When our Foundation began supporting BBYO more than a decade ago, my late husband, Charlie (z”l)—himself a BBYO alumnus—said, “We must invest smartly—and this is a smart investment.”
Why is it a smart investment? Because pluralistic organizations like BBYO offer a range of experiences and opportunities proven to engage and impact a diverse population of Jewish teens. This assertion is born out in several pieces of research, the most recent of which our Foundation commissioned to look at the impact BBYO is having on Jewish teens. (Read BBYO Impact Study: A Summary)
As I write in a recent op-ed in JTA, it is up to us to ensure that the organizations, experiences and programs best fit to work with teens have the resources they need to grow, expand and deepen their impact. It is up to us capitalize upon this extraordinary opportunity to insure an under-resourced investment guaranteed to yield high returns. (Read Upping the Ante: Why I am Doubling Down on the Teen Years)
In the article, I tell the story of a young woman named Jen Kraus Rosen, whose Jewish journey outside of her parents’ home began in eighth grade at a BBYO Shabbat dinner. I won’t repeat all of the details here, but I once had occasion to ask Jen what BBYO meant to her. She responded with this: “I always knew what it meant to have a Jewish home. But it wasn’t until BBYO came into my life that I knew what it meant to have a Jewish community.”
It is my hope that we will commit to giving all of our teens the gift of meaning, values and community inherent in Jewish tradition—and, in turn, we will strengthen our people with the richness and diversity these teens have to offer.
RELATED LINKS:
- Op-Ed: Upping the Ante: Why I Am Doubling Down on the Teen Years JTA
- The Importance of the Teen Years eJewishPhilanthropy
- BBYO Impact Study: Analysis of Surveys Conducted with Current BBYO Members, College-Age and Young Adult Alumni and Non-Alumni
- Camp Works: The Long-Term Impact of Jewish Overnight Camp (Foundation for Jewish Camp)
- Journey to Manhood: Key to Engaging Teenage Boys in Jewish Life (Moving Traditions)