Today, the challenges for Jewish youth are greater than ever–
together we are helping pre-teens and teens to navigate these challenges and to flourish.

Dear Moving Traditions Friends, Partners, and Supporters,

For 15 years, with your support, Moving Traditions has been addressing the joys and challenges of Jewish pre-teens and teens.

Today, the challenges for youth are greater than ever—and anxiety rates are spiking. From growing pressure on academic achievement, to the unrelenting 24/7 cycle of social media, to the frightening rise of hate speech and violence rooted in anti-Semitism, racism, and sexism, youth need our help.

Fortunately, we as parents, communal leaders, clergy, educators, and concerned adults are helping Jewish pre-teens and teens to navigate this terrain and to flourish.

Investing in Jewish Youth

Moving Traditions invests in the Jewish community, partnering with synagogues, JCCs, camps and other institutions to help pre-teens and teens grow and thrive. As described more fully inside, Moving Traditions:

Connects Jewish wisdom to social-emotional learning and contemporary understandings of gender and identity to help Jewish youth figure out who they are, develop a moral compass, and relate to others with compassion and respect.
Researches issues and creates resources imbued with our unique approach to help pre-teens, teens and their parents explore and make meaning of the issues they care about most.
Trains clergy, Jewish educators, and other adult mentors to facilitate open and honest conversations and transformative Jewish experiences.

Investing in Jewish Community

Our partner program fees cover only a small percentage of the cost of Moving Traditions’ highly regarded resources. To make them more affordable, we rely on individuals, federations, and foundations who share our vision to help us reach more Jewish youth, clergy and educators.

Thank you for continuing to invest with Moving Traditions in Jewish communities across the country. Together, we will ensure that Jewish youth flourish by helping them become connected to themselves, their peers, and Jewish life.

With gratitude,

Deborah Meyer, CEO
Hope Suttin, Chair

Building A Pathway to Flourishing Jewish Teens

Investing in Jewish Community

Training Adults to Mentor Youth

Prepare clergy, Jewish educators, camp leaders, and other adults at synagogues, JCCs, overnight camps, and other institutions to create safe, immersive spaces so pre-teens and teens can connect and flourish.

Camp Initiative

CultureShift

Prepare senior camp leaders to train counselors to prevent sexual harassment and assault and to promote a culture of safety, equity and respect at camp.

“Communicating boundaries is part of our job.”

New Model of Family Education

The Moving Traditions B’nai Mitzvah Program enables clergy and Jewish educators to help families navigate this life stage by addressing the joys and challenges of becoming and parenting a teen.

Framing b’nai mitzvah as ‘becoming a teen’
Fostering dialogue between parents and pre-teens
Addressing the social-emotional needs of 6th and 7th graders

Helping Jewish Teens Grow

Moving Traditions Teen Groups

Rosh Hodesh for teen girls
Shevet for teen boys
Tzelem for trans and nonbinary teens

We use Jewish teachings and a gender lens to help teens explore the issues they care about most—such as body image, social and academic pressure, and friendship, romance, and sexuality.

With new curricula, improved vetting and training of group leaders, and increased program fidelity by our partners, the results are stronger outcomes that help our teens flourish.

“I was able to think more about my identity as a Jewish person and as a feminist, and am now able to express my ideas.”

Kol Koleinu

Our national feminist fellowship for teens of all genders offered in partnership with NFTY, inspires participants to deepen knowledge, amplify their voices, exert leadership, and create tangible change.