Moving Traditions Acquires jGirls+ Magazine

A Strategic Partnership to Amplify Youth Engagement in Activism, Feminism, and Self-Expression

February 3, 2025 – Moving Traditions, a leading organization dedicated to engaging Jewish youth in meaningful experiences rooted in Jewish values, is excited to announce the acquisition of jGirls+ Magazine, an empowering online magazine and community for self-identifying Jewish girls and nonbinary youth. This strategic partnership brings together two dynamic organizations with a shared commitment to inspiring Jewish youth to explore their identities, speak out on social justice issues, and develop as leaders.

jGirls+ Magazine, known for its focus on feminism, activism, and self-expression, has served as a vital platform for Jewish teens to amplify their voices and connect with a supportive community. By joining forces with Moving Traditions, jGirls+ Magazine will expand its reach and impact, gaining new resources and opportunities to engage even more Jewish teens across the country. The application for jGirls+ Magazine teen editors and photographers is opening today.

Shuli Karkowsky, CEO of Moving Traditions, said: “We are thrilled to welcome jGirls+ Magazine into the Moving Traditions family. Their commitment to elevating the voices and experiences of Jewish girls and nonbinary teens aligns perfectly with our commitment to supporting Jewish youth wellbeing, fostering caring relationships, and empowering youth to change the world for the better. This partnership strengthens our shared goal of cultivating a new generation of Jewish feminist leaders.”

For twenty years, Moving Traditions has engaged 40,000+ Jewish youth, primarily by providing curriculum and transformative training to educators at more than 650 partner organizations, such as the B-Mitzvah Family Education Program; Kulam for Hebrew schools and camps; and Teen Groups (Rosh Hodesh, Shevet, and Tzelem). Six years ago, Moving Traditions launched the Meyer-Gottesman Kol Koleinu Teen Feminist Fellowship, a program that allowed our staff to work directly with teens who are positioned to start changing the world for the better. Two years ago, we added a second intensive program, Kumi, a leadership experience that prepares teens to interrupt racism, antisemitism, and other manifestations of oppression. jGirls+ Magazine joins Moving Traditions’ teen trips and fellowships as another opportunity for teens to raise their voices and build toward a world of deeper empathy, equity, and connection.

The strategic partnership is not only a good example of the feminist ideal of working together rather than separately toward a greater good – it also makes sound strategic sense. Moving Traditions remains dedicated to helping Jewish institutions such as synagogues, camps, and day schools provide teens with engaging Jewish education that gives them the tools they need to thrive. However, Moving Traditions is also committed to reaching teens who may have never found their home in Jewish institutional life. A high number of teens in all its teen trips and fellowship opportunities find their only Jewish home at Moving Traditions.   

Additionally, the integration of jGirls+ Magazine into Moving Traditions will allow both organizations to combine their expertise and resources, creating even more innovative ways for Jewish teens to engage with issues that matter most to them, from gender equity and activism to creative expression.

Elizabeth Mandel, Founder and Executive Director of jGirls+ Magazine, added, “I see this partnership as a feminist act, and an incredible opportunity to continue jGirls+’ mission while benefiting from Moving Traditions’ extensive network and proven programmatic success. Together, we can support even more teens in finding community, discovering their voices, and driving positive change in the world.”

With the acquisition effective on January 23, the organizations have been collaborating to ensure a smooth transition, integrate their programs, and expand their collective reach, with aims to provide even more Jewish teens with enriched opportunities to express their identities, amplify feminist ideas, and engage in activism through a Jewish lens in the years to come.

For more information about Moving Traditions, visit MovingTraditions.org. To learn more about jGirls+ Magazine, visit jGirlsMagazine.org.

ABOUT MOVING TRADITIONS

Moving Traditions is a national nonprofit that emboldens Jewish youth to thrive through the pursuit of personal wellbeing (shleimut), caring relationships (hesed), and a Jewish and feminist vision of equity and justice (tzedek). Our suite of programs includes Moving Traditions B-Mitzvah Family Education Program for preteens and parents; Teen Groups including Rosh Hodesh, Shevet, and Tzelem; Kulam curriculum for Hebrew High Schools; and teen leadership opportunities including the Meyer-Gottesman Kol Koleinu Teen Feminist Fellowship and Kumi. Through CultureShift, Moving Traditions trains professionals who work with Jewish teens at camp and elsewhere about how to navigate gender, healthy boundaries, and more. Since it was established in 2005, Moving Traditions has emboldened more than 40,000 preteens and teens by partnering with more than 650 Jewish institutions across North America. Learn more at www.movingtraditions.org.

ABOUT JGIRLS+ MAGAZINE

jGirls+ Magazine is an innovative, online community and magazine written by and for self-identifying Jewish girls, young women, and nonbinary teens ages 13-19 across all backgrounds. This platform enables teens to share their voices with the world and each other, and the space to hone communication skills, explore identities, talk across differences, and engage with a wide circle of peers on their own terms. jGirls+ creates long-term change and addresses underlying causes of inequity by boosting the capabilities, self-image, and status of young Jewish feminists. In this way, we cultivate the next generation of empowered, committed Jewish feminist community and institutional leaders. We are a community diverse in background, perspective, Jewish identification, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ability, and interests. Learn more at www.jgirlsmagazine.org.