The Perils of Over-Parenting

Over the course of the weekend, get-to-know you games turned strangers into friends. Technology-obsessed teens who initially ached for their smartphones during Shabbat services found themselves experiencing prayer with new and undistracted perspective, engaging in innovative, peer-led worship. Discussions were Jewishly focused, centered around which Jewish values most impact the teens' day-to-day lives, what it's like to be the only Jewish kid in a big group of friends, and how to address global sociopolitical issues - including hunger, global illness, and civil rights - from a Jewish perspective. They took a break from talking in order to put their hands to work in a social action project that directly impacted the local community, laughing and enjoying one another's company the whole time. By the time the weekend ended, strangers had become friends who had ultimately become a community.

Scenes like this one are a reality across the U.S. and Canada thanks to  NFTY - The Reform Jewish Youth Movement. For more than  75 years, Reform Jewish teens from across North America have come together to make new friends, learn about Judaism and the world around them, and live out their Jewish values. While the promise of fun may be the first motivator to join, the long-term effects of the youth group experience drive NFTY's teens to stay involved in Jewish communal life long after high school has ended.

Not sure if NFTY is right for your teen? Read more and then decide.