Youth initiative focuses on service, leadership

By DEBORAH MOON

article created on: 2010-02-02T00:00:00

Members of the new Portland Jewish Youth Initiative met on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for a morning of community service followed by an afternoon of learning and planning goals for projects to unite the entire community’s Jewish teens.

PJYI germinated in 2008 when the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation awarded Jonathan Emanuel $1,000 to coordinate a series of community wide high school programs. The three programs held during Wednesday Night School drew such good response, that Emanuel wanted to expand the program.

After co-leading a Jewish/African-American social service project that took Portland teens from both communities to New Orleans last year over MLK weekend, he said he realized social action was a wonderful way to create ties among teens. So he applied for and received a $14,000 Innovation Impact Grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland to create the PJYI. PJYI is under the auspices of the Oregon Board of Rabbis.

In the fall, the nascent 13-member council focused on getting to know each other, studying Jewish values in leadership and understanding how leadership and social action go hand in hand. In December, PJYI coordinated a Wednesday Night School program during Hanukkah that introduced more than 100 teens from throughout the community to a variety of local and international organizations dealing with the plight of children.

“The kids who came could choose what they are passionate about and build coalitions around those passions,” said Emanuel.

The goals of the Dec. 9 program were to educate the teens about children’s issues from a Jewish perspective; have teens take action by writing a letter or doing an art project; and give teens ideas for advocacy they could do after the event.

“This is about empowerment and engagement,” said Emanuel. “The hope is to use this group of leaders to help shape the future of this community. If teens can unify behind a belief in social justice, I think we can be one of the most successful communities in the country.”

Emanuel emphasized the goal of the PJYI is to expand, not compete with, individual synagogue and youth programs. He said the teens on the council take their leadership and projects back to their home congregations and youth groups to enhance those groups.

Emanuel said he believes the OJCYF is a great model for involving teens.  

“They are raising money and building a spirit of giving,” he said. “I’m working on a spirit of doing. I think they are both important.”

Now the council is focused on creating several long-term social action projects and developing a theme for the next community-wide teen gathering April 14.

At their MLK gathering, the teens spent the morning at Loaves and Fishes making lunches for delivery to homebound seniors. In the afternoon, they met at the Oregon Jewish Museum for a learning and planning session. In memory of King’s “I have a dream” speech, the teens focused on dreams.

The teens chose three main areas they want to focus on this year: education (school supplies), community gardens and hunger. The teens now plan to narrow their focus in each area and create specific projects.

For more information on PJYI or to learn how to become part of the council next year, contact Emanuel at jemanuel@nevehshalom.org or 503-246-8831, ext. 142.