The middle of the Passover holiday, referred to as Hol Hamoed, is often a slower time at the JCC. It typically takes place during spring break and many of the young people who I am used to seeing every day for a variety of programs and activities are off with family and friends recharging for the final push of the school year. I’ll be honest, the quiet of Hol Hamoed creates a bit of a void for me here at work, but in their absence, it allows me the opportunity to reflect on our role in supporting teens to develop leadership skills, teamwork, and self-confidence.
At the heart of the JCC’s mission is a commitment to activating a strong, inclusive, and connected community. The JCC’s Second Floor, generously supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, provides local teens with an authentically Jewish space for growth, discovery, and identity formation. Open and free to all teens, the Second Floor fosters friendships across backgrounds, interests, and experiences.
One of the flagship programs of the Second Floor is JServe, the international day of Jewish youth service, which is a collaborative effort made possible by a team of organizations including BBYO, Good Deeds Day, Repair the World, and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. This year we had 97 teens, representing 8 different Jewish organizations and programs from across the community, who participated in four different service projects throughout the day – packing supplies for the unhoused with Erik Wiesman and Light In My City, an art project with Michelle Waksman and Stand With Us, challah making with Bassie Rosenfeld and Our Giving Kitchen and trash pickup with Maria Cohen and the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition. Kol hakavod to all our changemakers for having put our Jewish values into action.
And part of what made this year’s JServe so special is that it ran during a time when our Pittsburgh Diller Teen Fellows were hosting 19 of their Diller colleagues from Karmiel/Misgav, Israel as part of the annual Jewish Community Mifgash (JCM). Over 10 days, these 39 teens participated together in an exciting and meaningful week of learning, collaboration, and partnership-building steeped in carefully curated programs and experiences that explored differences in Jewish identity and practice, Pittsburgh’s Jewish history, and the importance of building global Jewish community. During their stay, the Israeli teens volunteered at the South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM), where they helped package food for SHIM’s food pantry, and our colleagues at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh taught the fellows about non-Jews who are helping to fight antisemitism and led a discussion about being Jewish today in Israel and Pittsburgh. As a final project, and with the help of Zev Woskoff, an interdisciplinary artist and theater-maker based in Pittsburgh, the fellows created collages inspired by the partnerships, relationships, and bridges they had built during their time together. If you’d like to see more about their week, I invite you to check out the exhibit in the Squirrel Hill JCC’s American Jewish Museum.
Whether through the JCC Maccabi Games, leadership programs, volunteer projects, or social events, our teen initiatives are designed to bring young people together in ways that promote understanding, empathy, and shared purpose. When teens feel welcomed and valued, they become empowered to lead with kindness and contribute to the strength of our community. I cannot wait to welcome our local teens back to the JCC so we too can finish the academic year strong and continue the critical work of nurturing the next generation of community-builders.
Wishing you and your families a Shabbat shalom and a meaningful conclusion to the Passover holiday,
Jason
