Our goal with all the Youth Groups is to make young people feel good about being Jewish and feel comfortable and at home at our synagogue. It is our hope that these groups provide children and teens the opportunity to:
URJ Camps
Camp Harlam
Camp Harlam, in Kunkletown, Pennsylvania, is our regional URJ summer camp,
one of eight camps the Reform Movement sponsors. Camp Harlam has two
four-week sessions for campers from fourth grade through tenth grade. In
eleventh grade, campers go on a Camp Harlam NFTY in Israel program, and in
12th grade, students become CITs. Camp Harlam is a fully accredited sleep
away camp. In addition to the usual camp activities, Camp Harlam helps
provide a strong Jewish identity. (www.campharlam.org)
Kutz Leadership Academy
Every summer, hundreds of Jewish high school students from around the
country gather at the URJ Kutz Camp in Warwick, New York for the NFTY
Leadership Academy. They attend this program, which consists of two 3
1/2-week sessions, in order to gain skills they will need to be effective
leaders in their congregations, youth groups, and regions. Additionally,
Kutz Camp provides opportunities for Jewish study, personal growth, and fun
in a unique campus-like environment. Staff comes from all over the country.
Kutz provides an intense, fun-filled environment for teens. (www.kutz.urjcamps.org/)
Community Service for Teens
The Jewish Youth Philanthropy Institute™
offers innovative programs focused on philanthropy and community service for
8th-12th graders. Programs enable teens to become
active community leaders, empowered citizens and responsible
young adults while earning SSL hours! Register now
for our Northern Virginia programs while space is still available by
contacting Leah Siskin at
leah@jypi.org or (301) 348-7328. Programs start in January!
Israel for Teens
Israel Quest (IQ)
Israel Quest (Grades 7 – 11) offers interested teens who want to spend at
least a month in Israel after the tenth or eleventh grade an opportunity to
earn grants of $1250 if they meet the program’s requirements. There are more
than 50 approved trips to Israel including NFTY in Israel. The program is
sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Isreal Quest is
part of the Partnership for Jewish Living and
Learning.
NFTY in Israel
NFTY summer programs in Israel are 5-6 week adventures which combine travel
and learning while touring ancient and modern Israel. (www.nfty.org)
NFTY Eisendrath International Exchange (EIE)
EIE is a fully accredited high school semester in Israel offered both in the
Fall and Spring. This program includes immersion into the culture, history
and language of Israel as well as standard U.S. high school academic
courses. (www.nfty.org).
For information on the Israel programs contact: URJ Youth Division at
845-987-6300 or email
nftyis@warwick.net
