Applications Now Open!
Know someone else who would be a great fit for Kumi? Nominate them today.
Next steps
- Scroll down to learn more about the Kumi Justice Retreats below.
- Preview the 26-27 Kumi Application Questions.
- Submit your application. Applications close June 30, 2026.
- Schedule an interview with Kumi staff.
We recognize that teens lead busy lives. Need a few extra days? Have questions?
Contact Kumi Justice Retreats Senior Manager, Rebecca Ezersky at rezersky@movingtraditions.org to request an extension.
Program Overview
Kumi Justice Retreats is a unique opportunity for Jewish teens (9th-12th graders) to interrupt racism, antisemitism, and build a community of belonging. 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.
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.
Kumi: Foundation
October 9-12, 2026 outside of Chicago
Kumi: Foundation introduces teens to core ideas and frameworks for understanding justice and equity through a Jewish lens, while reflecting on your identity in a supportive community in a beautiful camp setting. Teens explore what it means to build anti-racist Jewish spaces and practice having meaningful conversations across difference.
Kumi: Exploration
March 12-15, 2027 Atlanta
Kumi: Exploration brings together Foundation alumni to connect their learning to the real world by exploring justice in action. Teens must participate in Kumi Foundation to participate in Exploration. Each year, Kumi: Foundation alumni are invited to return for a new Kumi: Exploration experience. Because the program travels to a different city each year, teens can continue deepening their understanding of justice, equity, and Jewish community through new places, perspectives, and lived experiences.
This year, Kumi: Exploration will take place in Atlanta and will include visits to museums and historic racial justice sites, conversations with organizers and community leaders, opportunities to reflect on Judaism and social change, and time to explore the city together.
Kumi Justice Retreat Key Dates
Please put these dates in your calendar before applying!
| Event | Dates | Approximate Times |
| Application Deadline | Tuesday, June 30, 2026 | 11:59 PM |
| Family Orientation | Sunday, August 30 | 5-6:30pm PT/8-9:30pm ET |
| Community of Practice Session | Monday, September 7 | 5-6:30pm PT/8-9:30pm ET *Note: This takes place over Labor Day Weekend |
| Community of Practice Session | Sunday, October 4 | 5-6:30pm PT/8-9:30pm ET |
| Kumi: Foundation Participants in this retreat will learn the foundational knowledge for exploring racial justice and equity from a Jewish lens | Friday, Oct. 9- Monday, October 12 | In Person *Note: This takes place over Indigenous Peoples’ Day Weekend |
| Community of Practice Session | Sunday, November 15 | 5-6:30pm PT/8-9:30pm ET |
| Community of Practice Session | Sunday, February 28 | 5-6:30pm PT/8-9:30pm ET |
| Kumi: Exploration Participation in this retreat is only open to those who have completed Kumi: Foundation. | Friday, March 12- Monday, March 15 | In Person |
| Community of Practice Session | Date TBA | 5-6:30pm PT/8-9:30pm ET |
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.
Funding Partners
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