NFTY

This D’var Torah was presented by Austin Zoot, NFTY Religious & Cultural Vice-President, during NFTY’s Veida at the URJ Henry S. Jacobs camp in February. Shabbat Shalom. As our Torah readers so beautifully just read, this week’s Torah portion is Mishpatim, which is our first portion after the giving of the 10 commandments. After we see the big ten, we see a progression of what seem to be random laws. When you take a closer look, though, three of the most random elements of this text actually link together to strike a significant chord to our community that we have [...]

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Alongside all of the standard Winter Kallaot, Junior Youth Group retreats, and Social Action weekends, one event particularly piqued my interest. Ohio Valley hosts a Study Kallah every year at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion at their campus in Cincinnati. As a Religious and Cultural Vice President, I definitely fit the stereotype: this event sounded like one that I most definitely should attend.

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TYGs (Temple Youth Groups) work hard to create events for participants to enjoy. Their effort and passion is clearly evident in their planning process, outreach, and final product.

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Going into the event, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect other than what I had read on the schedule. I knew important people would be speaking, I had to dress professionally, and that this Phoenix girl was in for a big change of climate.

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This December, I got a chance to go to the NFTY Leadership Conference at the URJ Biennial. One thing that I learned really stuck with me. By confirmation, 10th grade, 65% of a B’nai Mitzvah class is no longer affiliated.

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Boarding the plane from Chicago to Washington D.C., I knew that I wasn’t going to any ordinary NFTY event. Sure, I had been to Mechinah and Convention earlier this year with hundreds of fellow board members and NFTYites from across the country, but this seemed different.

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