Over 40 JSU public school teens from across the region spent MLK weekend in New York on Project Impact, seeing the sites, volunteering, and deepening their connection to Judaism.
The trip, generously sponsored by the Ralla Klepak Foundation for Education in the Performing Arts, featured visits to the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, and a Broadway-style tour of Midtown Manahattan on The Ride.
The teens volunteered at the Met Council, Yad Leah, and the IDF Chesed Center, helping Jews in New York and Israel. They also spent a meaningful Shabbat together, learning more about the Jewish value of chesed and the power of giving.
For many, this trip was their first opportunity to explore Jewish life in a vibrant Jewish community – and to discover what Judaism can bring to their own lives.
Read on as participants share their trip highlights…
‘Really Connecting’
Project Impact may have been full of meaningful volunteer experiences and fun tourist attractions, but for Sarah Kaufman (c.), a junior at Glenbrook South High School in Illinois, the highlight was something else entirely.
“The highlight for me was putting my phone away during Shabbat and really connecting with people,” she says.
Sarah admits that she was a “little hesitant” to come on the trip because she didn’t know anyone. But she quickly made friends – and says the trip changed her perspective on people.
“Everyone was so welcoming and kind, and now I know that there are people out there like that, that exist,” she says.
Sarah adds that she also didn’t know a “ton” about Judaism.
“When I had a question about anything, everyone didn’t judge, and they answered it for me,” she says.
Sarah returned home with her proverbial suitcases packed with new friends, more Jewish knowledge, positive experiences helping others – and a desire for deeper connection.
“Before when I did Shabbat, I went on my phone,” she says. “But now I will put my phone away to really connect with people and to better myself.”
Anyone Can Make a Difference
Jacob Berger (second from l.) is a sophomore and JSU regular at Parkway Central High School in Missouri.
He says he participated in Project Impact because he was looking for a new experience with JSU, and what he found was that anyone can make a difference.
“My biggest takeaway is how easy it is to help your community and the Jewish world,” he says.
Jacob says he also appreciated the opportunity to learn how people celebrate Shabbat, and that experience “impacted my Jewish life.”
Now that he’s back home, Jacob says he would encourage other teens to participate in Project Impact because “you make so many friends and help so many people.”
And as for himself, he plans to keep giving back.
“I will try and contribute more of my time to helping out [others],” he says.
Touched to the Core
Natalia Smookler (r.), a junior at Two Rivers High School in Minnesota, is no stranger to Jewish youth groups. But she says Project Impact wasn’t just another teen program.
“I do a lot of youth leadership stuff for Jewish teens, [and] I never [before] felt so touched when actually learning about my religion,” she says.
Natalia adds that she felt this most strongly over Shabbat when “I really found a deeper connection to my Judaism.”
Natalia also points out that before the trip, she felt like she was doing “as much as I can as a Jew.” But that changed after volunteering for several Jewish organizations in New York.
“I found out that I can do so much more. I can give so much, that I haven’t even realized,” she says.
Natalia credit’s NCSY/JSU staff for helping her find what she calls her “Jewish voice.”
“Everyone on the trip was so understanding and was willing to help and teach me. They gave me pathways to start my own journey,” she says.
A Sense of Belonging
What Mia Mondry (c.), a junior at Blue Valley High School in Kansas, enjoyed most about Project Impact was the chance to be part of a vibrant community of Jewish teens.
“I [went] on the trip because I wanted to learn more about my Judaism, volunteer, and also meet people from all around the Midwest area,” Mia says.
“This trip helped me connect more [to] my Judaism by meeting other Jewish teens.”
Mia’s trip highlight was ice skating on Saturday night at Bryant Park, which she says gave her the opportunity to “create close friendships.”
Mia adds that she left New York with more than just new friends. She left with a new perspective.
“My biggest takeaway was that even though there’s a lot happening in the world, we can all come together and make the best of it,” she says.