Teen Foundation Alumni Stay Connected in College

Last week, I attended an alumni panel where eight alumni members of the North Peninsula Jewish Teen Foundation – myself included – participated in a lively meeting with the current Leadership Council (LC) of the Jewish Teen Foundations (JTF). The LC is composed of a select group of JTF board members and is charged with mentoring new board members and leading board meetings. All of the alumni had been through the program before, so we convened to offer advice to the current board to guide them through their year as LC members. We also went to talk to them about how to continue to be active in the Jewish community even after their time on the board has concluded.

It was a fun reunion to be back with my LC from two years ago, and also inspiring to hear the group talk about how it has continued with philanthropy beyond the work of the North Peninsula Jewish Teen Foundation. I loved hearing what a big impact the program has had on all of them. Four of the alumni who spoke are now in college. Most of them are involved with Hillel at their colleges. When one of them applied to be on the JTF board three years ago, he was barely involved in the Jewish community. He now attends services on Friday nights at Hillel on a regular basis. Another met some of her best friends at college through Hillel and spent her spring break her freshman year at a Jewish food justice retreat with them. They have all maintained or even strengthened their Jewish identities since being a part of the North Peninsula Jewish Teen Foundation and have also acknowledged the impact it has had on how they live their lives today.

I will be going off to college next year too. As I searched across the country for the school that would be right for me, it was very important to me that I went somewhere with a vibrant Jewish community. I found and was accepted to the perfect college for me and I look forward to continuing my work as a Jewish philanthropist throughout college and for the rest of my life.

Stephanie (far right) looks on as the group hears from another alum via video chat.