A few months ago, Rylee Rothwell, a junior at Blue Valley West High School in Kansas City, started praying multiple times a day, but she felt something was missing.

“I want[ed] to have more kavana [intention] and more connection to Hashem,” Rylee says. But she wasn’t sure how to go about it.

Rylee found the answer this October, when she attended Midwest NCSY’s Fall Regional Convention. She heard about the Buy-a-Book program, where community members sponsor books so teens can learn the Jewish topic of their choice, at no charge, with a volunteer advisor.

Rylee is one of nearly 40 teens who signed up for the program at Fall Convention and received a book because of donors like you. And requests continue to pour in.

Rylee and advisor Aliza Mosenkis now learn Praying With Fire every week. Rylee is excited to learn – and to understand what she’s saying.

“I see other people davening with so much power,” she adds. “It makes me want to be like that for myself.”

Batya Coleman, a junior at Harpeth High School in Nashville, is another teen who is now learning thanks to the generosity of donors like you.

She says she felt uplifted and inspired at Fall Convention and didn’t want to lose that sense of connection.

“I wanted to make Judaism, and Torah learning in particular, more consistent and more practical,” she says.

When she heard about the Buy-a-Book program, Batya realized it would help her stay Jewishly connected. She and Nashville friend Nora Roth, a junior at Kehilla High School, were paired up to learn with advisor Kayla Wang.

They chose to learn Rabbi Noach Weinberg’s 48 Ways to Wisdom.

“It offers practical wisdom for everyday life,” Batya says, “and it allows me to bring Torah into my every day.”

Like Batya, Shayna Dorfman, a sophomore at Maple Grove High School in Minneapolis, signed up for the Buy-a-Book program at Fall Convention because she was looking to feel “more connected to my identity and community.”

Shayna (r.) and Advisor Eliana Hanstater (l.) have recently started learning The Thinking Jewish Teenager’s Guide to Life.

“This book helps me figure out why I matter, why my choices count, and how much potential I have a person,” Shayna explains.

Most of all, Shayna says she appreciates the opportunity to learn one-on-one with an advisor, something that wouldn’t be possible without community members’ support.

“I joined the program because I was looking for guidance, without judgement,” she says. “I can talk to [my advisor,] ask questions and learn from her in a comfortable, honest way.”

It’s not too late to help another teen learn Torah! Buy a book here.