Fall represents a time of transition. For some, this means the annual stresses of shopping for back-to-school necessities and reverting back to a normal sleep schedule. For others, this means moving to a new city or town and starting a new phase of life.

Recently, I moved into my dorm at the University of Pennsylvania, where I embarked on a 4-day pre-orientation program known as PennArts. The immense talent level to be found in all of the participants floored me; here was a collection of the next great artists, technicians, actors, writers, instrumentalists, and visionaries.  It shouldn’t be a surprise to know that I was instantly reminded of many NFTYites. Last year, I saw so many brilliant examples of personal expression as part of the 2011-2012/5771-5772 Study Theme, “Im Ein Ani Li Mi Li: If I Am Not for Myself Who Will Be For Me? NFTY Studies the Power of Personal Expression”. The Reform Jewish youth of North America find Judaism not only in their synagogues, youth groups, and communities, but also in their canvases, their stages, and in their guitar strings.

Part of my position as Programming Vice President is to share the immense wealth of resources behind this year’s Study Theme, “Hashomer Achi Anochi: Am I My Brother’s Keeper? NFTY Studies our Responsibilities Toward Others” – a fabulous touchstone for so many talented NFTYites to expound upon in programming and beyond. But are we to simply move on from past themes in pursuit of the knowledge surrounding this year’s theme? Does our quest for increased personal expression end in favor of analyzing our responsibilities toward others?

Throughout the course of these past four days, I realized that the pianos, the scripts, the unbelievable paintings and self-portraits that were surrounding me… are disappearing from public high schools across the nation. Test scores and paychecks are what our education system values in this country. The arts are archaic and unnecessary and have no value to society. These are the opinions of the Politicos who seek to cut funding for arts education in public schools; they favor more “academic” subjects. But what they don’t realize is that, for so many people, the arts enhance our understanding of the world around us.

NFTY embraces this concept. TYG and Regional Events are arenas full of ways for participants to get involved in programming, social action, songleading, and much more. We value kehilah, community, and singing together as one whole. When someone posts a video from a NFTY-SW talent show, hordes of NFTY-withdrawaled people comment at how beautiful a piece of music or art was. We always talk about wanting to bring the NFTY experiences of love, friendship, and respect to our home communities. Why not fight for arts education in our public schools? Isn’t THIS our responsibility toward others, Jewish or otherwise?

When we embark on the journey of this year’s Study Theme, we are not to forget the steps we took to address the power of personal expression over the course of one incredible NFTY year. Find ways in your lives to combine the past and the present, all while working to build a better tomorrow… for you, your fellow NFTYites, and the worlds in which you live. Have a lovely transition.

Jordan Rodnizki is currently attending the University of Pennsylvania.  He is a Freshman, studying both Theater and English.  Jordan hails from Clearwater, Florida, and is an alum of NFTY STR. Follow Jordan on  Twitter and Facebook!

By Jordan Rodnizki, NFTY Programming Vice President

As Jews, the concept of caring for the welfare of others seems to be a given. We are encouraged to give tzedakah and stay aware of the global crises that pervade our world. But do we really have a responsibility toward others, unconditionally? Are we truly our “brother’s keeper”? What are the exceptions that are morally correct to make? Is it better to care more for local problems than more general global inequalities? How do we even start to understand our responsibilities?  Such questions bring about intriguing discussions and puzzling ethical ambiguities.  These discussions and questions are the essence of what NFTYites have elected to study across North America as part of our annual Study Theme: Hashomer Achi Anochi: Am I My Brother’s Keeper?  NFTY Studies Our Responsibilities Toward Others.

A study theme isn’t meant to tell you what “is”. It’s meant to make you grapple with viewpoints you’ve never seen before, and it’s meant to make you talk about the controversial taboos no one else will.

So let’s talk a little about responsibility.

At Mechina, the Regional Board training weekend held last month at the URJ Kutz Camp in Warwick, NY, I wanted to talk about the tough stuff: the issues that test the extent to which we want to – or feel obligated to – help others. We did a survey of the regional boards and asked them to respond to eight statements.  They responded on a scale from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”.

The statements posed were:

• I generally like Jewish people more than non-Jewish people.
• I am more willing to join Jewish social groups/fraternities/sororities/clubs than non-Jewish equivalents.
• I often don’t connect with the opinions and policies of other streams of Judaism.
• Building a strong relationship with other youth movements should be a priority for NFTY.
• I have more of a responsibility to feed a Jewish homeless person than a non-Jewish homeless person.
• I care more about the welfare of Israeli citizens than I do about the welfare of non-Jewish Americans.
• When we discuss the upcoming presidential election in NFTY, Israel must be an important part of a candidate’s platform.
• I feel NFTY spends too much time addressing issues in foreign countries and not enough time addressing issues in North America.

Time and time again, I was floored by the varied nature of the responses. NFTYites clearly hold different values sacred in different regions, and this is a beautiful thing. Is a TYG board member in NFTY-SoCal responsible for a program’s success in NFTY-GER if the region borrowed his or her resource? Is an advisor in NFTY-MV responsible for the behavior of a NFTY-OV participant at a North American event? The hazy gray nature of these situations leads to vague responses.

However, there is one thing we all can agree upon: our responsibilities to those whom we hold dear. As part of the Mechina program, we heard the Talmudic story of the lamedvavnikim. The lamedvavnikim are a group of 36 righteous individuals.  The story tells us that it is for the sake of these 36 individuals that the world is saved. Jewish tradition instructs us to treat everyone we meet as if they could be a lamedvavnik. Perhaps you are one yourself.

As we thought about this concept, each regional board received a chain of paper dolls. On the dolls faces we wrote the names of the people who truly make an impact at events… the model participant who helps out wherever she can, the adult volunteer who is always there to run out and buy extra program supplies, the advisor who really supports you when you need it the most. Regions took the time to choose names wisely and thoughtfully before connecting each chain to each other, creating a huge connected line of lamedvavnikim.

No matter our differences, NFTY will always come together to celebrate the love and devotion we have for those who have our backs. Write a thank you card. Tell that person you really appreciated their hard work. Give someone a hug.

This is our responsibility.

How would you have responded to the statements proposed in the Study Theme Program? Please join the conversation and share your answers in the comment box below.

By Jordan Rodnizki, NFTY North American Programming Vice-President

I love the movie Big Fish. Tim Burton often relies on a gothic style over true substance, and I’m usually not his biggest fan. But I think he hit the nail on the head with that particular film, an emotional ode to the power of a great story. NFTY loves the “Edward Blooms” in our movement: the wise, mystical programming experts who impart their expertise and childhood memories – of TYG events and summers spent at URJ Camps – on a legion of curious young Jewish minds. Regional Advisors, Youth Programs Managers, and adult volunteers provide us with the knowledge to become experts of our own: to discover our passions and explore the worlds of religion and culture, social action, and programming.

NFTY is certainly a youth movement, first and foremost. But I don’t know where we’d be without the adults that work behind the scenes. There are those who coordinate our travel equalizations and approve our event budgets (a shout-out to you, Abbye Fogel!). There are the teachers and life-mentors who explode with creative energy and simultaneously emanate with warmth, empathy, and support (hey, Rachel Mersky Woda!). And there are the advisors who become our second mothers and fathers – sometimes stern with always our best interests at heart, yet more often the stunning men and women who love us as their own children and buy us yummy snacks to eat at board meetings (don’t think you were getting off easy, Julie Marsh and Beth Avner!).

The North American Federation of Temple Youth has taught me everything I know. I will not remember high school as a monotonous series of calculus tests and anatomy textbooks. I will remember these years by the milestones in my Jewish journey. My sister, Danielle, practically dragged me to NFTY-STR’s 2008 Hatikvah Kallah. Shabbat shira, intellectually stimulating programming, and services that were beguiling rather than boring made me rethink my outlook on youth group. The relationships I made with my new friends and advisors solidified my desire to return for Fall Kallah my freshman year.

I am forever indebted to Danielle.

We often hear of the concept of a NFTY giant. These are the people who impact us to want to act. Some inspire us to run for Programming Vice President of our TYGs (and then at the regional and North American levels).  Some spark a deep-seated frustration within us for global divides and socioeconomic inequalities. Others are simply there for us to cry on their shoulders when the timetable doesn’t work out, when the touchstone text fails to work in context, when the program simply fails.

I would not be the Programming Vice President of the movement I love without the Abbyes, the Rachels, the Julies, the Beths, and the Danielles in my life, and I would not be sitting here typing this blog from a desk at a room we at the Kutz Camp ironically call “the Fishbowl”. I think Edward Bloom would approve.

This year will mark my final year in NFTY, and I hope to serve you with grace, dedication, and unending love for programming. I hope I make my NFTY giants proud. I find it only fitting to end this entry the only way I can: with the final line from one of my favorite movies.

As Will Bloom, Edward’s son said, “A man tells his stories so many times that he becomes the stories. They live on after him, and in that way he becomes immortal.” The story will live on after me. L’dor v’dor, from generation to generation.

Jeffrey Lewis, Evan Traylor, Liza Moskowitz, and Sammi Donchin after the Campaign for Youth Engagement Forum at the URJ Biennial in Washington D.C.

5…4…3…2…1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite nights of the entire year. I love watching the ball drop in Times Square, hearing the fireworks booming in the night sky, and wearing the crazy glasses and hats to ring in the New Year. It’s a time to look forward to a clean slate. We learn from the past year’s mistakes and will try to apply those lessons in the future. I love the new beginning and an opportunity to make a change to myself or the environment around me. Yet, something that stumps me every year is the daunting task of forming a New Year’s resolution.

There is a long line of mundane objectives that would be great if I achieved, but I want to make this year phenomenal and impactful for not only myself but also the people around me. For 2012, I want to challenge and push NFTY forward by looking at my personal past. My NFTY new year’s resolution is to reflect on my own experience and apply my thoughts to the last six months of my PVP term.

I believe that my NFTY experience can be broken down into three distinct pillars which I call the “3 ships”: ownership, relationships, and leadership.

Ownership – At the URJ Biennial, NFTY was at the forefront of the Campaign for Youth Engagement. This is our time to begin a strong dialogue between the adult leadership and us, the youth, about what engages us. NFTY is our youth movement and we should have a say in what direction the CYE and the Reform Movement goes in. Speak up and let’s get our unengaged peers engaged!

Relationships – If you ask any NFTYite why they keep coming back, the overwhelming response will be “to see my friends.” However, relationship building can’t stop at just your circle of close companions. I want to challenge everyone to expand the definition of relationship and become friends with new people. Everyone remembers being that lonely freshman. Go become friends with them! Don’t forget about your Jewish youth professionals. They are phenomenal individuals and resources. Get to know them during programs, free time, and on our favorite bus rides.

Leadership – For the next six months, I want to challenge all NFTYites to step up and take leadership positions within your regions. This doesn’t mean that you need to have a title on your regional or TYG board! Here are some ideas of how you can take leadership within your community:

1. Take initiative and write a program about the NFTY Study or Action Theme.

2. Attend your congregation’s Youth Committee Meeting and let them know about your TYG.

3. At a regional event, be a super star participant! Set an example for your friends.

Plus, empower others around you to be leaders as well. #Generationalleadership anyone?

I can’t believe that is 2012. NFTY has seen so many things in 2011 including NFTY Convention, NFTY Leaders Assembly at the URJ Biennial, and hundreds of fantastic regional events. Let’s make this year even better. How will you integrate the “ships” in your NFTY life? Will you take ownership of our youth movement? Empower others around you to be a leader and not a follower? Engage in meaningful conversations to form new relationships? It doesn’t matter how you do it but make NFTY an even stronger community in 2012. Happy New Year!

Liza Moskowitz is the NFTY North American Programming Vice President  and a freshman at Boston University.  You can see more pictures from her weekend on facebook at facebook.org/NFTYPVP and you can follow her on twitter at @NFTYPVP.

Last weekend, six leaders from across the NFTY world met in Boston for the first official summit meeting of the Coalition of Jewish Teen Leaders, an assembly that convened young leaders from NFTY, BBYO, and Young Judaea.  Jewish youth movements have a long history of working together to create great social change – including freeing Soviet Jews in the late 1980s and responding to the Haiti earthquake two years ago.  This gathering of these groups was the first time we have come together proactively – without an imminent crisis at hand.  It was designed to begin a conversation opening the door for Jewish action and voice from a unified front, featuring all of the youth groups for American, North American, and Global Jewish youth.

LAUREN FILLER, NFTY-NAR PRESIDENT:  Before arriving in Boston, I really didn’t know what would come of the CJTL weekend. But what I walked away with was so much greater then what I ever could have dreamt. I learned how NFTY, BBYO, and Young Judaea are so similar in some ways and yet so different in others. Each movement strives for many similar goals of Jewish youth engagement, such as Tikkun Olam, education, and Jewish study to name a few. But each organization has its own personality that makes it unique. For example NFTY is a Reform Jewish youth movement, whereas BBYO and Young Judaea are non- denominational and must accommodate all streams of Judaism during events. BBYO has chapters (regions) internationally, unlike NFTY, which is only with in North America. Learning about these differences gave me a greater appreciation of both the other groups as well as NFTY. I was amazed that by learning about others, I could reflect so much on my own Jewish experience.

In addition to learning about the groups and other teens there, the weekend showed me the potential of the Coalition for Jewish Teens. I have always known how incredible NFTY is, and what power we have as a youth movement. But I was shocked when I realized how strong a voice this coalition could have. Between just the three movements currently involved, we represent tens of thousands of teens. When we all come together there is no way our voice won’t be heard, whether it is about social justice, politics, or Israel. The movements within CJT have so much to learn about one another and we collectively have so much to offer the world!

JACOB GEORGINOW, NFTY-STR RCVP: What I am most excited about is getting the chance to enhance my knowledge of the other youth organizations.  The difference in what I knew before the weekend about BBYO and YJ and after the weekend is tremendous.  It is beautiful to have a full comprehension of how each organization operates.  This past weekend in Boston made me realize just how similar each of our movements really are, and that we all have the same common goals.  I hope that this CJTL community goes much farther than any of us could have hoped for at the meeting, and that it will have not only a North American impact, but a worldwide outreach.

EVAN KARSON, NFTY-NAR WFMVP: How did I feel spending the weekend rooming with three other boys from BBYO? Let’s just say I was ready for anything.

Going into the weekend summit of CJTL, I knew very little about the other youth movements in attendance – BBYO and Young Judaea. Sure, I knew the stereotypes that floated around at NFTY events, but never before that weekend had I really met someone from either youth group. And as I slid my room key into its electronic reader, I was trying to visualize what my hotel room was going to look like, inhabited by Mattison, Sam and Ryan. Greeted by warm smiles and friendly handshakes, I was instantly sold.

Of course, the meetings did what they were meant to do – I got to see the similarities between the different movements. And after tradition sharing, I saw how near our values and principles are to each other. But what brought me closest to the others were those late nights we shared in the room – where I got to see Mattison, Sam and Ryan. Not necessarily BBYO, just Mattison, Sam and Ryan.

No doubt, some of my most memorable experiences from NFTY have taken place in an overcrowded hotel room filled with guys. And the more crowded it was, the more fun we had. And as we dragged out the Boston evenings, I was surprised at how at home I felt with these three guys I had met 6 hours ago. We were from Nashville, Austin, Chicago and Westchester. how incredible it must have been to see us all cracking jokes and telling stories. Incredible indeed.

LIZA MOSKOWITZ, NFTY PVP: Throughout all of high school, I had friends that participated in both NFTY and BBYO. My BBYO friends always tried to explain the rituals and traditions of their chapters to me, but I never fully understood them because they felt so distant. I knew that we were both Jewish youth groups, but I didn’t know of any other similarities.

I was excited to hear that part of our weekend was dedicated to sharing a tradition from our own youth group. The BBYO leaders “initiated” us into their youth movement and gave all of us all pins. These pins are very significant to BBYO and the members receive them during special moments in their time as BBGers (girls) and Alephs (boys). This tradition reminded me of “NFTY beads” that some of the regions participate in. Just like the pins, the beads signify important memories and events to NFTYites.

I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to participate in the CJTL summit. I went into this meeting knowing more about the differences between NFTY and BBYO, rather than the similarities. We often use our differences to tear us apart, but the similarities such as the pins and the NFTY beads, actually bring us together. CJTL was an opportunity for us to use our unique traditions and communities to find a common ground. Over the weekend, we took the first steps on this common ground to better the present and future of Jewish teens.

NFTY Programming Vice President, Liza Moskowitz, recounts her visit to NFTY-NAR Fall Kallah, October 14-16, at the URJ Kutz Camp in Warwick, NY.

After being delayed for close to four hours, I finally landed in Newark! I loved getting to spend time with NFTY/Kutz’s Program Associate, Eli Cohn-Wein, on our late night drive to NFTY’s home, the URJ Kutz Camp for NFTY NFTY-NAR (New York Area Region) Fall Kallah! The participants had already been sent to sleep by the time I arrived, but I had a fantastic time sitting in onjoining the regional board and coordinator meeting.

NFTY-NAR has a coordinator and committee systems which allows participants to step up and lead take leadership roles within the region in a “non-regional board member” way. One of the topics that I talked withabout with the regional board and coordinators during the meeting was “generational leadership”. This concept is a favorite to the NFTY North American Board and the NFTY Staff staff and means that we must ensure that there will be leaders for the future by finding a balance between the past we inherit and having a vision for the future. I was so impressed with NFTY-NAR’s leadership and how it is extended out into the region so that generational leadership is truly accomplished. This photo shows that snacks really lead to productivity and more fun!

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setting for Saturday morning services. The sky was crystal clear and Lake Rolyn was perfectly still. The Teatron was filled with ruach, singing, and dancing throughout services. I especially loved dancing to Dan Nichol’s “Get Up” at the very beginning. It energized everyone and really prepared us for a meaningful prayer experience.

Throughout the entire weekend, Kutz provided a gorgeous backdrop to an even moreequally gorgeous and beautifully run event for NFTY-NAR. I loved watching the regional board lead the NFTY cheer or and dancing in the middle of the song session circle. One of my favorite quotes about NFTY leadership is that “We serve at the pleasure of the region.” The NFTY-NAR regional board does just that. They put their heart and soul into the weekend. Mazel Tov, NFTY-NAR regional board!

The major highlight of the weekend was the NFTY-NAR Talent Show. There were was a plethora of different acts, including this photo. All the senior girls sang “Don’t Hate Me Cause I’m Beautiful” together. It was a silly and fun act to watch, but I could really tell that this is a close knit region that loves to have fun with each other. The community that they form together at each event is indescribable. They could laugh together at the talent show, sing together at song session, discuss together during programs, and play together during free time.

Like any NFTY event, the weekend came to a close with friendship circle. Chills were sent up my spine when the region sang Hashkiveinu, acapella-style. It was the perfect way to close off the weekend.

Thank you so much NFTY-NAR for hosting me for such an INCREDIBLE weekend! Thank you also to Mike Fuld, NFTY-NAR Youth Programs Manager for all of your hard work and dedication to this remarkable region. I formed so many relationships with NFTYites and I can’t wait to hear about the rest of y’all’s year!

Liza Moskowitz is the NFTY North American Programming Vice President and a freshman at Boston University.  You can see more pictures from her weekend on facebook at nfty.org/NFTYPVP and you can follow her on twitter at @NFTYPVP.

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.