The Jewish Funders Network and Jim Joseph Foundation are proud to present the fifth installment of our ongoing Experiments in Jewish Teen Education webinar series. This session, which took place on Thursday, October 2, explained how the URJ, through its Campaign for Youth Engagement, is working to ensure that a more inclusive, collaborative network that engages more young people in Jewish life post b’nai mitzvah exists. This webinar builds on the findings shared in the research report Effective Strategies for Educating and Engaging Jewish Teens.

Participants heard specific examples of how the URJ is leveraging their existing infrastructure, and working within a larger network, to cultivate a vibrant community of dedicated Jewish teens. By broadening community outreach and tapping into new, local partnerships, the URJ hopes to enhance their strong foundation of resources. For the past 75 years, the URJ has enriched the lives of countless youth and youth workers through a myriad of summer camps, social justice programs, educational opportunities, and professional development programs.

Daryl Messinger of the Heeger/Messinger Family Philanthropy, Rabbi Jonah Pesner, senior vice president of the URJ, and Ari Vared, director of advancement and new initiatives for URJ Camp Newman, joined the conversation about the growing developments and challenges they face as they move toward a more expansive and accessible blueprint for expanding teen outreach in youth engagement.

This 60-minute session included an overview of the URJ’s Campaign for Youth Engagement, discussion of programmatic impact, and Q&A with the senior vice president of the URJ and a local funder.