Scholarship Fund Information
At our Plenary, the Scholarship Fund Resolution passed. Attached is the resolution for your viewing. Event participants are now able to apply for scholarship aid for the five main events: Hag/Mac, Bi-Regionals, Fall Kallah, WINSTY and Spring Kallah. The participants must first discuss scholarship opportunities with their TYG Advisor and congregation before they apply for regional funds. The scholarship form must be submitted by the deadline, there are NO exceptions to this rule. See document on this page.
WINSTY Application
NFTY-PAR's WINSTY, Winter Institute, will be held January 13-15, 2006 at Temple Emanuel in Cherry Hill, NJ. WINSTY early-bird application date is December 1; late application is December 26. Please circulate the applications to all of your TYG members and strongly encouraging them to attend. WINSTY is our only home-housed event and on Saturday and Sunday we go into the community and participate in social justice projects. This is a wonderful and unique experience.
The WINSTY Application is attached. Please make sure you copy all three pages: the personal information/medical release page, the Advisor/Rabbi signature/transportation page and the Brit Kehillah.
Dear Temple Youth Group Member, Parents and/or Guardians,
One of the many benefits of being involved with the Reform Jewish youth movement is the opportunity to participate throughout the year in many regional events with NFTY-PAR (North American Federation of Temple Youth/Pennsylvania Area Region). NFTY-PAR has seven events during the year where Jewish teens from all over our region gather together for an entire weekend of religious, cultural and, of course, social programming.
Twenty-eight synagogues from Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey to Central Pennsylvania convene to shape NFTY-PAR. NFTY-PAR, one of the 19 regions within NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth), has provided, for more than 60 years, more than 10,000 Jewish teens the opportunity to explore and live Reform Judaism. For more information about NFTY, please visit their website at: www.nfty.org.
As the NFTY-PAR Advisor for almost four years, I have witnessed some of the most amazing friendships form and teenagers become transformed from NFTY. These teens anxiously count the days between events because they are so eager to see their NFTY friends. In addition to counting the days, they are also connecting with the kids who live near them as they call them on the phone or instant message with them on the computer. Experiences with NFTY form memories that will forever stay with our teens.
NFTY-PAR truly can change the lives of our teens. This unique
experience, which can only be felt by the participants themselves, will stay with them forever.
Please discuss these opportunity with your child. For more
information or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: Awachstein@urj.org or at 610-265-5167.
Sincerely yours,
Amanda S. Wachstein
NFTY-PAR Advisor
Fall Kallah Review
Thank you for your support and help in executing Fall Kallah. 152 participants from 20 TYGs attended, reveling in the weekend's theme: "Welcoming the Stranger!" The participants enjoyed experiences from praying and singing together to learning about themselves and their peers. We had 28 new members who jumped right into the world of NFTY-PAR. The weekend was built Sukkot; we created Sukkah families, decorated Sukkot, discussed beliefs and viewpoints of all sects of Judaism and more.
Saturday began with the participants attending a creative service. Options were Women's, Poetry and/or Music. Following services, Torah Study focused on denominations of Judaism. After Torah Study, was a program about immigration, the Plenary session included an incredible debate regarding a drop-down resolution for Elections. It was remarkable to see the PARites so passionate about the election process. Later, participants challenged the opposite sex in Battle of the Sexes followed by Havdalah held amidst their Sukkah family. The evening program highlighted high school issues: popularity, self-image, dating and the opposite sex. Through intense discussions, they learned about the opposite sex. The evening ended with the PAR Prom. It truly was an amazing day!
Thanks to all the Advisors who joined us during the weekend: Rachel Blauberg of SSTY, Josh Bomze of Toasty, Sarah DeWoskin of Bofty, David Eiskowitz of KITY, Karen Federman of Aefty, Josh Laster of BethDy, Ferne Levy of Shafty, Janet Luterman of KIFTY, Jenn Ross of HOSTYG, and Ben Wachstein of Coafty.
Thank you to our Regional Rabbinic Advisors Rabbi Frank DeWoskin and Rabbi Eric Goldberg for joining us throughout the weekend. Thank you to both Rabbis DeWoskin and Goldberg for your continuous support and encouragement in planning PAR events.
Thank you, also, to Margi Peskin (PAC Youth Committee Chair) for your support and assistance.
The NFTY-PAR Regional Board and I are extremely grateful to have you share in our events. WINSTY will be here before we know it, and we hope to see many more of you there.
