August 17

Today was an interesting experience. I had the opportunity to go to the Commission on Youth Engagement as part of the Union For Reform Judaism's efforts to properly reach out to those members of the teen community who may not be reached otherwise.

One of the elements that was most significant to this was the coming together of all of the constituencies that go into the Union as a whole. Members of each subgroup within Reform Judaism were there to help in the creation of a new vision for how to get people involved.

I, along with five other NFTYites, was invited to the event for the opportunity to share the perspective of teens, and to experience the discussion so as to help in the development of a call to action to be put forward at the URJ Biennial in December.

The meetings lasted all day, and went across an enormous level of discussion points. During the course of the day, I had the chance to share my personal perspective on multiple issues and the ways in which I saw them being rectified. What was most significant to this was that not only did I have the chance to talk, but that the adult leadership around the table had a genuine interest in what I had to say. They all listened to my viewpoint, added their own thoughts along similar wavelengths, and were able to build the ideas that we were creating to incorporate what I was saying. This unique opportunity meant that all of the NFTYites at the meeting felt valued, and felt as though their voice was being heard.

Although the meeting was very long, and it was often difficult to remain completely focused, it was an incredibly valuable opportunity for our movement to call to the table so many different components of the organizations that make Reform Judaism flourish. It gave hope for the future that we will be able to create resources for Jewish teens for future generations to come. And it allowed us to practice what it is like to be the adult leadership, creating valuable information for our peers and for our successors in the movement.