elected by their peers to the position, and are trusted to bring Social Justice to each region in interesting and creative ways. Scared and anxious, none of us were ready for what was to come throughout the next three days, our experiences ranging from running through Congress to listening to the inspirational words of Hillary Shelton (Director, Washington Bureau, NAACP). Each SAVP set out on the same path although each wanted something very different out of our inspirational visit.

In today’s world, teenagers are sometimes not given the respect and attention they deserve. Being in an organization like NFTY gives participants a sense of belonging and a controlled environment in which all ideas are respected and listened to with equal attention. Our time spent at the RAC demonstrated how the Reform Movement values our opinions and realizes that our generation has the power to change and affect the future. An unwritten rule of being a Regional SAVP almost requires a passionate view on life and a greater drive to want to change the world. I can confidently say that all eleven of us fit these criteria, and go beyond wanting to make a change. We are the change. Realizing this, we were more then excited to begin our journey to self-discovery and deepening our understanding of what is currently happening to our world, ranging from the genocide in Darfur to the Climate Crisis. Eager and open-minded, we entered the RAC to hear from various speakers on issues such as interreligious affairs and how to communicate Social Action to participants in an effective way. Inspired and motivated by these speakers, we each look forward to our transition into the upcoming year, quickly forming ideas in our minds and with each other about what programs we could run with participants and what fundraisers we could try to make happen.

As the Reform Movement’s headquarters on Social Justice, the RAC is overflowing with information and tools to create insightful and intriguing Social Action programs within each of our regions. Having spent time at the RAC helped each of us immensely and set us on a very clear and exciting path for the upcoming year.