JUF launches new initiative to improve and expand teen programming, beginning with immersive Spring Break
June 23rd, 2015
This summer, the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago launches a new initiative to increase the depth and quality of programming for Chicagoland Jewish teens – including the creation of an immersive Spring Break program to pilot next year.
The new initiative was made possible by a five-year, $3.19 million challenge grant from the San Francisco-based Jim Joseph Foundation. The grant was awarded within the framework of the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder collaborative, comprised of national and local funders working together to expand and deepen community-based Jewish teen education and engagement.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Jim Joseph Foundation and our local funders for enabling us to delve deeper into this important aspect of Jewish learning,” said JUF President Steven B. Nasatir. “Providing meaningful Jewish learning experiences to the next generation is critical to ensure that our vibrant Jewish community will flourish for years to come, and we are proud to be partners in this effort.”
Funds from the Jim Joseph Foundation will be matched by a consortium of local funders, including Crown Family Philanthropies and JUF.
“This approach is the result of a community planning process that involved more than 100 clergy, professionals, parents and teens,” said Hallie Shapiro Devir, JUF’s Assistant Vice President of Israel Experience and Youth Initiatives. “This initiative will benefit the whole community by increasing opportunities for teen engagement, deepening our knowledge of Chicagoland Jewish teens and enabling organizations to provide enhanced programming to better meet their needs.”
To spearhead the new efforts, former consultant Sarina Gerson signed on last month as Director of JUF’s Teen Engagement Initiative. A graduate of Indiana University and The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Gerson brings over ten years of experience in the non-profit and commercial sectors to the position.
A lifelong supporter of immersive Jewish experiences, Gerson said she looks forward to working with community partners to create exciting programs that will provide Jewish teens with new entry points for Jewish education and engagement – particularly the all-new hallmark Spring Break experience.
“We believe that Spring Break represents a unique opportunity to create a new entry point for Jewish teen engagement,” said Gerson. “We are excited to provide teens with a low cost, fun, immersive experience where they can explore a new topic or develop new skills while connecting with other Jewish teens and mentors through a Jewish lens. In doing so, we will increase the number of teens engaged in Jewish activities who have a deep appreciation for Jewish values and tradition.”
JUF also plans to hire a new community educator to assist with capturing insights about programming and creating more continuity between current programmatic offerings.
The Funder Collaborative began two years ago following the release of the Jim Joseph Foundation’s report, “Effective Strategies for Educating and Engaging Jewish Teens.” Other grants within the Collaborative framework have been awarded to Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston; Rose Community Foundation in Denver/Boulder; UJA-Federation of New York; and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, totaling nearly $32.8 million. Over the next 8-10 years, it is projected that these initiatives will collectively reach and engage tens of thousands of teens in meaningful Jewish experiences. Total investment by the Collaborative’s end date over that same period may reach as much as $70 million.
As part of the overarching mission to create more effective Jewish learning experiences, the Jim Joseph Foundation awarded a total of nearly $24 million to 13 organizations and institutions. The Foundation focuses on creating effective and compelling Jewish learning experiences for youth and young adults in the United States.
“JUF’s talented team identified Spring Break as an untapped opportunity to offer immersive Jewish learning experiences to Chicago area teens” said Al Levitt, President of the Jim Joseph Foundation, which seeks to create effective and compelling Jewish learning experiences for youth and young adults in the U.S. “We are excited to work closely with JUF as this initiative evolves and as more community partners lend their support and creative minds.”
For more information on JUF’s programming for Jewish teens, visit juf.org/teens.