United Synagogue Youth

USY Logo

United Synagogue Youth (USY) is the youth movement of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ).^[3] The goal of the movement is to inspire Jewish youth to explore, celebrate and practice ethical values, Jewish Living, Zionism and community responsibility based on the ideology of the Conservative Movement.^[4] USY’s focus on leadership, social action, and relationship building has produced successful alumni with a deep sense of pride in and love for their Jewish identity. Also, Through year round programming and domestic and international travel opportunities, USY provides meaningful, immersive Jewish experiences, helping teens integrate Jewish rituals and values into their everyday lives.^[5] The organization was founded in 1951, under the auspices of the Youth Commission of what was then the United Synagogue of America.^[1]

USY operates in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Uganda, spanning 300 chapters. It is estimated that there are between ten and twenty thousand USY members - known as USYers - as of January, 2014. Kadima (Hebrew for "Forward"), the pre-USY program has a membership estimated to be approximately five thousand. USY is available to Jewish high school students, and Kadima is available to Jewish kids in grades 6th-8th, and even 3rd-5th in some locations.

Food served at USY programs is kosher and the organization is Shabbat-observant. USY holds daily services, performing them with ruach, or spirit, expressed through singing and dancing.

History

In 1948, Beth El synagogue in St. Louis Park, Minnesota started the first USY chapter. Its purpose was to provide for the social and spiritual needs of its teens. Soon, other synagogues began following suit. In 1951, USY became formalized nationally and held its charter convention, which brought together over a thousand USYers. In the few years that followed, almost all of the modern regions became shaped.

In 1961, USY launched its inaugural USY on Wheels summer bus tour across the U.S.

In 1964, Kadima was officially created as a separate entity for pre-USY-age kids, who would go on to join the high-school age USY program.

In 1979, USY established the Abraham Joshua Heschel Honor Society. Named in honor of prominent rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, the Honor Society would further encourage USYers to learn more about Judaism and the observance of Mitzvot.

In 2010, USY and NOAM Olami began their joint biannual leadership conferences.

In 2011, attendees to the International Convention in Philadelphia set the Guinness World Record for the most dreidels spinning simultaneously.^[6]

In 2014, USY launched the USY Mission to Cuba and TivnUSY summer programs.

In 2015, USY launched its flagship "USY DREAM" trip to the Dominican Republic.

Structure

USY has three main levels of entry into the organization, the chapter level, the regional level, and the international level. The larger HaNegev and METNY regions are also split into sub-regions and divisions, respectively.

Chapter

The chapter is the most basic organizational level of USY. The chapter primarily provides social programming and periodically provides religious, educational, and community service-based programming. Social programming ranges from lounges and movie nights to pool parties and paintballing. Religious, educational, and community service-based programming includes mock-seders, Israel education, and volunteering at a local soup kitchen. All programming is planned by the Chapter Board with the assistance of a professional advisor. Typically, a given chapter's name is an acronym of the synagogue or city in which the chapter is based followed by the letters "USY". For example, the "Moriah Congregation in Deerfield" chapter is shortened to "MCDUSY". Chapters are associated with a USCJ-affiliated synagogue. There are an estimated 300 chapters.

Regional

Regions consist of chapters in the same geographical area. Chapters gather for bi-monthly, quarterly, and annual regional events, such as weekend-long kinnusim and conventions, and week-long encampments. Because regions are larger than chapters, regions may provide such programs not possible at the chapter level. There are 17 USY regions.

Sub-Regional/Divisional

Larger USY regions are occasionally split into sub-regions or divisions. The sub-regions and divisions act much like regions, overseeing their respective chapters, and holding their own conventions and elections. Currently, there are two regions, HaNegev and METNY, with sub-regions or divisions. HaNegev's sub-regions are each led by a three-person executive board, and METNY's divisions are each led by a six-person executive board. HaNegev's three sub-regions are Arvot (South Florida), Mercaz (North and Central Florida), and Ein Gedi (Florida Panhandle, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina). METNY's three (previously four) divisions are Emek (Hudson Valley), Sababa (Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn), and Ruach (Long Island).

International

On the International level, USYers from all over North America and Canada come together for weekend-long kinnusim, International Convention, and summer programs. The International Board is composed of the 6-person Executive board and their committees. These boards are elected at the International Convention, which takes place every December, and the members serve for 1 calendar year, unlike chapter and regional boards which are elected in mid to late Spring and serve through an academic year.

Programs

In addition to chapter, regional, and international events, USY provides a host of supplementary trips. The trips range in duration from anywhere between a week to a year, and in geography from North America to Israel and Europe.

Summer Programs

USY runs simultaneous four-to-seven-week summer programs across North America and Europe. The trips through Europe culminate in Israel.

USY on Wheels is a six-week bus tour throughout the continental United States, Canada, and Alaska. Participants have the opportunity to spend the summer touring over 30 states and visiting America's greatest landmarks, including the Grand Canyon and Pier 39, as well as the countries most obscure destinations, such as the Corn Palace and an alpaca farm. The program's goal is giving teens the opportunity to understand what it means to be a Jew no matter where you go. Participants stay in both hotels and home hospitality. Participants keep Kosher and celebrate Shabbat and other Jewish holidays throughout the summer. Other options include a community-service-focused trip (Mission Mitzvah), a four-week east coast trip (Wheels East), a four-week west coast trip (Wheels West), and a two-week trip visiting colleges in the Northeast (Campus Edition). Additionally, Pacific Northwest is three-week trip that includes two-weeks on the West Coast and a one-week Alaskan cruise, and USY Mission to Cuba is a one-week trip in Cuba, particularly Havana. All trips include a mix of grades.

USY's trips to Israel, USY Israel Pilgrimage, consist of an optional week in Italy, Poland, or Eastern Europe followed by a month in Israel, learning about Jewish communities and the Shoah. The month in Israel has one of three different focuses: tourism, social action, or IDF simulation in Gadna. Pilgrimage trips visit every major city and region, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Tiberias, Beersheba, and Eilat. In addition to city life, the program incorporates many hiking opportunities and outdoor experiences, in areas including the Golan Heights, the Jordan River, the Galilee the Mediterranean Sea, Masada, the Dead Sea, the Negev, the Red Sea, and archaeological digs of ancient Jewish civilization, all led by professional tour guides.

International Convention

Hatikvah 6 frontman Omri Glickman performing during USY's 65th annual International Convention in Baltimore.

International Convention (IC) is USY's largest gathering that is held annually during the winter school vacation season for five consecutive days. The Convention includes regional delegations totaling approximately 700 teenagers ages 14 –18, plus an additional 150 staff members. The location changes from year to year, covering several USY regions over a period of a few years.

2015 International Convention Co-Chairs Aaron Albuck and Samara Wyant during their Opening Session skit.

Year to year programing changes; however, most notably in 2015, the critically acclaimed Israeli Reggae and Rap group Hatikva 6 performed an upscale concert, Ruth Messinger spoke, and the convention coordinated a peaceful rally to stand in solidarity with the community of Baltimore. Additionally, USYes participated in day-long Advocacy Bootcamp centered around the convention's educational theme. The theme, ”Think More. Do More. B’more” was, according to Rabbi David Levy, "chosen by our team of teenagers independent of any outside influence." The educational platform focused on inspiring USYers to create an immediate impact in their world. During convention, the co-chairs Aaron Albuck and Samara Wyant were quoted as saying, "Too often, USYers are told they are the future of the Conservative movement. USYers are more than just the future... they are the present." The convention asked, אם לא עכשו, אמתי If not now, when? Saying that now is the time for advocacy.

The 2016 International Convention will be held in Dallas, Texas (SWUSY Region) on December 25–29, 2016. During the week of the Convention, USYers participate in community service, leadership, religious, educational, cultural, and social programming.

Past International Conventions _{please note that prior to 1963, International Convention was a faction of EMTZA Region USY. It was not until the creation of other monetary regions in 1963 that International Convention took the form it holds today. For purposes of this table, International Convention's location and chairpeople will start from 1963 although the first convention was held in 1950.}

High School Program

USY High is an eight-week program in Israel Goldstein Youth Village in Jerusalem for juniors and seniors to study while exploring Israel. In the campus classroom, participants are introduced chronologically to each historical period. Campus class time is interspersed with time experiencing the "classroom without walls" - the Land of Israel. Participants learn in an ancient cave, a mountain fortress, an army bunker, riding on a camel, or at the beach.

USY High is the sister program of Tichon Ramah Yerushalaim (TRY), a program of Ramah. TRY is seventeen weeks long and is for sophomores and juniors.^[7]

College Program

The Nativ College Leadership Program in Israel is a post-high-school gap year program that draws a lot of its participants from USY and whose alumni often become USY staff. Nativ's mission is to create and inspire the Conservative Jewish leaders of tomorrow. Nativ, which means “path” in Hebrew, aims to provide a unique opportunity to explore new directions on the journey to becoming a Jewish adult. From September to May, Nativ participants are immersed in Israeli society and a Conservative Jewish lifestyle.

Nativ is split into two semesters: one in Jerusalem and one in a youth or immigration village. The program includes academic university classes, intensive Hebrew classes, Judaic and Yeshiva studies, and leadership training workshops. The program enables recent high school graduates to earn college credits for their studies while on the gap year program.

Interest Clubs

USY offers three interest clubs for USY members, the Abraham Joshua Heschel Honor Society, HeChalutzim, and the 613 Mitzvah Corps.

Abraham Joshua Heschel Honor Society

The Heschel Honor Society is a club for USY members of secular and religious academic excellence. The club is named after prominent theologian and activist Abraham Joshua Heschel. Members meet during regional conventions to discuss topics that Heschel wrote about. The Heschel Honor society holds an annual three-day, text-focused convention every March.

HeChalutzim

HeChalutzim (Hebrew for "the pioneers") is a club for USY members interested in Israel affairs and Religious Zionism. Members of HeChalutzim convene for regional weekends and special programs. In addition, a delegate from each region is sent to Israel with the Hechalutzim Israel Seminar.

613 Mitzvah Corps

The 613 Mitzvah Corps is the Social Action and Tikun Olam club within USY. The goal of the club is to provide members with the tools to take action, and to help raise funds for causes meaningful to members. Membership in the 613 Mitzvah Corps costs $6.13 and must be renewed each academic year.

List of Regions

Leadership

USY stresses youth leadership involvement on all levels of the organization, to help further empower members in their Jewish journeys. USY holds regional and international board weekends to help train new leaders in their positions. Positions may be obtained by election or by appointment. Regional and international board members are expected to maintain a level of Jewish observance.

In addition to serving on chapter, regional, and/or international boards, select USYers may be nominated to attend conferences in various countries, including Israel and the UK, to learn about the Conservative/Masorti movement around the world, and to strengthen cooperation with sister youth organizations.

Regional Executive Board

Each region has a Regional Executive Board (REB), which serves as the region's cabinet, tending to its region's needs across the year. An REB typically consists of a President, and five Vice Presidents: Israel Affairs VP (IA), Religion/Education VP (Rel/Ed), Social Action/Tikun Olam VP (SA/TO), Membership/Kadima VP (Mem/Kad), and Communications VP (Comm). Some regions incorporate an Executive Vice President and/or Parliamentarian position. In regions that have Divisional or Sub-Regional Presidents, Divisional or Sub-Regional Presidents are automatically granted REB member status.

International Executive Board

On December 30, 2015, International USY Voting Delegates at the 65th USY International Convention voted the following 6 members onto the 2016 International Executive Board (IEB) into office:^[8]

The 2016 USY International Executive Board. From Left to right, Ethan Feuer, Danu Rojzman, Cara Kupferman, Hannah Weiss, Eric Wertheim, and Louis Popkin.

• President - Ethan Feuer (METNY)
• Israel Affairs Vice President - Danu Rojzman (HaNegev)
• Religion/Education Vice President - Cara Kupferman (METNY)
• Social Action/Tikun Olam Vice President - Hannah Weiss (HaNegev)
• Membership/Kadima Vice President - Eric Wertheim (METNY)
• Communications Vice President - Louis Popkin (Seaboard)

International General Board

The International General Board (IGB) is a group of committee members selected and appointed by the International Executive Board in the first month of the new year. To be considered for a position on the International General Executive Board, an applicant must agree to keep standards and create an extensive application.^[9] The 2016 IGB is as follows:

International Convention Co-Chairs

Famous Alumni

USY has produced over 250,000 alumni, many of which have gone on to be doctors, lawyers, rabbis, synagogue presidents, and Jewish educators.^[10]

• Norton Schwartz - retired general who served as the 19th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force^[11]
• Michael Oren - member of Knesset, and former Israeli ambassador to the United States^[12]
• Howie Mandel - comedian, actor, and host of the former NBC game show Deal or No Deal
• Bruce Vilanch - comedy writer, songwriter, actor, and six-time Emmy Award-winner^[13]
• Drake - Grammy Award-winning Rapper
• Debra Winger - award-winning actress and producer
• Bryan Greenberg - television and movie actor, and musician^[14]
• Robert Freedman - four-time Tony Award-winning screenwriter and dramatist
• Alexander Gould - movie actor and voice artist^[15]
• Paul Friedman - Israeli Author
• Danny Siegel - best-selling author, lecturer, poet, Jewish educator, social activist, and founder of the Ziv Tzedakah Fund^[16]
• Joe Purdy - folk singer and songwriter
• Andy Fickman - film, television, and theatre director^[17]
• Michael Levin - fallen lone soldier and Israeli national hero^[18]
• Kelly Gould - television and movie actress
• Yossi Katz - author and former Israeli National Boxing Champion^[19]
• Jessica Abo - award-winning television journalist and news anchor, actress, and philanthropist^[20]
• David Stern - writer and producer for over a dozen movies, television series, and Broadway productions, including Geppetto, Open Season 2 and 3, and Free Birds
• Aaron Jacobs - screenwriter and production assistant for Girl Meets World
• Jeff Dachis - co-founder of Razorfish
• Rachel Shukert - author

See also

• Kadima - the pre-high-school program of USY
• Camp Ramah - a network of Conservative Jewish summer camps across North America and Israel
• Nativ - the post-high-school gap year program operated by USCJ
• United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism - the organization of Conservative Jewish synagogues in North America
• Koach - a now-defunct, college campus organization affiliated with Conservative Judaism
• Conservative Judaism - a leading modern denomination of Judaism
• Judaism - the religion of the Jewish people

References

External links

• USY Website
• CHUSY Website
• CRUSY Website
• ECRUSY Website
• EMTZA USY Website
• EPA USY Website
• Far West USY Website
• Hagalil USY Website
• Hagesher USY Website
• Hanefesh USY Website
• Hanegev USY Website
• METNY USY Website
• NERUSY Website
• New Frontier USY Website
• Pinwheel USY Website
• Seaboard USY Website
• SWUSY Website
• Tzafon USY Website
• Nativ College Leadership Program in Israel
• The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
• 2016 USY Summer Programs Registration