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4 Ways to Change The Conversation to Reflect Our Values
By Nina Heller, NFTY CWR Our culture is filled with many different values. Both secular and religious, these values permeate all aspects of our society and guide us in determining right from wrong.
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Why We Need to Lift Up the Voices of Sexual Assault Survivors
By Rachel Landis, NFTY NAR Last fall and again in recent weeks, the American Jewish community was rocked by sexual assault allegations against many of its most prominent members. As a Jewish woman, I was particularly upset to see how so many men who claimed the same faith as me could come away from their.
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NFTY Stands with the Women
Yesterday, a New York Times article was released called, “Michael Steinhardt, a Leader in Jewish Philanthropy, Is Accused of a Pattern of Sexual Harassment.” As members of the Reform Jewish community, fiercely committed to the fight against sexual violence, this news is jarring. The women quoted in this article are our teachers and our leaders,.
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This is Our Work
My own social justice journey largely began my freshman year of high school, as a member of NFTY’s Southern Tropical Region. The summer of 2015, as a participant at a Union for Reform Judaism summer camp, I sat in the lobby at camp and watched President Obama give the eulogy at Reverend Clementa Pinckney's funeral.
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This is Our Fight: What’s Next for NFTY’s Gun Violence Prevention Efforts
By Jess Becker and Zoe Terner A year ago this March, our lives changed forever. We marched on Capitol Hill, we walked out of our schools, we demanded that our representatives listen.
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“We’re Not Just Teens, We’re Changemakers”
On Wednesday, March 13, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, met with the NFTY Social Action Vice President-elect Jess Becker to discuss their shared visions for the Reform Movement's commitment to social justice. Their conversation - which covered gun violence prevention advocacy, the power of the youth vote, the Torah's teachings on pursuing justice, and more - highlights the power of the adult-teen partnership.
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Helping Teens Find Their Voice
As many people in NFTY know, if I hadn’t become a NFTY regional director, I would have become a music teacher. I have been incredibly lucky to have had opportunities to build meaningful relationships with students through teaching music in various capacities over the past decade.
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How We’re Making NFTY More Accessible
NFTY Convention was a weekend full of fun, laughter, and new memories. Friendships were formed, community was built, and we were all inspired to lead.
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Everything is Bigger in Texas
I swear NFTY Convention was the best thing I have ever done. I made new connections, learned how to improve my community, reflected on important topics, and had the most fun of my life, so far.
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From NFTY Nashir to Songleading Onstage at NFTY Convention
To stand on stage in front of so many Jewish teens, advisors, speakers, and more and lead a song I grew up singing at my summer camp less than 20 minutes from my house was unlike anything else I have ever done. As we came together to pray for peace for the Jewish people and for the entire world, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.
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