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Table of Contents
Table of Contents……………………………………..2
Introduction………………………………………….....3
NFTY Lingo……………………………………………..4
Board Member 1st / Position 2nd……………….....5
Network Goals………………………………………....6
5 A’s of Social Action………………………………....7
Inverted Pyramid Method of Social Action……..8
Inverted Pyramid Method: Local……………...9
Effective Programming…………………….10
Effective Service…………………………….13
Fundraising…………………………………...14
Inverted Pyramid Method: Regional………....16
Inverted Pyramid Method: North American.17
Camp Jenny…………………………………..18
Resources………………………………………………19
Various Causes………………………………………20
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Fun Facts About Me
Hey everybody! Congrats on being elected as your Temple Youth Group (TYG) SAVP for the 2016-2017 year! In my opinion, this position is what
elevates NFTY. The NFTY-STR Social Action Vice President Network is what makes NFTY not simply a youth group, but a youth movement.
Name: Robert Caplan Feder Temple Youth Group: BAFTY Grade: 11th Hometown: Miami Favorite TV Show: F•R•I•E•N•D•S Favorite Movie: Armageddon (I cry everytime) Favorite Band: The 1975 Favorite Sport: Gymnastics Favorite Song: Peel the Avocado Favorite Founding Father: A. Ham Favorite Show: Wicked Camp: URJ Kutz Camp and #CJ17!!! Twitter: robert_feder Instagram: ratchet_rabbi_robert Email: [email protected] (after June 1st [email protected]) Phone #: 305-979-8454 Facebook: Robert C Feder
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NFTY Lingo
URJ: Union for Reform Judaism. NFTY is the youth movement of the URJ. Netzer Olami: Netzer stands for Noar Tzioni Reformi (hey, that’s part of our cheer!), or “Reform Zionist Youth”. It is the International Reform Zionist Movement. NFTY is the North American chapter (‘snif’) of Netzer Olami. NFTY: North American Federation of Temple Youth. The URJ’s youth movement. NFTY-STR: Southern Tropical Region. Central Fl.--->the Keys + Bahamas. TYG: Temple Youth Group a.k.a The foundation of NFTY. PVP: Programming Vice President. SAVP: Social Action Vice President #WETHEBEST RCVP: Religious and Cultural Vice President. CVP: Communications Vice President. MVP: Membership Vice President. RegBo: Abbreviated form of Regional Board. Kallah: A regional event where all TYG’s come together for about 2-5 days. LLTI: Liz Leadership Training Institute. A leadership training kallah for the incoming TYG boards. RAC: Religious Action Center. The URJ’s outlet for social justice in D.C. Siyyum: Closing circle that takes place every night of a NFTY event. CJ: Camp Jenny! NFTY-STR and NFTY-SAR’s Mitzvah Corps project that takes place over Memorial Day Weekend at URJ Camp Coleman! STRsky: The beloved NFTY-STR mascot. STRsky is a friendly, white Bengal tiger that came from India to Florida because he just really, really, really loves Judaism and NFTY-STR!
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Board Member 1st / Position 2nd
You are a TYG board member before you are your position Although you were just elected into the best network of all time (if I do say so myself), you
were also just elected to be a board member.
Each board member is… 1. A programmer---the PVP is simply the point-person in regards to programming. It
is the responsibility and the duty of every board member to lead your TYG in comprehensive, engaging , exciting programming. Why? Every single member of your board has a unique way of thinking and leadership style. In order to present a diverse array of programs to your TYG, it is imperative that everyone gets the change to program. Also, every board member writing and leading programs makes for an excellent board dynamic. It is a more efficient process because more than one program can be worked on at once!
2. A do-gooder---The Torah commands Jews, not SAVP’s, to pursue social justice.
Tikkun Olam is not a value exclusive to the SAVP’s. Your board needs to be a unified entity in regard to social action. The more leaders you have promoting service, the more powerful your message is.
3. An active and knowledgeable Jew---We are not part of any ole’ youth group, we
are part of a Jewish youth group. Having fun and mindless programs are indeed important to your TYG, but it is important to tie your programming back to Jewish values. The more you know about your religion, culture, and your people, the more elements of Judaism you are able to incorporate.
4. A communicator---Everyone needs to be promoting your TYG’s events! You are
way more likely to reach out to a larger audience this way! You also need to be communicating with the rest of your board to ensure that everyone is aware about what the course of action is.
5. An MVP---It is so immensely important that each board member is reaching out
and forming personal relationships with members. No one likes to hear about events from the same person every single time. It is in each board member’s interest to have more members because, as leaders, it is important that we also have followers.
6. A team player---Be a reliable, accountable resource to your fellow board members!
7. A participant---A good board member knows when to lead and when to follow.
Even before you are a board member, you are a TYG participant.
8. Flexible---It is near impossible that events will ever go exactly as planned. We must learn to roll with the punches and be proactive in finding solutions!
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Network Goals
In order to maximize our potential as a network, we must set goals for ourselves. What do we wish to accomplish throughout our terms? Goals motivate us to work
as hard as we can, and they give us a sense of ambition and drive. We should should have a vision of what it is that we hope to achieve by the end of our terms.
1. Bring hands-on social action programming to our communities:
How: Follow up educational components of programming with a community service component in which participants act on the issue they just learned about. At least 1 social action event per school quarter.
2. Become more involved in temple-wide social action: How: Create a Mitzvah Day at your temple/have your TYG play an active role in it, plan a Mitzvah Mall for the Sunday School, join/create your temple’s Tikkun Olam Committee, lead a Tikkun Olam service with your TYG, etc.
3. Make North American Social Action Initiatives relevant on a local level: How: Write at least one program/have at least one service event that makes a North American movement priority pertinent on a local level.
4. Reflect the interests of our members:
How: Survey members to determine their passions passions and interests each semester. Even let passion members take the lead on a social action program.
5. Engage in subregional social action:
How: Collaborate with nearby TYG’s to plan an event together.
6. Partake in the system of friendly intraregional competitions: How: Conduct TYG fundraisers as soon as the Kallot Tzedakah items are released, as well as conduct fundraisers for Camp Jenny.
7. Maintain a strong, ambitious, honest, collaborative SAVP Network:
How: Weekly Facebook posts; Monthly emails; frequent 1-on-1 calls/texts/video.We will acknowledge the issues we face in order to devise solutions for them.
8. Have best social action that NFTY has ever seen:
How: Complete Network Goals 1-7, create new network goals throughout this year, and be unrelentlessly ambitious.
My promise to you: I promise to be non-stop when it comes to achieving my goals. I promise to be non-stop when it comes to helping you achieve your goals. I promise
to be non-stop when it comes to achieving our goals.
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5 A’s of Social Action
Awareness Awareness refers to the education component of a social action program or project. Without educating your community about the topic of discussion, social action will never be engaging. People will unite behind a cause they feel passionate about, something they can get excited for. If you are raising awareness about a topic that could be perceived to be a political issue (i.e gun violence prevention, minimum wage, etc.), try to present a holistic, well-rounded perspective on the issue to prevent one-sidedness. Remember: We want to teach people how to think, not what to think. That being said, do not feel as if you cannot take definitive stance on an issue (actually, please do), but just acknowledge that more than one opinion exists. When raising awareness about an issue, do not just make reference to the bigger picture. Pinpoint specific flaws or details that cause the overall issue. Also, education does not connote lecture!!! Assessment This stage is where you should be thinking to yourself, “What issues or challenges exist within my local community? my state? my country? my world?” As a TYG SAVP, you should primarily be focusing on promoting service or correcting injustices in your own unique communities. Make connections between large-scale issues and their influence on your city. People are more likely to feel passionate about topics that they feel directly benefit them. How much time will it take to effectively educate my TYG? How much time is needed to engage in an exciting, comprehensive, action component? Should we educate and act during the same program or have a 2-part program? Take these questions into consideration while writing your program.
Action This is the stage when we make hands-on change within our community!!! Taking action results in direct change. You are highly encouraged to take action on the causes you educate on! If you educate your TYG on environmental awareness, follow up that with planting trees at your temple, for example. If you educate your temple about homelessness, schedule a time to feed people experiencing homelessness at a local shelter. Action is engaging! Education without action is an opportunity missed. Alliance What’s gonna work? TEAMWORK. Similar to NFTY-STR’s newly formed relationship with UCF Hillel, form partnerships with local organizations. Just because you acted once on an issue doesn’t mean you can’t act twice...or thrice...or MORE! Develop relationships with local organizations and show everyone how stellar your TYG is! You are part of a youth movement---plan subregional social action events! The more the merrier! Advocacy Your responsibilities as a Social Action Vice President do not stop when you leave your youth lounge. We are commanded to repair the world, not just our TYG. Always stand up for what you believe in in every aspect of life. Advocacy includes interacting with our local governments and trying to bring about change outside of NFTY. 7
Inverted Pyramid Method of S.A
There are three different levels of our youth movement:
1. North American level (NFTY) 2. Regional level (NFTY-STR) 3. Local level (TYG and Congregation)
NFTY has North American Action Initiatives i.e Gun Violence Prevention. However, the culture of one region is so completely different from the culture of another region---GVP has an entirely different connotation in Texas than it does in Florida. Even within Florida there is so much diversity---Tampa is so extremely different than Miami. Due to the sheer diversity of our nation and our state, issues are best tackled on a local level. On a local level, we can address North American issues and state issues based on how they actually pertain to us.
Also, if you are addressing a seemingly political issue in a social action program, that issue only becomes more difficult to address the higher you move the Inverted Pyramid of Social Action. Petitioning your local government is more likely to result in change than petitioning the federal government is. Does the Inverted Pyramid Method of Social Action contradict the value of Tikkun Olam?
No, not at all! In order to repair our world, we need to repair our countries. In order to repair our countries, we need to repair our states, provinces, etc. In order to repair our states, we need to repair our districts. In order to repair our districts, we need to repair our cities. Essentially, the city is the foundation of...everything.
Repair your communities and you repair the world.
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Inverted Pyramid Method: Local
The Various Forms of Social Action
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Effective Programming
Education/Awareness Education and raising awareness is imperative to any form of social action programming. Let’s examine education/awareness programming as a form of social action programming that is separate and distinct from experiential (interactive) style of programming. A program can be written in which you simply educate from a very objective point of view. Pros: Presents issues in a straightforward, factual manner. This kind of programming is beneficial in the sense that it prevents miscommunication as to what the true nature of the issue is. Cons: A strictly objective style of education is not very engaging for your participants. Sitting down on the floor listening to someone speak for an extended period of time can cause boredom. Experiential Experiential programming is a style of programming that educates/raises awareness in a way that the participants get a glimpse of what it is like to experience a specific issue firsthand. In other words, experiential programming places participants in a simulation. Pros: Presents issues in a more relatable, more engaging, and a more interactive manner. Programs that involve physical movement, rather than sitting on the floor, is a better way to captivate your participants’ attention. Cons: Some miscommunication as to the true nature of the issue. Can sometimes be construed as insensitive.
Both of these styles accomplish the same goal, just through different means.
The Best of Both Worlds Let’s notice an interesting occurrence: The pros of educational programming are the cons of experiential programming, and the pros of experiential programming are the cons of educational programming. The major #keytosuccess for a both comprehensive and engaging program is to incorporate elements from both educational and experiential programming. Your programs can contain activity-based and discussion-based elements. In order to maximize the program’s potential and effectiveness, you may want to treat the activity section as an experiential program, and clarify the specific details and facts during the discussion section of the activity. Activism An “activist” program is an increasingly governmental approach of social action. Activism is a style of social action programming in which participants are advocates for change. This can include petitioning the government, lobbying government officials, or writing letters/calling government officials. Since we are tackling issues on the local level, you are encouraged to petition your local government, lobby local government officials, or write letters/call your local government officials. Activism does not even need to be “conducted” via programming to be effective. Being an advocate is a special title that you acquire by standing up for your beliefs in all settings of life. Also, social action programs do not need to be centered entirely around activism. “Activist” elements can be incorporated into a larger program as a way to take action on a cause.
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Effective Programming
Community Service Community service can be incorporated into a social action program OR performed independently. That is why there is a dotted line connecting from programming to community service. This section will only focus on community service that is incorporated into a social action program. Hands-on social action programming will be one of your #besties this year! Let’s show NFTY-STR that not only can we talk the talk, but we can also walk the walk. Hands-on social action programming is pretty great for a number of reasons:
1. Raising awareness is only ⅕of effective social action (5 A’s of Social Action!!!), and it is crucial that we take direct action. Direct action results in direct change!
2. Excitement, Engagement, Empowerment (oh my)! Let’s be blunt for a second...participating only in awareness programming time after time is not exactly the most fun thing to do in the world. Hands-on action is an alternative that allows participants to unite behind a cause and put all of the knowledge they have acquired to good use. This style of programming validates that the participants educating themselves about a certain topic was worth something!
3. By incorporating community service into a program that you have written (as opposed to going to a charity to perform service), you, as an SAVP, are given more ownership regarding how the hands-on service is conducted. You have for freedom and creativity as to what you do and how you do it.
Education Action As important as hands-on social action programing is, it is important to find the
proper balance between education and action. We don’t want participants to feel like they are being put to work every time they attend one of your programs. It is important to have the skill to determine when an issue has run its course. We should make sure not to be educating or acting on a single issue too many times because it might seem repetitive and cause participants to lose interest. There are a plethora of issues that we can act on, and we need to make sure that we are not spending too much time on only one.
How much time is too much time? That question is not for me to determine; that question is for your participants to determine. It is of the utmost importance to reflect our participants’ interests and passions. If your participants are particularly passionate about a hot topic, follow through and create another program about it. If no spark of passion is ignited after a certain social action program, then you might not necessarily want to program on this topic again unless you feel that it is too important of a topic to disregard. Ask your TYG Advisor and fellow board members for their opinions on whether or not they feel that it’s okay to disregard a certain issue.
It may seem as though that, for some areas of social action, it is simply not possible to take direct action on it. Maybe you think that raising awareness is the only option you have? Well, there are ways in which you can actively raise awareness (i.e. Human trafficking red sand project by BIFTY).
I challenge you to think of a way that you can take direct action on these topics. Make the impossible possible. You’re an SAVP. You can do anything with the right amount of
drive, hard work and vision.
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Effective Programming
Now that you know the different stages of social action and the various forms it can take, let’s look at the various steps we should be taking when the time comes to bring our
thoughts to life and put pen to paper!
Steps to Social Action Programming
These are helpful questions to ask yourselves as you create a program from start to finish! These steps may differ depending on the dynamic of your TYG, but this is the general outline of the program writing process. Try to reach the point where all of your answers to the above questions are “yes.” Once you reach this point, you’re golden! I encourage you to visibly look at this chart as you create a program until this entire process essentially natural and routine. If you need help developing a program, if you need another resource to bounce ideas off of, if you’re so excited about your program that you just need to share it with someone, then please feel free to not only utilize me as a resource but also to utilize your SAVP Network as a resource!!!
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Effective Service
This section focuses on events that our centered entirely around community service! Community service can be performed in a multitude of ways:
1. Religious On-Site This is the social action that is directly related to Judaism (in the sense that it is temple-sponsored social action or because it benefits Jews and/or a Jewish organization) that occurs on your temple campus. i.e. Temple beautification
2. Religious Off-Site This is social action that is directly related to Judaism that does not occur on your temple campus. i.e. Mitzvah Day trip to a local food bank
3. Secular On-Site This is social action that is indirectly related Judaism that is performed on your temple campus. i.e. Camp Jenny fundraiser
4. Secular Off-Site This is social action is indirectly related to Judaism that does not occur on your temple campus. i.e. Relay for Life
Local social action is NOT limited to the TYG
It’s time we take advantage of one of our most important outlets for social action that commonly gets overlooked: our temples! It is imperative that the youth have an integral role in temple affairs. Why? We know what’s intrigues our peers! The truth of the matter is is that NFTY is not for everyone. However, we are too ingenuitive to let our peers remain unengaged. That is why we must also focus our efforts on engaging our fellow Jewish teens in temple-wide social action! Let’s take this a step even further though! Let’s not only focus on engaging teens in temple-wide social action, but let’s focus on engaging all congregants in temple-wide social action! It is so important to have a unified front of Jews of all ages that actively work to make their communities a better place! Let’s show not only our TYG, not only our temple, but our entire community just how much of an impact we can make! Here’s how:
1. Create a Mitzvah Day at your temple/have your TYG play an active role in it Mitzvah Day: A unified day of social action in which congregants of all ages join
together to better one’s community.
2. Plan a Mitzvah Mall for your temple’s Sunday School Mitzvah Mall: A day in which the tzedakah that the Sunday School students haveraised gets divided up among them evenly so that they learn about severalcharities and choose as to where they donate the money they’ve raised.
3. Join/create the Tikkun Olam Committee at your temple
4. Lead a Tikkun Olam service with your TYG for your congregation
5. Be engaged in the already existing forms of social action at your temple
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Fundraising
Fundraising is a very important aspect of social action! It can either occur by raising money for an organization or by raising tangible goods for an organization.
Camp Jenny Fundraisers
Camp Jenny cannot and will not occur if the necessary funds are not raised. Each of us must play our part in helping to continue this amazing experience! I encourage you all to brainstorm with your TYG board so you can all lead a Camp Jenny fundraiser this year not only for your TYG but for your entire temple. Assign delegated tasks to each board member and create a schedule for when each task should be completed by. Make sure to involve all components (Day school, Sunday School, Hebrew School, general congregants, etc) of your temple in the CJ fundraiser. Apart from conducting an official fundraiser for Camp Jenny, we should also encourage our TYG to bring gift cards for CJ to NFTY-STR kallot!
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Fundraising
Written by: 2012-2013 NFTY-STR Social Action Vice President Natalie Barman. Adapted by: 2016-2017 NFTY-STR Social Action Vice President Robert Feder.
Date Dear Mr./Ms. ________, Begin by saying who you are, the position, and what organization you represent. Make sure to spell out the name of your TYG before using the acronym.
State what your TYG is doing (event, etc.) and why (what the cause/organization is). Write the date or dates of the project. If there is an actual event involved, invite the person to it.
Include some details about the project in the next paragraph. Keep it brief, but make sure the reader is able to gain a better sense of what the project is.
State the goal of the fundraising project. Tell the reader that every donation helps and then ask for their support. Make the reader aware of what it is you are what it is you are asking them to consider donating i.e. money, food, supplies, etc.
Thank the reader in advance. Tell them if they have any questions about the project to feel free to call you. Provide a phone number!
Sincerely, (Signature) Your Name TYG Social Action Vice President 2016-2017
This email can serve as a template for respectfully requesting donations from a person and/or organization. Personalize this template so it is relevant to you and your project, and then show it to your TYG Advisor before sending it out to the actual recipient.
Our fundraising emails cannot be sent out without reviewal from your TYG Advisor. If you need clarification as to whether or not this fundraising email is acceptable under your temple’s fundraising policy, then your TYG Advisor will contact the adult temple leadership to work out any logistical components of this fundraising email. This may seem like a complex process for simply sending out a fundraiser email, but it is of the utmost important to respect and act in accordance with the fundraising policies of your temple. Also, make sure to follow-up with the recipient, and thank them regardless of what their answer is. Remember who you represent when you press that send button!
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Inverted Pyramid Method: Regional
The regional level of the Inverted Pyramid Method of Social Action chart entails social action that occurs on a subregional level and at kallot.
Subregional Social Action: Subregional social action is a prime example where partnerships and social action join together. Subregional social action comes to life when a TYG collaborates with multiple TYGs, temples, organizations, etc. within the larger community (typically county-wide) to engage in Tikkun Olam and/or advocacy work. If/when you do plan a collaborative social action event, make sure all partners in the equation are equals! This level of social action is highly effective because:
1. We can engage in a cause that is still pertinent on a local level, but by unifying more people for an event, we can make an even larger impact and empower even more people to make a difference!
2. Forming partnerships with adults helps to strengthen our movement!
3. All forms of subregional events are a fun way to keep NFTYites interested
and/or committed to NFTY at times other than the kallot. By planning collaborative events with other TYGs, temples, organizations, etc. on a city/county level, we provide more opportunities for Jewish teens to see their friends that they might not see as often. Every board member is an MVP, and although we hold the position of the Social Action Vice President, we should be recognizing the benefits of subregional social action events in regard to membership, engagement, and retention.
Regional Social Action: Throughout the year, we will develop a strong partnership while pursuing our mission to repair our world. I will be working non-stop in helping you to achieve your goals, and a lot of our communication will be electronically. Regional kallot are the perfect opportunities for the NFTY-STR SAVP Network to all come together, face-to-face, and engage in social action as an entire entity. I aim to utilize our network as a resource not only when helping to lead social action programs at kallot, but also as a resource during the program-writing process. I aim to have a social action component at each kallah this year, but I need your help! One of the most amazing things about our region is that the majority of our events are hosted by TYGs, thus proving so many more opportunities for STRites to develop our leadership skills and put our already existing leadership skills to good use! You have the power to determine the course of social action on a regional level this year! If your TYG is indeed hosting a kallah this year or in future years, please feel free to emphasize to your TYG board the importance of having a social action component to the event that you’re planning!
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Inverted Pyramid Method: North American
The North American level of the Inverted Pyramid Method of Social Action chart entails social action that occurs on a multiregional or North American level.
North American Social Action: When social action is brought to the North American level, it is typically being fostered by the Union for Reform Judaism. Social action can occur at North American NFTY events (NFTY Convention & NFTY Veida), but there are currently no existing North American NFTY events that focus solely on social action. Do not panic though, you social action superstars!!! There are some truly amazing experiences that are absolutely worth doing! L’Taken The Religious Action Center is the Reform Movement’s outlet for social action in Washington D.C. Although not all of us have the ability to vote, we still have the ability to make a difference. No one understands the truth of this statement better than the RAC does. The RAC plans the Bernard and Audre Rapoport L’Taken Social Justice Seminar which empowers and enables over 2,000 passionate teens a year to actively strive for better America. Throughout the weekend, you will have the opportunity to learn about various political, economic, and social issues that range from climate change to pay equality to LGBTQIA+ rights. After you become informed on a topic that you’re passionate about, you have the amazing opportunity to present those issues to the people who have the power to ensure that your passions are reflected in our federal government: your very own Representatives and Senators! You also have the chance to experience a beautiful event like none other: Havdallah at the Jefferson Memorial! If your congregation does not already participate in the L’Taken program you may be able to be part of another temple’s delegation, but take advantage of this shot to create a L’Taken program at your temple. Having a L’Taken trip as part of your Confirmation Class establishes a sense of consistency at your temple, which will allow you to more effectively send people on this wonderful trip. By making L’Taken a “class trip,” you are building up excitement in younger generations that will encourage them to remain active in Judaism so they can one day attend the trip themselves.
URJ Mitzvah Corps This program is the ultimate connection between Judaism, hands-on social action, global-mindedness, travel, and community! In this program, you are able to enact direct change in local communities located in the Deep South, New Orleans, New Jersey, the Pacific Northwest, SoCal, D.C, URJ Kutz Camp, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Israel!
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Camp Jenny
Camp Jenny is the Mitzvah Corps project of NFTY-STR and NFTY-SAR (Southern Area Region) that occurs each year over Memorial Day weekend at URJ Camp Coleman!
NFTYites across both regions apply to be a staff member for underprivileged students from F.L. Stanton Elementary School located in inner-city Atlanta, Georgia!
Camp Jenny is the ultimate reward for our campers being committed to their education! Students earn their way to Camp Jenny by acting accordingly with the CAMP acronym: Come to school; Awesome attitude; Make an effort; and Parent participation. Not only do our campers have to put in the effort to get to Camp Jenny, but so do we! When applications for #CJ17 are posted on the Camp Jenny Facebook page and website in the Fall, you have the opportunity to apply for one of the most life-changing weekends you will ever get to experience! Ninth graders can apply to be a Counselor-in-Training, 10th-12th graders can apply to be a Specialist or Counselor, and 11th-12th graders can apply to be a Senior Counselor or Unit Head. The application process differs slightly depending on what position you apply for, but each position contains two main components: questions and a card.
Right when our students’ school year ends, camp begins! They get to experience exciting activities like ziplining, rock wall climbing, water play, and being spoiled by the staff! Kindergartners and 1st graders will be in the Juniors Unit, 2nd and 3rd graders will be in the Tweens Unit, and 4th and 5th graders will be in the Pios Unit. Our campers can count on having 3 warm meals a day and a safe environment to have fun in! Both campers and staff leave Camp Jenny with life-changing experiences, beautiful friendships, dreams and aspirations, and the determination to earn their way to Camp Jenny again! Camp Jenny 2017 will be a momentous milestone in NFTY-STR and NFTY-SAR’s history! Why? Camp Jenny is turning 30 years old!!! WOWZA. Camp Jenny was born in the spring of 1988 to commemorate the memory of Jenny Rosenthal by spreading her love of summer camp to children who would otherwise never be able to experience it. Thirty years later, Camp Jenny has grown from 40 campers to about 150 campers! As mentioned earlier, Camp Jenny cannot and will not happen if the necessary funds are not raised. The world is a better place with Camp Jenny in it, and that is why we must play our part in helping to ensure that it continues to grow for another 30 years! What can you do to help?
● Plan a Camp Jenny fundraiser! ● Encourage your TYG members to apply! ● Apply to Camp Jenny yourself!
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Resources
Rain or shine, there are always multiple people you can rely on throughout your term to help you reach greatness. Those who recognize the importance of utilizing their resources and the value of collaborating with them are those who rise above and beyond! People
● TYG Board: Bounce ideas off of your fellow board members during the brainstorming process and/or collaborate with your fellow board members to write a program. You can best thrive as an SAVP by utilizing your board members’ strengths (writing a social action service with your RCVP, promoting social events/causes with your CVP, etc.).
● TYG Advisor: Your Advisor’s goal is to help you achieve your goals!
● Temple Clergy: Excellent resources when looking to find the connections
between social action and Judaism!
● Temple Board/Adult Leadership: The key to bringing social action to temple level!
● Regional Advisor: Julie Marsh is a NFTY-STR expert. She wrote the book on
how to create a successful, flourishing youth movement!
● SAVP Network: You have an entire group of people who are in the exact same position of you and share a lot of the same experiences as you do. We learn the most valuable lessons from our peers!
● Regional SAVP: Howdy folks! No one wants to see you succeed more than I
do! I’m your #1 fan, and you can count on me being in your corner! Why? Well because when you succeed, NFTY-STR succeeds! I can’t wait for our friendship and partnership to grow!
Websites
● URJ (urj.org) ● NFTY (nfty.org) ● NFTY-STR (nfty.org/str) ● Camp Jenny (nfty.org/campjenny) ● RAC (rac.org) ● NFTY: Social Action (http://www.nfty.org/resources/socialaction/) ● NFTY: Social Action Program Bank
(http://www.nfty.org/resources/programbank/socialaction/) ● We the People (https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petitions)
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Various Causes
Now that you’ve learned how to be the best board member and SAVP possible, here are some causes that you can program on:
● Civil Rights (LGBTQIA+ Rights, Immigration, Racial Equality)
● Economic Justice (Hunger, Housing & Homeless, Poverty, Living Wage)
● Environmental Awareness (Climate Change and Energy)
● Gender Equality (Reproductive Rights, Violence against Women, Pay Equality, Trans and Non-Binary Rights)
● Gun Violence Prevention
● International Issues (Global Poverty, Israel, Genocide and Conflict)
● Public Health (Mental Health, Reproductive Health, Organ Donation, Cancer
Awareness)
● Religious Liberty (Creationism, School Prayer, Anti-Semitism) You should be picking a social justice issue that interests you and be devising ways to take direct action on it! For example, if you wish to combat hunger then organize a food drive; if you wish to combat climate change then organize a recycling program at your temple or plant trees on campus, etc. If you’re passionate about one or more of these issues, write programs about them! If you would like NFTY-STR to take a stronger stance on one of these issues, write a resolution for Asefah that would strongly encourage the region to take action on a specific issue.
Why are these social issues important to us as Jews?
● Deuteronomy 16:20
“Justice, Justice you shall pursue.” צדק צדק תרדוף
● Leviticus 19:16 “Do not stand idly by while your neighbor’s blood is shed.”
● Deuteronomy 20:19
“When you besiege a town...: You are not to bring ruin on its trees, by swinging an ax against them, for from them you eat, them you are not to cut-down."
● Mishna, Ethics, 2:21
"It is not upon you to finish the work, but you are not free to ignore it." 20
