|
|
February 1, 2002/19 Shevat 5762, Vol. 54, No. 20
Youth group encourages friendship, study, social action
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
Singing at Fall Conclave, from left, are Marisa Cohen, Allie Greenberg and Jessica Rosenblum.
Photo by Rebecca Kanter
|
If you ask teenagers what they enjoy about being in a youth group, you would expect to hear about social events and close friendships. What you might not expect to hear is that the most popular event is a Torah study with the rabbi.
But that's exactly what you'll hear if you talk to members of Kol Ami Temple Youth (KATY), a local chapter of North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY).
According to Wendy Bernstein, advisor for KATY, Rabbi B. Charles Herring's Caf‚ KATY events - Torah study dinners held once a month - are the most heavily attended of KATY's programs.
KATY President Stanley Molever sees the value for himself and others in Herring's programs.
"Something that's so important right now in the country and in our city and especially in our communities is that we boost awareness about different cultures, and we learn as much as we can about Judaism in order to really respect it," Molever explains.
KATY is one of five local NFTY chapters. The others are Temple Chai Temple Youth (TCTY), Temple Solel Temple Youth (TSTY), Temple Emanuel Temple Youth (TETY) and Beth Israel Temple Youth (BITY).
NFTY is a national organization, formed 60 years ago, that is made up of more than 450 Reform temple youth groups and claims more than 10,000 high school members.
According to the NFTY Web site, the goals of the organization are to "instill Jewish identity, increase synagogue participation among high school youth, foster long-term commitment to the ideals and values of Reform Judaism, and create today the Reform Jewish congregants of tomorrow."
There are currently 20 NFTY regions. The five local groups belong to the Southwest region, along with seven other groups from Arizona; El Paso, Texas; Las Vegas; and Albuquerque, N.M.
Of the local groups, TCTY is the largest with 135 members - more than the other four groups combined. Jody Leeds has been the TCTY advisor for nine years and is assisted by her husband, Mike. She feels that while all components of NFTY are important, it's the social aspect that gets and keeps the teens involved.
"They don't know yet that the reason they all want to be together is because they're Jewish. They just know that they like being together and for some reason, they're more comfortable in this environment," she explains. "Just let them have as much fun with each other as possible, so they'll want to come back the next week and be with each other."
The groups generally hold at least one social event per month. The youth groups usually meet on Sundays, and they balance social events with educational programs and social action projects.
Bernstein says KATY sponsors one social action project per month. For Sukkot, the teens took money they had collected at Yom Kippur services, shopped for groceries and then stocked the shelves of a food bank.
KATY members also take part in a phone-a-thon each year to raise money for Camp Swift, a summer camp for underprivileged children held each summer at Camp Pearlstein in Prescott. Last year they raised about $13,000.
In January, all five youth groups, along with the other seven in the region, participated in a social action weekend hosted by TSTY - one of five regional conclaves held each year. Weekend projects ranged from a carwash fund-raiser to picking citrus for a food bank to helping with the Titanic exhibit at the Arizona Science Center.
According to Rachel Tie, president of TCTY, the conclaves are the glue that holds the program together.
"The weekly temple events are just to keep you active. When the whole region gets together - those five conclaves they have each year - I think that's what keeps people coming back."
Molever agrees, "As much as I love KATY and as much as I love being president and having so much to do with it, KATY is part of something bigger."
David Lanson, regional songleader and programming vice president of TSTY, says teens from all of the different youth groups hang out together at the conventions.
As a result, Molever says, "One thing I found out when I was a freshman was I could have more friends than everyone else in school because I had all these friends from New Mexico and Las Vegas and Texas and all over the country."
Eric Kaye, TETY advisor, sees the benefit of these youth group friendships.
"It definitely gives them a feeling of being well liked and self esteem. It gives them an identity," he explains. "A lot of kids don't really have the identity they want in high school, but then in NFTY, they're the popular kid."
Bernstein loves to see how the youth group members grow and develop through their high school years. "You get a really profound chance to see them grow into fabulous young adults. They get educated Jewishly and then just turn out to be really cool people," she says. "I love molding these teenagers."
According to Lanson, the blend of different people and personalities is what makes NFTY special.
"There's no stereotypical person in NFTY. It's not about stereotypes - it's about acceptance. It's not about separation - it's about unity. We believe it's about getting all different types of people and putting them together and seeing what comes out of it."
Molever finds the lack of stereotyping to be the driving force behind the youth group - something the teens don't find at school and in their regular social circles.
"I have to say that I've never been in anything as accepting, and I've never been in any kind of organization that boosts self confidence and individuality like NFTY does. That's why I really love it," he says. "It really teaches kids to become individuals and learn who they are and what they're all about rather than the conformity that comes with being a high school teenager."
North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) youth groups in the Valley:
Beth Israel Temple Youth (BITY)
480-951-0323
Kol Ami Temple Youth (KATY)
Wendy Bernstein, 480-951-9660
Temple Chai Temple Youth (TCTY)
Jody Leeds, 602-971-1234
Temple Emanuel Temple Youth (TETY)
Eric Kaye, 480-838-1414
Temple Solel Temple Youth (TSTY)
Leslie Ticktin, 480-991-7414
|
|
