Twenty-two Jewish public school teens from across the Twin Cities traveled to Chicago for the Midwest JSU Regional Shabbaton on MLK Weekend. They, along with peers from across the Midwest, had the chance to experience Jewish life and community like never before.
Your support made this life-changing experience possible.
While the weekend was reminiscent of Midwest NCSY’s longstanding Shabbatons, this Shabbaton was specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of Jewish public school students, who are attending NCSY’s Jewish Student Union (JSU) clubs in growing numbers.
The Shabbaton featured fun activities like snowtubing and a Bulls game; volunteer opportunities at Chesed Chicago, Hersh’s Fridge, Park Plaza and other local Jewish organizations; and a traditional Shabbat, complete with NCSY-style pre-Shabbat Ruach and Havdalah.
For many Minnesota teens, the mix of fun, friends, meaning and connection is something they won’t soon forget.
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For Michelle Feynberg (l.), a freshman at Maple Grove High School, one of the most impactful parts of the weekend was volunteering at Hersh’s Fridge, a kosher community fridge for those in need, named in memory of Hersh Polin-Goldberg.
The teens learned about the high cost of food while preparing food bags for the needy.
“After seeing how much things actually cost… and how hard life can actually be for people, that made we want to help more,” Michelle says.
Michelle also enjoyed the chance to spend a weekend with old – and new – friends.
“[The Shabbaton] strengthened bonds with friends and overall, just allowed me to be happy,” she says. “[It was also] a great opportunity to help people and get experience in volunteering.”
Jonah Raich (l.) is a junior at Central High School. For Jonah, the highlight of the weekend was simply the opportunity to ask questions.
“In the past, I felt embarrassed about not knowing certain things about my religion that I assumed everyone else already knew,” he explains. “But what I learned was that the only way to understand religion is to ask questions.”
And Jonah did just that – asking questions to staff, advisors, and other teens, both during and between the educational sessions, which focused on topics ranging from prayer to Science & Torah to building Jewish identity.
“One of my biggest highlights was being part of the breakout groups [led by the advisors],” Jonah says. “The Q&A sessions were especially meaningful, and I learned a lot from [others’] perspectives.”
Jonah adds that he’d strongly encourage other teens to attend future JSU Shabbatons.
“I would definitely recommend [the JSU Shabbaton] to anyone who wants to meet more Jewish [teens], especially if they ever feel like they’re the only one, or if they want to learn more about Judaism and themselves.”
Rachel Tirado (r.) is a junior at St. Louis Park High School. She came to the Shabbaton wanting to “connect with other teens, learn more about Judaism, and to get out of my comfort zone.”
Rachel says the weekend allowed her to do all these things – and discover something new about herself in the process.
“I discovered my passion for learning about Judaism,” Rachel says. “It really opened my eyes to how much I love learning.”
Rachel adds that she appreciated the opportunity to talk at length with, and learn from, JSU staff and advisors.
“I have a deeper understanding of what it means to be a Jew,” she says. “[And] I want to be more connected with Judaism in my day-to-day life.”