Program aims to build leaders





KEEPING THE FAITH—Members of the Conejo Teen Leadership Council join the Walk to End Genocide at Temple Etz Chaim. The council encourages community activism among Jewish high school students.

KEEPING THE FAITH—Members of the Conejo Teen Leadership Council join the Walk to End Genocide at Temple Etz Chaim. The council encourages community activism among Jewish high school students.

One person can make a difference, but when thousands of teenagers work together toward a common goal they elicit a broader change in the world, say members of the new Conejo Teen Leadership Council.

Funded by the Jewish Federation Valley Alliance and run by the Shalom Institute in Malibu, the Conejo Teen Leadership Council introduces high school students with leadership experience to the next step of community activism and outreach.

The program is an extension of the Jewish Federation’s Sherut L’Olam Teen Leadership Council, which deals with social justice and environmental issues.

The Conejo council brings together a group of 10 teen leaders from the region who focus on helping their own communities and recruiting other community builders, said Itamar Harari, strategic initiatives director for the Jewish Federation Valley Alliance.

“Our main goal is to get as many Conejo Valley Jewish teens involved in community service events as well as the Jewish community,” Harari said.

The students gather for weekend retreats at Shalom Institute in the Malibu hills and monthly meetings in the Conejo.

They work with the Shalom Institute and Jewish World Watch to explore age-appropriate methods for engaging and recruiting teenagers for social action and leadership development events.

“To me, helping my community is helping the growth of my community,” said teen council member Alyssa Scott, a senior at Oak Park High School.

But to be a leader of a community, students must first be a part of that community.

“When we all work together as a part of the community rather than just as the leaders of the community we are able to truly help it from within,” said Alyssa, 17, who will attend UC Santa Barbara this fall.

In addition to engaging teenagers in leadership and social programs, the council allows Jewish teenagers to stay connected with their faith.

“Many high school students drift away from Judaism after their bar or bat mitzvah, but this allows you to stay involved,” Alyssa said.

Last month, Conejo Teen Leadership Council members recruited 150 volunteers to participate in an international youth service day. They worked planting trees and building small gardens at the Shalom Institute camp.

“We made planter boxes for future fruit trees, and it was great seeing kids from all over the Conejo and San Fernando valleys work together to benefit the community,” said Tom Dembsky, 17, an Oak Park High student.

Alonna Hellinger, a 10thgrader at Newbury Park High School and member of the council, said the project was rewarding in several ways.

“I’ve never been one to go and get dirty, but this time I didn’t mind. I was surrounded by old friends and set out to make new friends too,” Alonna said.

On May 5, the teen council organized a walk to end genocide at Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks.

Oak Park resident Bob Green, a volunteer for the Jewish Federation’s Conejo Valley programs, said the council is just one of many programs sponsored by the Jewish Federation. The organization aims to engage all members of the Jewish Community, conservative and reformed alike.

“We want to build a more cohesive Jewish community,” said Green, adding that he is working to broaden participation and programs for high school students and college graduates because those demographics are underserved.

“I’ve always felt that our youth need to have a better way to connect to our religion and our values in the Conejo. It has been a passion of mine to get this (the Conejo Teen Council) off the ground,” Green said.

For more informat ion on the Teen Council, visit www.shalominstitute.com/ our-programs/teen-programs.


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