The Foundation is investing in what it calls the Shmira Initiative; so far, it’s spent $100,000 on the program. The goal is to “change camp culture on all levels, implementing a shift in staff programming, training, policy and enforcement around issues of gender, sex and power.”

Being a teenager can be tough. Just ask 13-year-old Hope. Fortunately, to cope with those feelings, Hope knows where to turn. Once a month, she heads to Adath Israel, which hosts a girls-only group called Rosh Hodesh.

The Covenant Foundation announced $1.6 million in new grants today, investing in Jewish organizations and initiatives with sweeping potential for the field of Jewish Education.

The groups provide a space for teens to talk and ask questions about identity and gender — all within a Jewish context. Much of the curriculum, for example, covers heroines from the Torah. The purpose of the organization is to adapt and “move” the tradition to make it more meaningful for the students.

If we do not want the world our teens inherit and shape to look like the world of today, then we must seize this opportunity to delve deeply into how we understand the relationship between sexuality and power.

For the fourth straight year, JUF’s Breakthrough Fund is funding leading-edge local programs and initiatives that meet local human needs, engage Chicagoans Jewishly, and strengthen Jewish communities in Israel.