Good morning.  Thank you to Steve Sacks, Rabbi Jacobs and all of you for inviting me to speak this morning.  It is my honor to address the board on behalf of NFTY.  My name is Evan Traylor; I am currently a freshman at the University of Kansas, studying Political Science and Jewish Studies, and I am honored to be serving as the President of NFTY for the 2012-2013 year.

Since the NFTY year began this past June, there have been numerous celebrations throughout the NFTY community. So far, we have seen hundreds of Temple Youth Group events and dozens of regional NFTY events.  We continue be proud of our ongoing work in providing engaging opportunities for Reform Jewish teens to learn about Judaism, work towards justice in the world, enhance leadership values, and create lasting friendships. Our partnership with Campaign for Youth Engagement has also helped us to expand the great things we are already doing.

Here are some specific celebrations from this NFTY year so far:

1. We continue to instill the value of Generational Leadership throughout our movement. Hundreds of Temple Youth Group Board members attended regional Leadership Training Institutes led by Regional Board members.  The URJ Kutz Camp trained close to 180 teens this summer during the Leadership Academy – with more than 60 teens participating in the TYG and Regional Board Leadership tracks.
2. NFTY held its first in a series of song leading training institutes. Thanks to a generous sponsorship by Dr. Arthur and Marilyn Lieber, NFTY was able to host the first cohort of 30 teens who spent the last weekend in August in an intensive songleader training program.  The next institute is scheduled for January in Seattle, Washington, with two more interested communities wanting to host next year.
3. Each year, the general leadership of NFTY chooses an Action Theme – a topic that the entire movement takes action on.  This year, the theme is “R’Fuat Hanefesh – Caring for the Soul: NFTY Addresses Mental Health”.  All 19 regions have devoted themselves to educating participants and others on supporting individuals who struggle with mental health issues as well as combating the unfortunate stigmas that are associated with mental illness. NFTYites are turning this education into action – many of our regions have made Public Service Announcements to dispel the myths that surround mental health issues.  Ask your local TYG about this – we want to bring this project as wide as possible.
4. NFTY has also spread its influence over social media, working to connect individual NFTYites to the North American level of our movement. With 4,558 “Likes” on our Facebook page, 2,749 followers on Twitter, and a consistent flow of articles on the NFTY Blog, NFTY hopes to continue this growth over social media

NFTY is actively pursuing many partnerships within the Reform Jewish community. This past October, we partnered with Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, the Religious Action Center, and the American Jewish Archives to offer the first in a series of Teen Study Weekends. During this event, teens from all over North America explored the difference between social justice and social action and their obligation to repairing the world.  HUC is hosting another Kallah in January, as well as in March.

Another growing partnership that we are proud of is the Coalition for Jewish Teens.  NFTY is actively partnering with BBYO, NCSY, USY and Young Judaea in order to create proactive collaboration.  This partnership also allowed us to have one of my favorite days at camp this summer -  In late July, we invited BBYO’s International Kallah (about 300 participants) to join us at the URJ Kutz Camp for a joint Maccabiah (color war) event. More than 500 young Jewish teens came together in fun and spirit to engage in some healthy competition, show some amazing ruach, and get soaking wet in the thunderstorms.  This event made me feel so proud to be a part of both the NFTY and greater Jewish teens communities.

In just 75 days, hundreds of Reform Jewish teens will descend upon Los Angeles for NFTY Convention 2013. While this is the 30^th anniversary of the modern NFTY Convention, there are many other reasons to celebrate this incredible event. The program team for NFTY Convention is working hard to strengthen the partnership between teens and adults by ensuring that a teen and an adult co-write and co-led every workshop. This NFTY Convention also promises enormous opportunities for NFTYites to expand their leadership skills and abilities through a number of different outlets. NFTYites will lead and participate in t’filah and musical opportunities, become inspired by phenomenal speakers, and challenge themselves by entering the NFTY Competitions. Following the theme of the event, Make Your Move, NFTYites will explore the skills needed to expand their influence and clout to become leaders in their communities.

I would now like to take some time and thank the WRJ for supporting NFTY Convention 2013 by providing funding for some of our incredible concerts, and for your generous donation towards Scholarships for Youth Impacted by Hurricane Sandy, ensuring that financial barriers will not keep displaced teens from their involvement in Reform Jewish events. And congratulations on nearly 100 years of great success!

On behalf of the more than7,000 NFTYites across the United States and Canada – thank you. To each and every one of you, thank you for all of the work that you do every day to provide guidance and partnership for this generation of Reform Jewish teens. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the year has planned for NFTY and the URJ!

By Ivy Cohen, Youth Director at Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont & Emanu-El

The last Biennial I attended was in 2007 in San Diego. I did not know what to expect of Biennial and could not imagine just what thousands of Reform Jews looked like. I didn’t know how many of my former camp counselors I would reunite with or what Jewish musical legends would share their talent with the community. I didn’t know what Shabbat would resemble or if it would be as powerful as Shabbat at NFTY convention. I didn’t know if Debbie Friedman z”l would remember meeting me while I was on NFTY in Israel. I had countless uncertainties.  On the bright side, I had a long flight from New York to daydream and imagine what Biennial would be like. Even so, upon arrival in San Diego, I was a scared out of my pants college freshman.  I was also the Religious and Cultural Vice President of NFTY. That Biennial changed my life. I witnessed the magnificence of Reform Jews in large numbers. I schmoozed and shook hands with the key leaders of our movement. I rode the elevator with Rabbi Yoffie. I led Havdallah along with my board for the whole Biennial, knees shaking and off-key, but it didn’t matter. I was on cloud nine. In that moment, I decided to pursue a career within the Reform Movement.

Yesterday, walking through the doors of the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center was somewhat of a daunting moment. I became filled with the same nervousness and excitement I used to feel before each NFTY event or opening day of camp.  For the first time my nervousness outweighed my excitement. I have been to my fair share of URJ events, some large some small, ranging from biennials and NFTY conventions to small committee meetings at the New York headquarters.  For the first time I am experiencing a URJ event simply as a participant. I am not in charge of creating impact, change or a meaningful experience for anyone but myself, as I select what workshops and sessions I want to attend.

As I approached the registration table I looked down at the vast quantity of ribbons available to tack on to credentials, a small token to show off varying degrees of involvement within the Reform Movement. I started sifting through the mess of ribbons And came across those that applied to me. I couldn’t decide whether to pick and choose, or take all that were applicable. I decided on the latter.  URJ Kutz Camp Alum, HUC-JIR Student, NFTY Alum, URJ Camp Alum- Eisner, and NFTY In Israel Alum all explain monumental milestones in my Jewish journey; however, there is one that I know explains a transformational and substantial experience in very few words: NFTY Board Alumni. I know at this biennial, this ribbon is worn by few, and the few who wear it are proud to do so.

I am moved by the Campaign for Youth Engagement more than I could do justice in words. I want more than anything for all Reform Jews to instill the values in their children that my parents found worthwhile. I believe if every child whose parents identified as Reform Jews got to experience even a week at a Reform Jewish summer camp, the world would be an entirely more beautiful place.  I cannot put a value in what my Day School education did to shape me as a Jew; however, I know that if my experience at Solomon Schechter was so incredible, a Reform Jewish High School would have been so beyond words. The University of Delaware provided me with a rich environment to become involved in many student organizations, some Jewish others  not.  Similar to every other phase of my life, most of my friends were Jewish, but they were different. My college friends were so far separated from their Judaism. Rosh Hashanah was nothing more than an excused absence from class and Yom Kippur was a day to go home and eat bagels.   The Jewish friends I made who are so utterly disconnected from their Judaism along with my already strong foundation solidified my plan to pursue not only my career but to further my learning. HUC-JIR’s Certificate in Education Specializing in Adolescents and Emerging Adults program has provided me with a forum and incredible network of people who are just as compassionate about the holy work of being a Jewish professional as I am.   As a Jewish youth worker, I believe firmly that every congregation should see the value and potential in having a full–time youth professional. Above all else, I am moved by the campaign because I fear the day is all too close where there will be no high-school senior interested in running for NFTY RCVP.

My days of “fame” as a teenage youth leader in the Reform Movement are now years in the past; however, I am more motivated than ever to provide the foundation for the youth of our movement to pursue their Jewish future. There will always be one too many extra curricular activities, and I am forever grateful that fifteen year old me decided I could cut out one of my varsity sports to fulfill the responsibility of youth group President. I only wish more teens would make the same decision. As a NFTY Board alumnus I am privileged to be a member of a distinguished group of individuals, each of whom during their monumental teenage years made the decision to choose youth group over something else. Our youth groups, camps, day and religious schools are worth the battle that our leaders have embarked us on. The road will not be short and free of bumps, but the day when we are touching the lives of all Reform Jewish youth is just on the other side. I am here today as a full- time youth professional, a proud senior staff member of a URJ summer camp and a NFTY board alumnus and I am determined to empower and shape the lives and identities of Jewish teens for many years to come. By 2020 I hope and know it is a real possibility that many teens will aspire to be Jewish leaders. By 2020 I know that instead of our movement continuing on this path of becoming obsolete, we will be able to reach our youth through creative programming and a wealth of opportunities. I know we are capable, and I know we will succeed.  This is my campaign.

We’re so excited to be on the ground at the URJ Biennial, the largest ever in history! This week is actually a return trip for NFTY to National Harbor, MD and the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center. We were here in 2009 for NFTY Convention 2011!

What do 216, 800, 1400, 541, 19 and 44 have in common?

They’re NFTY Leaders Assembly by the numbers!

• 216 NFTYites
• 124 Congregations
• Representation from 30 states and provinces, and 1 teen from Hong Kong!
• 44 NFTY Regional Board Members
• 19 NFTY Staff Members
• 154 TYG Board Members

URJ Biennial by the numbers:

• President Barack Obama will be the first sitting U.S. president to address a URJ Biennial convention.
• Over 10% of Biennial attendees are between 18 and 35 years old in addition to over 200 NFTY teens.
• Representatives from 541 congregations from 55 states and provinces.
• Over 800 volunteers
• Over 500 exhibitors at 170 booths
• More than 1,400 people registered for the Friday Visioning Session
• More than 4,000 people signed up for Shabbat Dinner, the largest Shabbat Dinner ever in the world
• This Biennial includes a mobile based website for the first time, as well as live streaming and our strongest social media presence ever including Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, YouTube and our brand new RJ blog
• An unprecedented line-up of speakers including the President of the United States, the U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader, the Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, the Director of the Jewish Agency and some of the most widely acclaimed Jewish musicians from North America and Israel
• The first time Biennial is under the same roof as the Women of Reform Judaism convention
• First time in 50 years to be back in Washington D.C.
• 50th anniversary of the RAC
• 50th anniversary of the NFTY-EIE High School in Israel
• Close to 100 Jewish Musicians and over 120 people in the choir
• All plenary sessions and forums will be available online for the first time

Liza (2nd in from the Right) and the Be'er Sheva Bunk at Greene Family Camp in 2005.

There is a large difference between my home address and where I feel truly at home. My home address is where you can find my personal possessions, my clothes, and my favorite pictures. However, where I feel ultimately at home is where you can find my heart. My home address might be on Bay State Road, in Boston, Massachusetts, but my home is the URJ Greene Family Camp in Bruceville, Texas.

Greene Family Camp provides a safe haven for campers to try absolutely anything and everything. I was never the adventurous type and stuck to the same activities and friends during my eight summers at GFC, until I was challenged in a totally new way. For seven summers, I was at camp for only my own personal benefit. I wanted to have fun and spend a three week period with my best friends. My eighth summer, my Avodah or counselor in training year, was now suddenly not only for me, but also for my campers. I was responsible for ensuring that 12 young girls felt the same way that I did; that even though they are sending letters back to their parents at their home address, they felt at home at camp.

Leadership is sometimes taken as a very flat definition with rigid and concrete examples: speaking in front of a group or delegating different tasks to coworkers. I might not have been doing conventional leadership work as an Avodah, but I learned a very important lesson: not everything is about you. To be a leader, you must be passionate about what you are doing, enjoying yourself, and occasionally reaping personal benefits. Yet, it doesn’t stop there. Leadership extends outside of your own personal bubble and into other people’s lives. Whether it is through my work with NFTY or I am “bringing my Lexus to Bruceville, Texas”, my efforts extend to the larger Jewish community.

These simple lessons make the largest impact. My most valuable leadership lessons were learned at our URJ camp nestled deep in the heart of Texas.

Liza Moskowitz is the NFTY North American Programming Vice President and a freshman at Boston University.  You can find her on twitter at @NFTYPVP and on Facebook.

Avra with her Machon Adventure Program cohorts in the Yurt in Camp Coleman's Machon Village, 2010.

I spent my first week of summer camp at Camp Coleman, located in Cleveland, GA, as a facbrat, or child of a faculty member, in the summer of 2000. During that week, I received my first bee sting and visited the Cabbage Patch Kids factory (a Cleveland landmark). That week was all I needed to convince me to go back as a camper the following summer, followed by another 7 amazing summers feeling that Coleman spirit.

Through Coleman, I have learned to songlead services, I visited Israel for the first time, I tie-dyed an entire wardrobe, and I spent a week living in the wilderness. I have embraced countless mentors and friends along the way while learning more about myself, my Judaism, and the world around me than in any classroom.

So what about my experience about Camp Coleman has helped prepare me for being NFTY SAVP? In one word: everything. In a more detailed answer, Coleman has offered me a continued exposure to new traditions and Jewish teachings. It has created a space for me to gain the confidence necessary to lead my peers. The people I met as a young child are now some of my closest friends, and they continue to provide the guidance and support I need to truly thrive in this challenging and exciting leadership role.

Thus, Coleman has instilled within me a profound sense of – in Judaic terms – l’dor vador (from generation to generation); in Twitter language, the ultimate hashtag of #generationalleadership. Those who served in leadership roles at camp when I was younger inspired me, shaped me, and led me to where I am today. Serving on the NFTY general board and now on the North American Board as a role model and mentor is the best way I can think of that I can begin to try giving back and being the same resource others were for me.

Avra Bossov is the NFTY North American Social Action Vice President and ad a freshman at George Washington University.  You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Eric Goode and Austin at Osrui in 2010

When I first arrived at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) in 2005, I was a homesick adolescent, forced to spend two weeks of my summer in a different state from my parents, who I was sure saw some sort of benefit from kicking me out of the house. Leaving OSRUI almost six summers later, I can look back and say that the time that I spent at OSRUI was incredibly beneficial to my development as a leader and as a thinker.

The Union for Reform Judaism’s camping system is one of the most meaningful and engaging opportunities offered to young adults and developing adolescents. Not only does it offer a fun summer of outdoor activities and meeting friends, it also provides an education in Judaic living that is the most valuable of its kind.

When I look around the room of my Jewish history class at Indiana University, I see former NFTY regional board members, BBYO officers, and USY leaders. What is most significant about this is that, of the NFTY alumni, almost every one is a by-product of their regional summer camp, and each are decidedly ahead of the curve when it comes to Judaic education, level of interest, and overall knowledge base about expertise variety of issues around our religion.

In terms of my own leadership, I learned an incredible deal from my camping experience. I learned how to be truly comfortable in front of groups, as I had opportunities to lead services, present ideas to the eidah (unit), and speak my mind confidently. It was at camp where I also learned what it means to live a religious life that is filled with excitement, fun, and meaning. Living a Jewish life was pivotal to the programming of camp, and also taught me that learning and experiencing Jewish values was not something boring or unnecessary, but rather imperative to the success of both my Movement and myself.

Camping is the vehicle for the URJ to reach young people when they are most capable of adapting to what they think is right. In this instance, camping also allows us to instill the values and morals associated with being a “good Jew,” and therefore it’s a reciprocal agreement. As campers gain the understanding and appreciation for living Jewish lives, the camping system is also creating their biggest group of advocates. An adult’s words can’t compare to the persuasive power of another young person encouraging their peers to engage in a URJ summer experience, and consequently strengthening the Reform Movement as a whole.

As an alumnus of OSRUI, as well as a member of the NFTY community, I cannot begin to overstate the value of my camp experience on my personal leadership path. I am comfortable in front of a group, I feel confident engaging in meaningful conversations, and I know I have something unique to contribute to our movement because of the experiences that I had at OSRUI. I cannot thank them enough for the life they have helped me to create, and I can’t wait to return as a staff or faculty member to pass on the gifts that I have received.

Austin Zoot is the NFTY North American Religious and Cultural Vice President and a freshman at Indiana University.  You can find him on twitter at @NFTYRCVP and on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NFTYRCVP

Joey Falk and Taylor as campers at URJ Kutz Camp

When I registered for my first summer at the URJ Kutz Camp in Warwick, NY, two years ago, I would have never imagined that today I would be serving as the North American Membership and Communications Vice President of the youth movement that changed my life.

But let’s rewind many years back when my parents enrolled me in a 10-day program, “Olim,” at the URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, MS. This was my first time at a sleep-away camp and my first Jewish summer experience – two things that were not familiar to me at all. What I didn’t know then was that a fellow camper from my cabin that summer in 2001 and I would later be housed together at my first NFTY event in 2007. We went on to become very close friends, and then serve on NFTY-Southern regional board together for two years. Although I only spent ten days at Jacobs Camp more than ten years ago, that experience was transformative in terms of my perspective on friendship and Jewish community. The simple fact that we remembered each other six years later became the foundation of our friendship. My experience showed me that once you enter the URJ Camping family, you will forever be a part of it. It’s just one more piece of the web of Jewish geography that we, the Jewish people, live in, and that I love.

My decision to go to Kutz for two consecutive summers and to be a participant in the Regional Board Leadership Track brought me to where I am today. I entered Kutz in 2009 as a self-conscious, hesitant, recently installed regional board member and I left as a confident, ready, and prepared leader for my region, my temple, and the broader community. I also met my best friends, people who I consider as close as family, and certain lifelong friends at Kutz.

Kutz is not an ordinary camp. Kutz is special because the teen participants are there because they want to be. They are there to acquire leadership skills while studying a specific interest, and they are surrounded by other teens who share the same passions. Everyone leaves Kutz as a leader. My experiences with both of my URJ camps were essential in helping me become the person I am, and the life and leadership choices I have made, and will continue to make on this sacred journey.

Taylor Lyles is the NFTY North American Membership and Communications Vice President and a freshman at the University of Miami. You can find her on Twitter at @NFTYMCVP and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NFTYMCVP.