Aza, a destroyed community, and assisted farmers near Gaza.  Others, like Julie Kolman Powell, used the power of awareness to aid Israel. While participating in races across the country, Julie wore a photo of a beloved member of the YJ family, Gili Adar, who was murdered at the Nova Festival, on her marathon shirt.

Three Friends Helping a Shattered Community

In a similar spirit, three lifelong Young Judaea friends recently came together to support Israel in a crucial way. Joel Rosenfeld, Seth Merrin, and Steve Berman grew up in the movement, attending YJ clubs, camps, and eventually Year Course. When Joel’s daughter, Ayelet, reached out about a critical cause, he turned to his YJ friends to find a way to help.

Ayelet served in the IDF alongside Yonaton “Jonny” Siman Tov, who lived with his family on Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community on the Gaza envelope. On October 7th, the kibbutz was brutally attacked by Hamas, resulting in the deaths of a quarter of its residents and the kidnapping of many others. Jonny, his wife Tamari Kedem, their three young children, and his mother were murdered that day.

The survivors were initially relocated to a hotel in Eilat. After the initial shock subsided, the community planned to relocate to a different kibbutz farther from Gaza, Beit Nir. The move, rebuilding, and purchase of land would cost them $26 million. It was during this time that Ayelet, with support from her father Joel and others, began a campaign to aid the community’s relocation efforts.

Joel reached out to old friends like Steve, who reconnected him with Seth, for help. Seth believes their readiness to support this cause stems from their Young Judaea roots. “The activism, the drive to improve the world, and the desire to help others are deeply ingrained in every committed Young Judaean. So, when Joel and Steve called me, my response was, ‘Of course. How can I help?’”

Their outreach was crucial. Steve played a key role in facilitating connections and organizing fundraising efforts. His network in Atlanta, combined with Seth’s connections in the Northeast, amplified the fundraising campaign.

While in Israel, Steve met with Chen Itzik from Kibbutz Nir Oz, who was leading recovery efforts. Steve reassured Chen that many people in the U.S. would want to help. He quickly organized a reception at his Atlanta home, with just four days’ notice. To his relief, 100 people showed up to hear the story of the devastated community from survivors of Jonny’s family, Amit Siman Tov and her sister Koren.

Steve recalled, “My house isn’t really set up for 100 people. It was hot and crowded, shoulder to shoulder, but you could hear a pin drop that night. We had three survivors from Nir Oz sharing their story.”

This event, co-hosted with other community leaders, was a turning point in raising awareness and support for the kibbutz. The positive response led to significant contributions from major foundations and individual donors.

The task of relocating Kibbutz Nir Oz and rebuilding lives is far from over. The efforts of Joel, Seth, and Steve, along with the broader community’s support, are vital to this process.

The Spirit of Service: Shared Values

In the face of extreme adversity, many people waver, unsure of how to help or move forward or worried that their small acts won’t impact the larger challenges. Yet, after October 7th, the subsequent war, and rise in antisemitism around the world, Young Judaeans did the opposite. These stories of resilience and solidarity showcase the enduring power of the YJ community. As we learn from Rabbi Tarfon in Pirke Avot, while it is not our task to finish the work, neither can we desist from it.

As Seth put it, “This is what we do. This is Young Judaea in action.”

*If you would like to help support the Kibbutz Nir Oz project, please contact Joel, joelrosenfeld@gmail.com

After 30 years it was like nothing has changed. Last month, Year Course 1994-1995 reunited in Chicago for a weekend of memories, laughs and good times. Over 50 people from all over the globe, including FZY participants from Israel and England gathered together for a weekend of nostalgia. As a group we managed to raise $16,000 for Year Course programming in honor of our reunion. As they say, Year Course never ends, and that is certainly true in our case. What a lovely weekend of seeing old faces.

Thank you to reunion committee co-chairs Dana Blitstein and Molli Tobin Monk and the dedicated reunion committee Marla Aistrope, Margo Alpert, Katy Burstein, Becca Katzman and Rachel Secore. A special thanks to Amit Weinberg; you know what you did! Xo

Want to plan your Year Course reunion? We can help! Email alumni@youngjudaea.org

By Nina Berkowitz

This past summer, I had the privilege of participating in the Business and

Marketing Program through Onward, and my experience was nothing short of

transformative. While I had visited Israel before, it was nothing compared to the

immersive experience I had this past summer. Living independently, I had the

opportunity to deeply connect with Israeli culture while gaining invaluable professional experience through my marketing internship.

I interned with Alike Health, a startup healthcare platform that uses AI technology to connect individuals with similar medical histories. The platform enables people to share their experiences, ideas, and offer emotional support, fostering a sense of community among users with common health conditions. As a marketing intern, I contributed to content creation for social media, assisted with the development of their new website, wrote blog posts, and created informative videos for a new feature on their app and website. This hands-on role gave me the chance to see my ideas come to life in a meaningful way.

Beyond gaining professional experience, I immersed myself in the Israeli work
environment, building lasting connections with the team at Alike Health. My background in content creation and video editing allowed me to contribute meaningfully to the company, while also expanding my skill set. Despite studying Psychology and Health Medicine & Society in college, I was eager to explore the business world, and this internship challenged me in ways that helped me grow both professionally and personally. It was thrilling to see my content brought to life on Alike’s platform, and I learned how to shape my ideas to better cater to users’ needs. This experience pushed me to become a more thoughtful, analytical thinker.

On a personal level, this program deepened my connection to Israel. Growing up
in a Conservative Jewish household and attending Jewish day schools, I’ve always had a strong Jewish identity. Being in Israel on my own terms allowed me to develop routines, explore Tel Aviv, and truly live the experience. It felt especially important being in Israel and supporting the country after October 7th as I began experiencing the ways hostility grew on my campus. I was longing to return to Israel and away from the antisemitism that’s been sweeping many universities. So, being in Israel this past summer felt that much more important.

In summary, the Onward program was a pivotal experience for me. It helped me
become more independent, gain valuable work experience, and further strengthen my Jewish identity. It was, without a doubt, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that shaped me both professionally and personally.

Written by Susan Parkoff Canning, with support from: David Wilson, Walter Synalovski, Robin Freeman Nelson

At the 2023 75th Tel Yehudah anniversary celebration, a few camp and year course friends decided to pick a date and location for the next 1984-85 year course reunion. Washington D.C. was chosen as the location so the maximum amount of people could drive or fly direct, the 2nd weekend in August picked to ensure our core team could attend. Our group previously had a 10 year reunion in NYC, a 20 year reunion at Kutchers in the Catskills, a 25 year reunion in Las Vegas, and had planned a fall 2020 gathering in New Orleans that was canceled. A core group of four formed to develop a plan. We met monthly and started publicizing through our Facebook page and reaching out via email. Our year course was originally 120 strong and we were able to get in touch with a majority.

On August 9, 2024, 28 of us, including one of our former madrichim, gathered with some nerves and much anticipation. The joy of seeing special friends was apparent from the moment we interacted – all were welcomed with hugs and smiles. We each wore a lanyard name tag with a picture of our 18 year-old year course self, so we could connect past and present. We held Kabbalat Shabbat services and enjoyed a Mediterranean themed dinner, reconnected through shared memories, and remembered friends no longer with us. We looked at photo albums, scrap books, and t-shirts from the year and listened to a playlist of songs from the past, reflecting on how young we were.

Throughout the weekend, many of us expressed immense pleasure in re-connecting with people we had been close to, as well as forming new friendships with those who shared this unique experience. It is not easy to go to a reunion: not everyone wants to revisit the past, many are busy and caught up in present lives, it is hard to make the time or spend the money, some are already in touch with those they want to be. However a group experience is different and special. Many expressed gratitude that each one of us made the effort, showed up and spent time together. We caught up, prayed, sang and did Havdalah together, discussed Israel, shared, laughed, talked and remembered. We ended our weekend with a zoom including friends from around the country and in Israel, checking in to see how they are holding up.

Our final siyum included an old camp tradition of reflecting on our weekend. It was heartwarming and emotional. We are now discussing regional mini reunions and a 45th reunion in 2029. There is new energy and appreciation for special friendships made more than 40 years ago.

In memory of our friends from 1984-1985 YJ Year Course:
Keith Berman, Marc Bloom, Andrew Schauer, Danny Savitzky, Joshua Tobman

Through small acts of solidarity, we, as Jewish camps, have the power to effect change on a large scale and strengthen our communities.

CYJ Sprout Lake is honoring Omer Neutra, a former camper of who is currently being held captive, by creating a list of daily actions to keep the mission of freeing the hostages at the core of the Jewish community. Join us in one of the most important missions – time is ticking!

Print this Flyer for ways YJ Camps and YOU can continuously help to #BringThemHomeNow

 

By Julie Kolman Powell
Sprout Lake, Tel Yehudah, Year Course 1984 Alum, Former Regional Mazkira

It took me less that 10 minutes to decide I was attending the Young Judaea

Alumni trip back in January 2024 to Israel, and 8 months to process it.

Like always, I communicate first with my running shoes.

This past week, and without telling anyone prior, I ran three half marathons, in three states, three days in a row. I did this with Gili Adar’s picture on my back which was given to me by her parents at her grave when I visited Israel. I never met Gili, but she was a Israeli Scout at Camp Tel Yehudah, a camp I love and a camp my daughter loves.

Gili’s parent’s described Gili as ‘their sunshine’ and the world’s sunshine. Anyone that met her apparently remembers her smile and that she lit up a room with her beautiful blond hair and her personality. Her parent’s told us she loved traveling and seeing the world. So, I took her with me to Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah and told her story to people in places that likely would never have heard it before. Gili and I ran 13.1 miles in each state. Every day people would ask me about who was on my back. I told them about Gili’s spirit as described to me by her parents and I shared with them what happened on October 7th, and of her murder by Hamas. In Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho some of these folks had never met a Jew before, or anyone from Israel, or heard the story of October 7th. They asked questions and they blessed me and the Adars. Gili’s parents and I communicated on Facebook and I was so moved by how much this gesture meant to them.

On the third day I was tired. It was mile nine in Utah. I wasn’t sure how or where I was going to find the energy to finish and all I could see were fields, endless fields. I remember driving around the Gaza envelope on our trip and seeing a similar image, the fields where the Nova victims and survivors ran for their lives. In their memory, I took off like a rocket. I came in third that day in my age group.

I hope in some small way I honored their lives and the lives lost at Nova. We must never forget them. They are all important to their friends and family and to me.

To the hostages, ”Be Strong and Survive.”

To their families I think of you everyday.

On June 2, 2024 nearly 100 Young Judaeans of all ages representing YJ Camps, Year Course, Israel programs and clubs came together in unity with thousands of people at the Celebrate Israel Parade in New York City to show their unwavering support and love for Israel and for Jewish people worldwide!

This year, after the attacks of October 7th and subsequent war, the parade felt more important than ever. Nearly 60,000 showed up to march down 5th Avenue and show their solidarity with Israel and call for the release of the hostages.

 

Given the war in Israel,  we acknowledge that this Passover is radically different from all other Passovers. To add meaning and conversation to your seder this year, Young Judaea Central Shaliach, Amit Castel has written a Special Prayer for the Release of the Hostages in Gaza. Additionally, have meaningful discussion surrounding why this seder feels different than all others.

Download the YJ Seder Supplement Here

I signed up for the Young Judaea Young Professionals volunteer trip not knowing what to expect. People around me had more questions than I could count leading into my trip, while I didn’t have too many. I was taking part in a Young Judaea trip, and that has always been good enough for me. I knew that I would be well taken care of and was fixing to take part in a meaningful experience. 

My name is Barak Levy, and I have been a Young Judaean since I was eight years old. I was a camper at CYJ Texas for eight years, Tel Yehudah for two, and staff at CYJ Texas for four years before deciding to work at CYJ Texas full-time after college. Young Judaea turned me into the person I am today, so it only felt natural for my first time in Israel to be with Young Judaea.

Like many of my peers I felt somewhat helpless since October 7th and was wanting to find a meaningful way to support Israel. Because of this I felt an immense amount of pride volunteering on farms throughout this trip. I was able to pick produce and nurture crops at farms whose workers had been called to the IDF, called back to Thailand, or who were forced to stay in Gaza and I am extremely proud of the work I accomplished. It was incredible to be able to literally get my hands dirty and help Israel in my own way. It was an amazing experience to talk with the farmers every day and their gratefulness and positivity in times of uncertainty were something I’ll always remember. I enjoyed every second of our volunteer work and I truly fell in love with farming on this trip. Maybe there is something in the air in Israel, or maybe it’s my Texas genes, but farming was a spiritual experience for me. While the greenhouses could be hot and the work itself could be tedious, my mind often went to a meditative state where I found myself thinking about my Jewish journey, what’s going on in Israel, and the type of person I want to be. 

So much of what made the trip special were the conversations I had with Israelis. Every day, I shared my experience volunteering with Tel Aviv locals who would ask me about it and they would often share their perspective of what had been going on in Israel with me. I have never had that many spontaneous yet genuine conversations with strangers while living in America, and I’ll always charish those talks. Young Judaea even had a few Israelis join our trip to create bonds with us throughout our volunteering which helped create an extra level of meaning and connection to our trip.

There are a number of volunteer opportunities in Israel put on by various organizations, but Young Judaea trips are unique. In every Young Judaea program I have been a part of, I have made incredibly fast and strong relationships with my peers. For this trip, participants were ages 20 to 40. While this is a big age difference, it never seemed to matter, and by the first Shabbat, only two days into the trip, it felt like we were a family. From Shabbat prayers, conversations while farming, spontaneous Rikud (Israeli Dance) sessions, and long group walks around the city, our volunteer group built a tight-knit community that could only have been fostered through Young Judaea.

While there were so many amazing things I did and saw on the trip, I also couldn’t help but feel the sadness all around the country. Everywhere I looked, there were hostage photos and Bring Them Home murals. There was an extra level of sorrow, mourning, and anger to everything that has been going on by stepping into Israel for myself. I ate at a small falafel shop a hostage frequented every day, I spoke with a Nova survivor, and I took part in a Havdallah service with parents of hostages. I had been thinking of the hostages since October 7th, but there was a degree of separation and it was hard to put myself in the hostage’s shoes. Once I stepped foot in Israel this was no longer a challenge.

A couple of weeks after the trip, I can say that I’m glad I didn’t come on the trip with any expectations; I couldn’t have dreamed up a trip like this one. I got to give back to the country that is home to my people, create amazing friendships with fellow volunteers and Israelis, explore the country with new friends, feel what is happening in Israel for myself, and have a spiritual journey along the way. Every day, every step of the way, my time in Israel was incredibly impactful to me, and I have Young Judaea to thank for this amazing opportunity.

By Barak Levy, CYJ Texas Staff, Former CYJ Texas and Tel Yehudah Camper

In a whirlwind adventure through Israel, I recently had the privilege of staffing a young professional volunteer trip that transformed my understanding of the community and shared values of Young Judaea. Though I didn’t grow up within the movement, my two years of working with Young Judaea have been a journey of discovery and connection that has transcended the boundaries of just a job.

A diverse group of Judaeans, aged 19 to 40, came together for a shared purpose; to support Israeli citizens. The camaraderie formed during our volunteer work was nothing short of magical, but it was an impromptu Shabbat dinner that truly encapsulated the spirit of Young Judaea. Picture this: individuals spanning a decade in age, united in song and dance, passionately embracing the same Rikkud tunes. In that moment, a shared identity as Judaeans took precedence.

What struck me most during this journey was the convergence of Young Judaea’s core values—Tikkun Olam, the love for Israel, and an open tent where voices can challenge each other in deep discussion. These principles were not merely ideals; they were the driving force behind every action and shared moment. The farms we worked on became a canvas for Tikkun Olam, where our hands in the soil were a tangible contribution to Israeli society.

The realization dawned upon me that many of the participants might not be on this journey if it weren’t for their formative years within the movement. The values instilled by Young Judaea are what allowed the young professionals on this trip to communicate and connect on a profound level. After two years of working with Young Judaea, I can confidently say that I have become a true Judaean. This journey has transformed me, not just as an employee, but as an integral part of a community that believes in the power of change, leadership, and compassion for Israel. I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity.

By Taylor Wishnov, Development and Alumni Engagement Associate, Young Judaea Global