View Our 10 Year Impact Study Report
The Jewish Community Youth Foundation is a Jewish youth philanthropy program for teens in grades 8-12. Each teen contributes $120 which is matched, pooled and then distributed as a group to different Jewish organizations.
Under the teaching and guidance of Jewish Family & Children's Service, each age group learns about the principles of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), Tzedakah and philanthropy, as well as other Jewish values and how they relate to their groups' philanthropic focus: Eighth Grade - Local Social Service, Ninth Grade - National Social Service, Tenth Grade - Jewish Art & Culture, Eleventh Grade - Outreach & Advocacy, and Twelfth Grade - Israel.
Following site visits, each teen presents his or her findings and opinions to the group... and the debate over how best to allocate the group's money begins!
The result is the application of weeks of intelligent thought and planning, as well as emotional exploration of Jewish needs far beyond each teen's own world. The teens learn about caring and selflessness, and the power of their donation to one or more carefully researched causes within the local, national and international Jewish communities.
The Jewish Community Youth Foundation meets 7 Sundays October through February in the Princeton/Mercer area.
JCYF is a project of Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Mercer County and the Ricky and Andrew J. Shechtel Philanthropic Fund.
The Jewish Community Youth Foundation is a Jewish youth philanthropy program for teens in grades 8-12. Each teen contributes $120 which is matched, pooled and then distributed as a group to different Jewish organizations.
Under the teaching and guidance of Jewish Family & Children's Service, each age group learns about the principles of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), Tzedakah and philanthropy, as well as other Jewish values and how they relate to their groups' philanthropic focus: Eighth Grade - Local Social Service, Ninth Grade - National Social Service, Tenth Grade - Jewish Art & Culture, Eleventh Grade - Outreach & Advocacy, and Twelfth Grade - Israel.
Following site visits, each teen presents his or her findings and opinions to the group... and the debate over how best to allocate the group's money begins!
The result is the application of weeks of intelligent thought and planning, as well as emotional exploration of Jewish needs far beyond each teen's own world. The teens learn about caring and selflessness, and the power of their donation to one or more carefully researched causes within the local, national and international Jewish communities.
The Jewish Community Youth Foundation meets 7 Sundays October through February in the Princeton/Mercer area.
JCYF is a project of Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Mercer County and the Ricky and Andrew J. Shechtel Philanthropic Fund.
What Teens Are Saying:
Hear what teens are saying about the Jewish Community Youth Foundation:
- "JCYF is a great program."
- "This is an amazing program that everyone should get involved in."
- "I like the meetings because they give me a new way to connect with people my age and make a difference all over the world."
- "JCYF would be a nice thing to do to get involved in my community through Judaism."
- "I wanted to give back to my community and help out."
- "JCYF would be a fun and interesting way to continue doing mitzvah and charity work after my Bat Mitzvah."
- "I learned that there are many organizations in my area that someone my age can help support."
- "That when many people get together and donate some money they can make a big difference and change many peoples lives."
- "I learned that a group of teens can make a difference to a community with needs."
