Midwest Young Judaea Newsletter Pittsburgh Young Judaea Update: Mira Morris
By Year Round Programs
The theme for the Pittsburgh Shabbaton this year was Israeli Innovations, chosen by the Bogrim leaders of Pittsburgh YJ. These leaders organized astonishing peulot about drip irrigation, waze, and other forms of technology all created in Israel. The leaders, ranging from ninth to twelfth grade, planned breathtaking games and fun discussions, that the kids participated in while learning about innovations that Israel created. The kids even engaged in a tikkun olam program created by one of the Bogrim leaders where they helped make blankets for kids in hospitals. While some kids call the Shabbaton a “day at camp while still at home,” in Pittsburgh YJ, we like to believe that is is even more than that. The Shabbaton is a place for kids of all ages to come together and become a family. Kids from different parts of the city and even different cities become best friends in under 24 hours and bond with people that they will never forget. While the end of the Shabbaton is always sad, it is extremely heartwarming to hear kids discuss how they can not wait to see each other at the next event or even at camp. As Young Judaea our mission is to help kids discover who they are, and the Shabbaton is just one of the amazing ways that kids connect with themselves and with the people around them.
