Applications will open on March 2, 2026!
Sign up to get notified when applications reopen, nominate a teen who may be interested, or read more about the application process:
Program Overview
Kumi Justice Retreats are a unique opportunity for Jewish teens (10th-12th graders) to interrupt racism, antisemitism, and other manifestations of oppression. This teen leadership experience imparts knowledge and skills for exploring justice and equity from a Jewish lens over the course of two in-person retreats and monthly community of practice zoom calls.
Kumi’s in-person retreats will focus on identity-building through two tracks: Jews of Color* Empowerment and Anti-Racist Allies. In keeping with racial justice best-practices, these two tracks will be learning together and separately over the course of the experience to provide intentional and targeted support of their learning.
*Jews of Color is an imperfect umbrella term that refers to Jewish people who also identify as people of color in an American race context, and we ask that only teens who identify as Jews of Color apply for this track.
Kumi: Foundation
October 9-12, 2026 outside of Chicago
Kumi: Foundation covers foundational knowledge and skills to better understand how to identify and combat different manifestations of oppression. Kumi teaches teens frameworks and tools to interrupt oppression through hands-on activities, discussions, and community-building with other Jewish teens from across the country. The program leverages community organizing and experiential education to create an environment where teens can explore their own identity and values, while learning about root causes of oppression in the world around us.
Kumi: Exploration
Spring 2027, Civil Rights locations across the US South
During Kumi: Exploration, participants will use the history and present of an American city to make real-world connections to the topics they learned in Kumi. Participants will spend time in experiential sessions like in Foundations, but also exploring a city, and meeting Jewish people doing justice work to start to imagine what their future will be!
Family Orientation & Virtual Community of Practice Sessions
Kumi Orientation & Community of Practice sessions prepare participants for the in-person retreats through skill-building (like tolerating disagreement and building affinity space) and offer participants a space to process and plan to implement their new skills and knowledge post-retreat.
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply for Kumi Justice Retreats if:
- You identify as Jewish — Kumi is open to teens of all (and no) denominations and affiliations
- You will be in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade in the 2026-27 school year
- You are concerned about racism and antisemitism and want to join others to make a difference
- You want to challenge yourself to learn and grow in a justice-minded Jewish community
- You can attend both in-person retreats:
- Foundation: October 9-12, 2026 outside of Chicago
- Exploration: Spring 2027 (exact date TBA) at Civil Rights sites across the US South
- You are committed to deepening your learning by attending Family Orientation and the virtual Community of Practice sessions.
Not eligible for this cohort? Sign up to be notified when our application opens for the next cohort.
Program Fee
The fee to participate in each Kumi Justice Retreat is $500, which includes:
- Valuable leadership and anti-oppression skill-building within a community of young Jews
- Room and board for a four-day, in-person retreat
- Local transportation to/from the retreat center
- Virtual community of practice sessions
Travel is not included. Financial assistance is available, including travel subsidies. Financial resources should not be a barrier to participation, and requests for stipends can be made upon acceptance and registration.
Funding Partners
The cost of a Kumi Justice Retreat is heavily subsidized by Moving Traditions and generous partners, in other words, much more than $500 per teen per retreat.
Kumi is made possible by support from the Shards of Light Foundation through the Isabel P. Dunst Philanthropic Fund,
a donor-advised fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.
Donate
Your gift to Moving Traditions helps Jewish youth discover who they are through the pursuit of personal wellbeing (shleimut), caring relationships (hesed), and a Jewish and feminist vision of equity and justice (tzedek).