The Continuing Conversation On Jewish Youth Hookup Culture

By Lila Goldstein March 15, 2022

Notes from “New Perspectives on Jewish Youth Hookup Culture,” a panel event hosted by New Voices Magazine, Lilith Magazine, and the Jewish Women’s Archive.

Read More...

Investigation: How Jewish Youth Groups Are Breeding A Toxic Sexual Culture For Teens

By Shira Wolkenfeld July 13, 2021

For decades, major Jewish youth groups have cultivated pressure-based teen sexual cultures, leaving Jewish youth without support or education about sexuality and consent.

Read More...

Beyond Continuity: Speaking Out Against Toxic Hookup Culture in Jewish Youth Groups

By Lila Goldstein October 30, 2020

“Four years after my entry into youth groups, I’ve finally been able to process the harmful culture I was subjected to. Now, I’m more than ready to join a discussion about consent and power in Jewish spaces; there is still much work to be done, and we need participation from the community as a whole in order to create a healthier culture for every Jewish teen.”

Read More...

Jewish Youth Movements Support Students Protesting Gun Violence

By Lev Gringauz March 5, 2018

Jewish high school students want to celebrate Shabbat by protesting gun violence, and their Jewish communities are stepping up to help. Rabbi Steven Wernick, CEO of the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, recently announced that USY (United Synagogue Youth) would support students wishing to attend the Washington D.C. March For Our Lives, a rally to…

Read More...

Jewish Students Will Not Stand Idly By

By Taylor Gleeson June 2, 2015

American students are more likely to die from gun violence than car accidents. It seems as if we serve as potential targets wherever we go. The horror that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School is still remembered around the world, but perhaps the most tragic thing about it is that almost 100 school shootings have…

Read More...

Why Small Campus Jewish Communities Are the Best

By Miranda Cooper March 17, 2015

When applying to colleges, I gave barely any thought to Jewish life on campus. This was not because I didn’t care about being engaged with a Jewish community; on the contrary, between leading my Temple Youth Group, attending regional NFTY events, working as a teaching assistant at a religious school, and moving up the ranks at…

Read More...

What’s Behind Israel’s Veil?

By Evan Traylor February 10, 2015

For so many young Jews in North America, the idealistic images seen on particular trips with organizations including NFTY, BBYO, Young Judaea, USY, and especially Birthright, come to define our views of Israel. After my first trip to Israel, when I spent 4 weeks exploring Israel with my camp and NFTY friends, I immediately felt…

Read More...

The Reform Movement Must Express its Support for a Two-State Solution in Youth Education

By Hannah Silverfine May 2, 2014

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of hearing Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the President of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), speak at the J Street U Student Town Hall in Baltimore. As a J Street U leader at Clark University in Worcester, MA, I was very excited to hear him speak passionately about…

Read More...

A New Year of Peace?

By Emily Greenspan September 23, 2013

Just a few weeks ago, the White House released a video of President Obama wishing the American Jewish community a sweet New Year.  Obama emphasized the importance of the newly-resumed peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the responsibility of American Jews to act to bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Now…

Read More...

Obama Tells D’Var Torah, Defends Israel Record [URJ Biennial, day 3]

By Zach C. Cohen December 18, 2011

Seeing the president of the United States give a Torah sermon was quite the treat for this Jewish journalist’s 20th birthday. It’s an unusual sight to say the least. President Barack Obama knew exactly what to say when he addressed the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial on Friday. After all, there’s a resident expert on…

Read More...

A place for college students in Reform Judaism? [URJ Biennial, day 1]

By Zach C. Cohen December 15, 2011

The Union for Reform Judaism’s biennial convention, held this year at a gargantuan conference center/hotel outside Washington, D.C., is bigger than ever: It sold out when 5,000 people signed up before registration closed. But the excitement is palpable for another reason: This is Rabbi Eric Yoffie’s last, and Rabbi Rick Jacobs’ first, biennial as president…

Read More...

Labelship Down

By ckessler February 27, 2010

As another Friday night set in, I pondered whether to schlep out of my warm house into the snow flying sideways to make the long trek (a seven-minute bus ride) down to Hillel, and after I coordinated with some friends at the University of Pittsburgh–whom I hadn’t seen all week–I decided that the schlep was worth…

Read More...