Nine Jewish Student Union (JSU) teen leaders from across the Twin Cities traveled to Sommerset, NJ, last month to not only develop their own leadership skills, but also to find ways to foster Jewish community and drive positive change on their public school campuses.
The teens participated in NCSY’s annual JSU Presidents’ Conference, where they had the opportunity to network, collaborate, and share ideas with 250 fellow JSU teen leaders from across the country.
“I was motivated to go to the conference because I wanted to learn more about being a Jewish leader,” says Ryan Steinberg (r.), a JSU co-president at St. Louis Park High School in Minneapolis. “After October 7th I knew I had to take a more active role in the Jewish community.”
Ariella Rosenwald (3rd from l.), a senior at Wayzata High School, is a repeat JSU Presidents Conference attendee and a member of the National JSU Board.
“I really enjoy the community of leaders and the powerful environment to create positive change within our Jewish communities,” she says.
The conference featured a keynote address on Jewish leadership by social media influencer and Israel advocate Lizzy Savetsky; skill-based workshops on topics like time management, social media optimization, marketing, public speaking and running a board; and multiple panels and discussions on October 7th and antisemitism.
For Ryan, the “unconference” – when teen leaders had the chance to network with their peers – was a conference highlight.
“The unconference gave me a chance to talk to other JSU leaders about their own clubs and get their input on my club’s situation,” Ryan says. “I learned many helpful tips for running a club and made great connections with the other students I plan to uphold.”
Ariella says she found the presentation by Charlotte Korchak from StandWIthUs to be particularly meaningful.
“Her understanding of Israel and responses to hard questions inspire me to learn more about Israel and stand up to fight antisemitism,” Ariella says.
Most of all, Ariella says, the conference “brought me closer together” with Jewish teens from across North America.
“Together we shared hope and solutions on how to remain proud as Jews,” she says.