What I Learned at Mechina

What a phenomenal time we had at Mechina at URJ Kutz Camp in Warwick, NY. Throughout the week we met teens from all over North America, especially other participants from the West Coast Alliance (NFTY-SOCAL, NFTY-NW, NFTY-CWR, and NFTY-SW) where we proudly showed our ruach with the west coast at our sides.

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Finding a Personal Connection to Israel

By Shir Attias NFTY-SW Alum, Outgoing NFTY-SW Religious and Cultural Vice-President Very few people ask me why I care about Israel. I’m your token darker, curly haired girl with a very Hebrew name that screams Israeli so no one asks.  Contrary to popular belief, I don’t care because I’m Israeli. I don’t care because I’ve

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“This Program Can Fill a Void in Today’s Families”

Pat Bruner, senior participant in Better Together Phoenix delivered this speech at our end of year celebration. I’ve been giving a lot of thought as to what to say about the Better Together program and what it has meant to its participants, along with what it should mean to all of us. To my fellow

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Senior Citizens I Will Always Remember

By: Ryan Toughill,  6th grade participant in Better Together, Phoenix Ryan was the winner of our local Better2Write contest For more information about joining Better Together – please email bettertogetherphoenix@urj.org Until I joined Better Together I had never taken the time to sit down and get to know the seniors other than those that are

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The time I helped lead an Easter service

By Max Cohen, NFTY-SW Religious and Cultural Vice-President Leading services has always been a passion of mine. It’ actually the reason why I learned to play guitar. Last month I had an incredible and unique experience. I had the honor of helping to lead the Youth Group Service Friday night at my temple for Shabbat, 

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Metzora – Creating a place of Inclusion and Acceptance

By Alex Elbogen – Editor, NFTY-SW This week’s Torah portion is surely one that is hard to forget. To put it in teenager terms, it’s like a movie that you took a girl to go see hoping that she would get scared so that you’d be there to comfort her, but you end up being

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#NotOneMore: NFTY-SW Addresses Gun Violence

By Alex Elbogen, Temple Kol Ami NFTY-SW Editor With Spring Kallah fast approaching, it’s starting to hit me that my NFTY-Southwest experience is coming to a close. As I reflect on my time with NFTY, one thing pops out at me as being particularly special. What I love is that the minute I enter a

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The Power of One – The Power of Community

Hineini, here I am. In February, 2015 at NFTY Convention, NFTY passed a resolution focusing NFTY’s study on the strength of the individual. It stems from the Hebrew word hineini, meaning “Here I am” which is found in Genesis with Abraham’s declaration to G-D that he was there and ready to act. As teens and

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We’ll See YOU in the Windy City! #NFTYConvention 2017

NFTY Convention is a one of a kind experience – bringing together more than 1,000 Reform Jewish teens from across North America. Come join us and be part of something bigger (it’s NFTY’s biggest event!), experience shaping a Movement, and have a great time.

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