J Line: Free Teen Jewish Education

J Line provides experiential and relevant Jewish education to any teen, completely free of charge. Our offerings this year are modular and “a la carte”: find what looks interesting to you and sign up for it! Find out more here.

The She’elot Fellowship: Learn to Earn!

The She’elot Fellowship is a twelve-week learning Fellowship for high school students. The She’elot — or Question – Fellowship is focused on asking and attempting to answer deep questions about life, society, and Jewish identity.

Because learning and participating in the Fellowship takes a significant amount of time, we are pleased to be able to pay Fellows for successfully completing the Fellowship. All Fellows will earn $250.00 after completing the Fellowship.

For more information, email Maria Carson at [email protected]. Ready to register? You can do so here.

J-Serve Pittsburgh/J-Serve Steering Committee:

Grades 6-12

J-Serve Pittsburgh is an annual day of service learning, planned by a teen steering committee and offering a wide array of service opportunities to participants from all over the greater Pittsburgh area. Each year, hundreds of teens come together in service, doing everything from preparing meals for families in need to packing craft kits for patients at Children’s Hospital to cleaning up Squirrel Hill’s streets, and much more. Join us for another amazing year of J-Serve Pittsburgh!

J-Serve 2024 date to be announced soon!

J-Serve Pittsburgh is planned every year by a teen steering committee of dedicated student leaders passionate about giving back to the community through service and growing as activists.

Click HERE to learn more about J-Serve

J-SERVE is a partnership of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, Repair the World: Pittsburgh, BBYO and the Volunteer Center of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

For more information, email Rachael Speck, [email protected]

The Goldston Teen Philanthropy Project: Grades 8-10

The Goldston Teen Philanthropy Project is a program consisting of monthly Wednesday afternoon sessions.

For 8th-10th graders, the Project is focused on philanthropy, social justice, and volunteerism in theory and practice.

Together, a cohort of Pittsburgh teens will:

– Learn about social justice, philanthropy and fundraising through a Jewish lens
– Learn about Judaism, Pittsburgh, and themselves
– Allocate over $10,000 to a local non-profit of their choice!
– Learn to evaluate and read grant proposals from local organizations
– This amazing program is fun, educational, and looks GREAT on college applications! To request more info, please email Director of Teen Leadership, Rebecca Kahn, at [email protected].

The schedule for this program is still being determined, but will take place on afternoons in our Squirrel Hill The Second Floor Teen Center. Snacks will be provided.

Questions? Comments? Email Director of Teen Leadership, Rebecca Kahn at [email protected]

Nazun (Formerly Challah for Hunger)

Shape challah dough into beautiful braids while learning about tikkun olam, food insecurity, and raising money for local food access organizations!

Nazun meets once a month in Squirrel Hill. For more information, email Maria Carson at [email protected].

Peer Engagement Internship

The Second Floor Peer Engagement Internship trains and empowers teens to help create a more connected and inclusive teen community. The Peer Engagement Internship is a 10-month paid internship for teens through The Second Floor at the JCC. Interns serve as connectors and builders of Jewish life in Pittsburgh, utilizing their own social networks and creating relationships with Jewish students across the community. Interns attend monthly skill-building workshops and create their own teen-led programs to welcome their peers to The Second Floor space.

Interested students must be in grades 10-12 and over the age of 16 to apply.

Click here to learn more and to apply.

Diller Teen Fellowship

The Diller Teen Fellows Program is Pittsburgh’s premier Jewish leadership development program. Twenty 10^th and 11^th graders are selected and participate for a year with the purpose of developing active, effective leaders with a strong commitment to the Jewish people.

Click here, or email Rebecca Kahn at [email protected], to learn more about the Diller Teen Fellowship.

Check out our Diller cohort on Facebook and instagram @DillerPittsburgh

The Wellness Room

Stop by the JCC Wellness Room to practice wellness activities & to de-stress. We have puzzles, discovery sheets, meditation tools, aromatherapy, biofeedback and much more.

Looking for more wellness resources and online tools check out the JCC Online Teen Resource Room HERE or if you need a private online chat feature to connect with brief support check out upstreet.

Teen Wellness Committee

Join the teen wellness committee to plan events in the Second Floor Space around mental and physical wellness! (ex: art nights, destress activities, sports nights, etc..)  We want your ideas and your talents. Make friends & get involved with community organizations that are promoting wellness.

Email Maria Carson at [email protected] for more information!

The Maccabi Games

In summer 2024, 3,000 Jewish teen athletes, ages 12-17 and representing communities from across the globe, will come together to experience the magic of JCC Maccabi, the world’s largest Jewish youth sports event. Among the highlights of this unique, Olympic-style Jewish experience will be: sports competitions, including opening and closing ceremonies; travel; community service; social and cultural events; and opportunities to create Jewish connections, friendships, and memories to last a lifetime!

For more information visit our Maccabi page here or email Rachael Speck, [email protected]