2010 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence

Transcription

1 2010 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence Please see the Best of link for programs in specific program areas. 1. CRUSY REGION Nominated Chapter: Beth Shalom, Pittsburgh Ongoing: Open Lounge: youth lounge open every Thursday night for two hours to hang out Basketball tournament during open lounge (winter and spring seasons) Text study every Shabbat mornings: working our way through the Book of Joshua over a six-month period, a chapter a week. EVENT Apples and Honey Slichot Congregation Picnic Tye Dye at Open Lounge Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Sukkot Shul of Rock Coolooloosh Frick Park Sisterhood Bazaar Shabbat Alive Gardening Project Interfaith Service (shul) Turkey Bowl Oneg Shul-In DESCRIPTION Fundraiser: Around Rosh Hashanah, decorated paper bags containing an apple, a packet of honey and a request for a monetary donation are dropped off to congregants homes by BSUSY BSUSY held slichot services and did havdalah together BSUSY ran the arts and crafts table for the religious school kids BSUSY tye-dyed their own t-shirts at Open Lounge BSUSY ran their own services in the shul BSUSY ran their own services in the shul BSUSY held services and then went sukkah hopping around the community to eat and sing in each other s sukkot Open-mic nights for BSUSY BSUSY saw the Israeli band Coolooloosh play at the Hillel JUC with Kadima. Some BSUSY kids helped run programs for the religious school kids at Frick Park Fundraiser: BSUSY sold chips and soda during a craft fair at the shul Help weed the Hillel JUC s new garden, play some outdoor games, and talk about Jewish environmentalism and tikkun olam; collect canned food for local kosher food pantry (before Thanksgiving) One of the chapter presidents will host an oneg in her home for BSUSY Shul-in with Beth El at Beth Shalom

2 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence Youth Shabbat, Ice Skating with Kadima Kabbalat Shabbat BSUSY attended Kabbalat Services and held an oneg together in a family home afterwards. Purim Carnival BSUSY runs carnival games, food stations, prize table and activities for the entire synagogue as a huge annual fundraiser. The chapter stays up all night long preparing the night beforehand and sleeps in the synagogue. SA/TO Movie Night J-Serve Joshua Siyyum Murder Mystery Night Tikkun Leil Shavuot Final Banquet 2. CHUSY REGION Nominated Chapter: Beth Hillel USY, Willmette, IL Mystery box movie, cost $5 to attend and donated to SA/TO BSUSY participated in a community-wide day of volunteer service held through the Pittsburgh Agency for Jewish Learning Giant celebration to culminate the end of the year-long study of the Book of Joshua with family and food BSUSY and 8 th graders gathered at a board member s backyard to solve a murder mystery! BSUSY held an all-night Tikkun Leil for Shavuot, first joining in study sessions with the community, the congregation and then breaking off to lead their own study sessions until early minyan at 6 a.m. BSUSY and 8 th graders hosted a final banquet to celebrate the end of the year and welcome the incoming freshmen to the chapter

3 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence

4 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence 3. ECRUSY REGION Nominated Chapter: Agudath Israel (JACCUSY), Ottawa, ON, Canada Iron Chef- Who can make the best sushi! Cassinukah- Casino Night! We played Casino Games, lit the Chanukah Candles and had a raffle with great prizes and donated the money to SA/TO! Spring Action- USYers jumped on trampolines all afternoon! Movie Night & Havdallah- Had a lovely Havdallah ceremony and then watched a movie and ate junk food together Girls Spa Day- The girls got together and had facials, manicures and pedicures and watched a chick flick! Fun Junction- laser tag and rock climbing- it was a fun night for all! Purim Carnival- USYers volunteered to help out at the shul wide programmanning the different booths Israel Cake Off- Decorating cakes with images and symbols of Israel Bottle Drive We made $350 towards USY programming Wacky Mac Boxes- Made Wacky Mac Boxes into Gregors for Purim, members would buy them and use them during Purim and then we donated the boxes to the Kosher Food Bank and the money to SA/TO JACCUSY hang out with food & discussion- Chilled and discussed important issues Chocolate Seder- USYers ran a chocolate seder for the younger members of the congregation USY Elections- BBQ and election night

5 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence Sandwich Sundays- USYers made and packed sandwiches for the kosher food bank Bowling- USYers and Kadimaniks enjoyed an afternoon of bowling, hanging out, eating and drinking. 4. EMTZA REGION Nominated Chapter: Shaare Zedek, St. Louis, MO A. SZSL Youth Kickoff- USY kickoff in the park with tons of food, lots of games, and a softball game with Shaare Zedek Men s Club. B. 80 s Lounge Night- A program learning about theus and Israel in the 1980 s, the leaders, the relationship between the two countries, and historical events. C. SZSL Floats Down The River- A day of chapter bonding while taking a challenging float trip down the Meremac River at Blue Springs Ranch. D. Progressive Sukkah Dinner- An evening beginning at the Rabbi s sukkah for appetizers, then a walk to a congregant s sukkah for some dinner and Torah study, then ending with a delicious desert under the Sukkah at the Shul. E. Havdallah, Hayride, and Sleepover- A beautiful Havdallah service under the stars led by the Rel Ed Vice President, followed by a fun night of hayrides, s mores, and a night at the Shul. F. Taste of Israel Lounge Night- 5 teams were each given a different Israel city where they learned facts about each one, then simulated their city using ice cream and various other toppings. G. USY Style Shabbat- A morning filled with USYer s designing and leading their own meaningful Shabbat service filled with Torah reading and the d var torah given by the Rel Ed Vice President. H. Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll with the Rabbi- An evening talking with Rabbi Fasman about the Conservative Jewish perspective on contemporary issues concerning teens. I. Latkapalooza- A morning of making and eating homemade latkas along with fun (and loud) Hanukkah music, dreidel spinning, and other holiday activities. J. Winter Wonderland Sleepover- A night of ice skating, hot chocolate, Marshmallow snowmen contests, and sleeping bags in the Youth Lounge at Shul. K. Preparing for Purim: Hamantashen Making- USY got really messy and had a great time together making hamantashen as a Purim treat for the entire shul!

6 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence L. Go Green Lounge Night- A program dedicated to why going green is important as Jews and ways to recycle and conserve. M. Torah Fund Fashion Show with Sisterhood- USY teamed up with Shaare Zedek s Sisterhood to host a delicious luncheon and fashion show of which all proceeds were for the Jewish Theological Seminary. N. Change for Change Along with a program discussing the Jewish obligation of Tikun Olam, The chapter SATO VP had every member bring all of the change they could gather, then sorted, rolled, counted it all, with all funds raised going to the EMTZA Region s SATO fund along with other money raised throughout the year. O. USY Goes Up in Flames: A Lag Ba omer Celebration- A USY organized, synagogue wide celebration including a large bonfire, archery, and songs and dance. 5. EPA Region Nominated Chapter: Kesher Israel, West Chester, PA High Holy Day Silver Polishing (Beginning of the school year): The board members polished all of the High Holy Day silver items used to dress the Torah, and the whole congregation was blinded by the extremely shiny silver. Sukkah Decorating (9/30/09): The 8 th graders came an hour early for board bonding, where the board members and new members (8 th graders) baked and decorated chocolate chip cookies. Everyone else came later and we decorated the synagogue s sukkah together. We then auctioned off our baked cookies for TO, and we sold out! Mystery Bus Trip (10/18/09): We went to Funplex in New Jersey, and no one knew where we were going. Only the chapter advisor and the presidents knew where the bus was headed. When we got to Funplex, we played arcade games, went on bumper cars, and went go-karting. On the bus rides, we led ruach songs and played icebreakers. KI Vegetable Gleaning Garden (11/1/09): One of the board member s mothers led a synagogue-wide gardening event in the synagogue s vegetable garden. The produce from the garden helped the West Chester Food Bank. USYers spent time helping out with the garden to plant vegetable seeds and clean the garden. Movie/Havdalah Night (11/21/09): Shabbat was ended with a Havdalah service, and after Havdalah we did a few icebreakers. Next, we watched Bruce Almighty, but before we chose the movie everyone voted with money for their favorite movie. We collected close to $60 from voting that night! Hanukkah Party (12/12/09): We celebrated Hanukkah with a party and all members were asked to bring a toy for the Lydia s Toy Chest toy drive for hospitalized children at the Children s Hospital of Philadelphia. We had a dreidelspinning contest and we ate latkes and jelly doughnuts.

7 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence USY Ice Skating (1/24/10): We had an ice skating event at a nearby ice skating rink. USYers were able to skate on the rink for an hour and a half, and if they didn t skate, they relaxed with their friends while watching other USYers skate. Israel Lounge Night (1/27/10): USYers who went to Israel in the past year or previous years shared their experiences through PowerPoints and stories in the new youth lounge. There were Israeli snacks, and everyone who has been to Israel talked about their favorite memories. Shalach Manot Fundraiser (January-February): During January and February, we had our annual Tikun Olam fundraiser-- selling Shalach Manot to other congregants! This is our biggest fundraiser all year for TO, and each bag was put together with Purim treats and a Purim greeting. Congregants could send a greeting/bag to as many families as they wanted. Purim Celebration/Megillah Reading (3/27/10): We held a costume contest for the USYers who went to the synagogue Megillah reading, and the Kesher Israel congregants were able to vote for the best costume. After the reading, USYers hung out and celebrated Purim with Hamentaschen. Volunteering at the Religious School Purim Carnival (3/28/10): USYers volunteered at the Purim carnival for the religious school. Some face painted while others ran carnival games and did arts and crafts with the children who attended. USY & Kadima Chocolate Seder (3/21/10): The USYers were invited to help lead the Kadima chocolate Seder. A modern Megillah was created for the Passover Seder, but everything was converted into chocolate. For example, grape juice was replaced by chocolate milk, the 3 pieces of matzah were chocolate matzah, and the meal was a chocolate fondue. Afterwards, the board members led the Birkat Hamazon and ruach. SA/TO Day (4/18/10): We have a day dedicated completely for SA/TO. In the morning, USYers are hosting a car wash. At the same time, there will be a bagel sale for SA/TO. After the morning car washing, all USYers and parents are going to help out with the synagogue vegetable garden. USY Shabbat (2/27/10, 4/3/10, 5/29/10, 6/12/10): All of the USY Shabbat dates are planned on Saturdays where there are no B Nai Mitzvot. The point of these days is to increase USY attendance at Saturday Shabbat services and to show the faces of USY during Shabbat. USYers are encouraged to lead services and read from the Torah on these days, and if they don t lead anything, they are simply encouraged to attend. Bagel Sales (11/22/09, 12/6/09, 1/10/10, 1/24/10, 3/7/10, 4/18/10): At all of the bagel sales, we sold bagels, coffee, and hot chocolate to the congregants and students of Kesher Israel. The proceeds of all of the bagel sales go directly toward our Tikun Olam account. Jar Wars (All year): Two jars, one for the Kesher Israel congregation and one for USYers/Kadimaniks, were set out during bagel sales for the respective people to put in their money. Each bill and coin represents a certain number of negative or positive points. At the end of the year, the jar with the most positive points wins (USY/Kadima won).

8 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence 6. HAGALIL REGION Nominated Chapter: Adath Shalom, Morris Plains, NJ

9 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence 7. HAGESHER REGION Nominated Chapter: Adath Jeshurun, Elkins Park, PA Rubye's Kids- Small group of members packed backpacks for inner-city kids at a warehouse in the area. Falafel Night - Official opening event that mixes socializing and great Israeli food. Sushi in the Sukkah - The night starts with a sushi appetizer hour, followed by Shabbat services with the congregation, and then chicken dinner in the Sukkah together. Kick For Nick - USYers collected and packaged new and used soccer equipment to be sent to soldiers to give to kids in areas of war. Lunch and Learn - Rabbi Jonathan Porath came to talk to our chapter members on a Shabbat morning with services about our future as Jewish adults. Mitzvah Movie Marathon - Social event to watch movies, play video games, eat and hang out all night until the morning. Ronald McDonald House - Made meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas for kids with cancer. Gam Yachad - Hanukkah program where USYers play games, do crafts, and eat festive Hanukkah food with mentally and physically handicapped adults. Purim set-up and Volunteering - USYers set up the booth for the synagoguewide Purim Carnival and helped to run the carnival throughout the day. Dinner at the Rabbis - Had a special Shabbat Dinner with Rabbi Seymour Rosenbloom (our rabbi) and talked with one of his colleagues who was serving as the conservative rabbi in Prague. Mid-Night Bowling - After one of our Regional dances, our chapter went to a bowling alley that is open all night for mid-night bowling! Youth Shabbat - USYers and Kadimanicks of all ages lead the Shabbat morning services, read torah, and prepare several d'var torot. Limo Night - USYers go for a scavenger hunt through the city of Philadelphia, taking pictures at each place, and reading clues to figure out the next place. Bi-Regional Chapter Shabbaton - The Stamford Chapter from the Hanefesh Region was hosted by AJ USY for a weekend of fun and a nice Shabbat experience. 8. HANEGEV REGION Nominated Chapter: Temple Beth Torah (TBT) a. TBT Derby A fundraising program that involved the entire congregation where by people bet on horses, jockeyed by USYers, based on the roll of three dice. b. Yom Ha atzmaut Ice Cream Social USYers open up an ice-cream parlor in the temple and sell ice cream Cold Stone style while the pre-school, Hebrew school, and congregation dance and sing, and eat ice cream while celebrating Israel s Independence. c. Kidnap Shabbat With the Rabbi s knowledge, the USYers hijacked the bima for a Saturday morning Shabbat Service, asked everyone else to step off the bima, and the USYers ran the service.

10 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence d. Daniel Cantor Senior Center- USY volunteers once a month to run the Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat Service at the local assisted living facility. e. Sukkot Dive in Movie- We build a Sukkah at the Youth Director s house next to the pool, and rented a movie screen and projector, played a movie while swimming and doing the mitzvah of eating in the Sukkah. f. Holiday Bake Sale As a fundraiser, USYers sold Challah and Cakes to the members of the congregation for the High Holidays. g. Limo Road Rally- USYers invited several other nearby chapters, we rented 3 Large hummer Limos, and had a scavenger hunt throughout the local area. h. Sumo and Sushi With inflatable Sumo costumes, the USYers sock wrestled each other to see who can get each other s socks off first while others enjoyed the entertainment and ate sushi. i. Las Vegas Night- USYers invited several chapters to play casino type games (blackjack, roulette, craps, and poker) to win prize tickets which, at the end, were used in the Chinese auction of prizes donated by local retailers. All money raised was donated to our Regional Scholarship fund. j. Shirat HaSticker- USY prepared a power point presentation about the song and the lyrics to teach their fellow USYers about the pop culture climate in Israel. They discussed the meaning of the bumper sticker slogans, and created their very own bumper sticker to be auctioned off at a Temple board meeting. k. Paint Wars Divided into two teams, USYers, wearing white t-shirts, played capture the flag while splattering paint on the opposite team. The team with the least amount of paint on them wins. l. Chef Boy R Gabe One of our USYers, who loves to cook and wants to be a chef, prepared a kosher menu, and taught USY how to create a complete kosher meal from scratch. m. USY Plant a Tree Plant a tree at our synagogue members houses and donate money in their name to JNF to plant a sister tree in Israel. n. USY Gift Delivery - Split our chapter into 5 cars to deliver presents to all of the area hospital pediatric wards/emergency rooms; a total of 18 hospitals. o. USY Beach Day Every year during Veterans Holiday, our teens do not have school, we go to the beach for the day to hang out, eat lunch and play volleyball. 9. METNY REGION Nominated chapter: Forest Hills Jewish Center, Forest Hills, NY Paint the Wall and Sukkah Mural Making During this yearly program we repaint the youth language and personalize it for the new year. Kindergarten Night We turned back the clock and had a great time doing all the activities we loved as little kids. Tie-Dying The group got funky (and a little messy) with this classic activity. Ice Cream and Cookie Making We ate and ate and ate.

11 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence USY CPR/First Aid Course USYers were certified in CPR and learned about the Jewish concept of pikuach nefesh. Movie Night for TO USYers raised money for Tikun Olam by bidding on their favorite movies and watching the winner. A Night at Dave and Busters FHJC took a trip to this amazing game and party place. Breakfast for Dinner A fun way to way bring some of our breakfast favorites to the evening. Improv and Comedy The USYers had the chance to take center stage and show their improv skills to the group. Interdating and Intermarriage This was an important program where USYers were able to learn about this topic and discuss their views with other teens. Ice Skating at Iceland USYers spent the session skating and showing if they have the stuff to be future Olympians. Jujitsu with Judah FHJC USY got a great workout and learned some basic jiujitsu. Beatles Rock Band and Pizza Making USYers rocked out with the Beatles and then filled their bellies. SATO Crazy Cookie Houses USYers had the chance to raise money for TO by using their imagination and creating crazy cookie houses. Austin Street Scavenger Hunt FHJC USY had a great time running around the local business district and building chapter unity. 10. NERUSY REGION Nominated Chapter: Temple Israel, Sharon, MA I. Year-long Board Competition - In order to track our progress as board members, we have a competition between positions to see who can plan more events, take initiative within the chapter, get new members to join and attend events, raise TO money, and go to regional leadership conventions. II. Board Shiva Visits and Minyan Help - In addition to helping make the temple minyan at lounges and meetings, our board mobilizes to the home of USYer who s family member have passed away to support our community and friends in their time of need. III. Shabbat Chofesh - Once a month after Shabbat services, USYers gather in the temple Youth Lounge and spend time together to enjoy the beautiful Shabbat.

12 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence IV. Themed Kabbalat Shabbat Services - We partook in various themed Kabbalat Shabbats such as Kaballat and Kabbalah where we had services, dinner, and walked to a local rabbi s house to study Kabbalah and Whose Shabbat is it Anyway? when we enjoyed improv games before services and dinner. V. Banquet and Awards - For banquet this year, we held a pirate themed banquet where we gave our annual awards to exceptional members, said goodbye to the Seniors, and had board installations, all complete with many pirate costumes, pirate jokes, gold coins, potato boats, and fish sticks. VI. So You Want to be a Movie Star? - As a group, we brainstormed the idea for the movie Yerushalayim Jones and the Missing Tallis, created the plot, wrote the script, and filmed the movie which made its premiere at our end of the year banquet. VII. Israeli Army Paintball - Our IA VP taught us some basic Israeli military moves he learned on his day school trip to Israel along with Hebrew words and commands that we used to communicate on the paintball battlefield. VIII. Selich Art - World renowned artist Mordechai Rosenstein created some of his signature art, incorporating the words Sharon USY into the pieces, for our members to color while he told us about his journey as a Jewish Artist. IX. Sushi in the Sukkah - We mastered the art of sushi-making as we demonstrated our culinary talents by making sushi and eating it in the sukkah. X. SA/TO Days - Our SA/TO days consisted of learning about the Friendship Circle, a local organization that tends to Jews with special needs, making Chanukkah cards for them, baking cookies to be sent to a homeless shelter called the Mainspring House, and having a sports day for T.O. (explained later). XI. USY Shabbat/ Rock Climbing - Our annual USY Shabbat started with a huge Kabbalat Shabbat followed by dinner and ruach, the board slept over a member s house and in the morning everyone reconvened and USYers led a full service for the whole congregation which was followed by the USYers hanging out in the lounge until mincha and ma ariv which was followed by rock climbing where we were joined by members from the congregation where the gym was located. XII. Idan Raichel - The executive board attended a local Idan Raichel concert as a way to have a great time, support a Jewish artist, and strengthen the board bonds. XIII. Games in the Park - We were joined by Brockton USY at a local state park where we partook in field games and icebreakers which was followed by the attendance of a minor league baseball game.

13 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence XIV. Class Activites- We held a number of annual class activities such as freshman kidnapping, and a senior camp-in. XV. Matzah Ball - Our chapter Mem/Kad planned a SATO Channukah Ball for the whole region, which got snowed out, and changed to the Matzah Ball. 11. NEW FRONTIER REGION Nominated Chapter: Palto Alto USY, Palo Alto, CA Program Name Date of event Description (No more than a sentence) 1. San Francisco/ Haight Ashbury 2. Rabbi House Hopping 11/22/09 Make sandwiches for the homeless, walk around Haight Ashbury, and clean up beach. 1/08/10 We will join 3 Kol Emeth Rabbis for appetizers, Shabbat dinner, and dessert. 3. Paintballing 10/25/09 We will also be hearing a member of the Israel Defense Forces talk about his experiences and help us win some paintball battles against NCSY, who happened to also be paintballing that day. 4. TuB shvat Picnic Hike 5. Freshman Kidnap 6. LaserQuest/ Bowling and 7. Chametz Movie Fest! 8. High Holiday Services 1/31/10 We will travel to Foothills Park and enjoy a picnic lunch and hike in honor of the Jewish Birthday of the Trees 10/18/09 Introducing freshman to USY by kidnapping them, taking them to breakfast, Sky High. 4/17/10 Membership drive event split between two places (LaserQuest and Palo Alto bowl) 3/20/10 Enjoy a bounty of pre-passover desserts with your USY friends, talk about cleaning your spiritual self for Passover before watching a movie on our sweet, new flatscreen TV in the Youth Lounge. 9/28/09, 9/19/09 Services led by PAUSY Exec Board and Rabbi Laurie Matzkin offered teens an emotional experience. The Rabbi and Board led a "staged reading" for Unetanah Tokef (the who shall live and who shall die part of YK) based off of a very moving piece by the mother of Koby Mandell, a young teen who was killed a few years ago in Israel. 12. PINWHEEL REGION *WINNER OF 2010 USY INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER OF THE YEAR* Nominated Chapter: Herzl Ner Tamid (ACHIM), Seattle, WA

14 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence From Jerusalem to Japan Kickoff event: Our kickoff event, complete with sumo wrestling fat suits, sushi rolling, origami, and fortune cookie making for a sweet new year. Hannukah Gift Exchange: A Hannukah party with white elephant gift exchange and auction in which proceeds went to SA/TO. Masquerade Casino Night: A dress up casino night chips were 10 dollars and all proceeds went to SA/TO. Sukkot Scavenger Hunt: A purely social event consisting of a scavenger hunt/flashlight tag; teams built sukkahs with the graham crackers, frosting, and other candies their team collected. Hot Topics (6) On one Wednesday evening a month, our assistant Rabbi brought us provocative questions and helped spark discussion. Some of the Hot Topics were: Abortion (October): What it really means to be pro-life and pro-choice; also took a look at the biblical and rabbinical laws. Homelessness (November): We discussed in detail our responsibility to the homeless population and what it really means to be homeless. Medical Ethics and Judaism (February): Our Rabbi led a discussion concerning organ donation and Jewish law. Sex and Judaism (March): From both a Jewish perspective as well as a slight tangent talking about intermarriage. Modesty and Judaism (April): What Judaism says about modesty, not just in dress, but also in speech. Kosher to Eat Meat? (May): We discussed the reason of waiting a few hours after eating meat to eat dairy again, as well as the question: should we eat meat? Special Hot Topic Israel (January) Our Senior Rabbi gave us an hour long seminar on modern day Israel that was created in part by Stand With Us. Annual Shabbaton (Willy Wonka and the Kosher Chocolate factory): Our annual shabbaton incorporated candy, the golden calf, how everyone's understanding of Judaism tasted differently, and a crazy 35-part mystery! Challahfest: A Shabbat services and dinner that focused on Jewish superstitions and how they came about. J-Serve: Jews from all over the Seattle area go to volunteer in a number of possible locations such as Treehouse and the Boys and Girls club. A Night Full of Jews: A Shabbat services and dinner that was 'drama club style' and focused on famous Jews, both in the Biblical and modern sense. Purim Carnival: Put up a USY booth in the local Jewish Community Center's Purim Festival for 3-8 year olds. Israel challenge Event!: Our last event of the year, in which we had an Israelstyle dinner, complete with historical challenges such as escaping into Israel and using teamwork on a 'kibbutz.' 13. SWUSY REGION - Nominated Chapter: B nei Zion, El Paso, TX BZUSY kickoff and board elections As has become a yearly tradition, the BZUSY year kicks off with a pizza dinner at a local restaurant with a raffle for

15 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Programs of Excellence various prizes including a $100 convention certificate and the election of the chapter executive board. BZUSY board leadership overnight and freshman kidnapping Following election of officers, the BZUSY board meets in the B nai Zion Youth Lounge for a teambuilding and leadership training overnight culminating in freshmen kidnapping and a chapter breakfast. Congregant sukkah building BZUSY members volunteer their services to congregants prior to Sukkot by helping to build family sukkahs. BZUSY Shabbat BZUSY members lead Shabbat services both Friday evening and Saturday morning, including Torah reading, Aliyot, D var Torah delivery, and English and Hebrew readings. BZUSY at Adventure Zone BZUSY members meet at a local fun center for mini golf, go-carts, bungee jumping, bumper boats, and arcade games. Mincha, Ma ariv, Havdalah and a Movie BZUSY members attend Saturday afternoon and evening services and then travel to the local movie theater for a film and refreshments. Southwest Key visit BZUSY members visit Southwest Key, a local nonprofit outreach organization catering to Central and South American youth separated from their families, and deliver holiday gifts collected by the congregation. Holiday Rescue Mission volunteering BZUSY members volunteer for the Rescue Mission of El Paso serving Christmas Eve lunch and preparing for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals. Sun Bowl Thanks to the generosity of Helen of Troy and the Rubin family, BZUSY members attend the New Year s Eve college football game at Sun Bowl stadium on the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) campus. Homework and Hangout BZUSY members gather in the youth lounge to socialize, nosh, and help one another with school work. Yom Hashoah Yellow Candle assembly BZUSY members assist the B nai Zion Men s Club with the Yom Hashoah Yellow Candle program by assembling and labeling boxes, folding donations letters and candle lighting prayers, inserting the candles, and sorting the boxes for mailing to the congregation. Tour of El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center BZUSY members are led on a tour of the El Paso Holocaust Museum by a docent followed by a group discussion about tolerance. BZUSY at Winkey Doodles Paintball Adventure BZUSY members divide into teams to assault one another at the local paintball field. Tour of B nai Zion Biblical Garden BZUSY members enjoy Israeli snacks in the B nai Zion Biblical Garden before touring mini-israel and discussing geography, history, and personal stories related to the Jewish homeland. B nai Zion Blessing of the Animals BZUSY members bring their pets to the B nai Zion playground for a creative service and individual animal blessings by Rabbi Leon and present the Humane Society of El Paso with a sizable check from monies collected from a year-long fundraiser and generous donations from members of the congregation.

16 2010 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Best of Programs ISRAEL 1. CRUSY- Beth Shalom, Pittsburgh USY/Kadima members attended the viewing of a documentary about the life of Hanna Senesh, during which our teens reached out to new (and future) members, both before and after the viewing with pointed conversations. In conjunction with other local organizations (United Jewish Federation and the Pittsburgh youth shaliach), we also helped bring an Israeli band and opened the performance as a community event. Over 40 Kadima-niks attended the concert, as well as many USYers. 2. CHUSY- Beth Hillel, Willmette, IL 3. ECRUSY- Agudath Israel, Ottawa, ON (JACCUSY) Our best Israel Program was Israel Cake-Off. This program was created by Michaela Sadinsky, our chapter IA. In this program we started out by learning about some places in Israel (the Western Wall, the JNF Forests, The Dead Sea, etc.). We were then divided into groups and each given one of these places. We had slabs of cake, icing and lots of decorations and we had to create our groups place. After the cakes were judged and then the program was finished with everyone eating their cake and discussing summer programs. This program had a great attendance and everyone had a lot of fun. 4. EPA- Kesher Israel, West Chester, PA Israel Lounge Night (1/27/10)- Our I/A night at the beginning of 2010 was an Israel Lounge Night. We had a brand new youth lounge built in the basement, so we were able to hold Israel Night in the new lounge. We bought several

17 Israeli snacks to eat throughout the night while we talked about Israel. One of our I/A VPs was in Israel for 3 months at the beginning of the school year, so he showed everyone a PowerPoint of his pictures and experiences while teaching us some of the interesting things he learned. Our other I/A VP was in Israel for the summer. She also showed us a PowerPoint of the pictures she had taken. Next, one of the presidents shared a PowerPoint she made about her trip and events on Pilgrimage. Everyone enjoyed learning about and seeing some of the magnificent sights of Israel, and others who have visited Israel shared their memories. It was an Israel-filled night, and some of the USYers were convinced to go on Pilgrimage in the future summers! 5. METNY- Forest Hills Jewish Center

18 6. EMTZA- Shaare Zedek, St. Louis, MO Last year SZSL s favorite Israel program was by far A Taste of Israel. We took this program and updated it to make it a program full of learning and Israel awesomeness. USYer s paired up into teams on tables and were given a slip of paper with an Israeli city on it. Our REL/ED/ Israeli Affairs Vice President Josh Aroesty than gave a description about each city and a historical story from each city. Each team was given about fifteen minutes to make their city using ice cream, Twizzlers, M & M s, chocolate syrup, gummy candies, caramel, and various other toppings. The winning team got to go in line first for the falafel making station we had set up for dinner. The really cool thing about this program is that we usually charge people just five dollars to cover the food cost, but last year we decided to charge six dollars and thirteen cents. Every person who came to the program was automatically enrolled in the 613 mitzvah club. The taste of Israel program not only taught SZSL members about Israel, but also inspired many of our USYer s to learn more about it and make pilgrimage to Israel this summer. 7. NERUSY- Temple Israel, Sharon, MA This year we had a Yom Ha Atzmaut Party. At the party, we had Israeli food, sang Hatikvah, listened to Israeli music, and played a giant game that is a cross between Monopoly and trivia. We had a giant map of Israel that you can walk on that we used as a board. Teams were then able to walk around Israel and purchase sites in Israel by answering questions about the sites. We also had Israeli cuisine and listened to popular Israeli music. Our Israel affairs VP also led a discussion on what was going on currently in Israel and Iran. 8. Hagalil- Adath Shalom, Morris Plains, NJ 9. New Frontier- Palo Alto USY, Palo Alto, CA In this event we and sjcusy went to Santa Clara paintball. There, after a few introductions and mixers, split up into two teams and played a few rounds of paintball. I arranged, with the help of Magali, to meet up with a former colonel of the IDF, to discuss not only discuss the IDF, but also apply military strategy to paintball. After a brief talk about the IDF and his life as a solider, he spoke about his job as Director of the Northwest Region of the organization FIDF, or Friends of the IDF. This organization offers social, educational, cultural, and recreational programs and facilities for the young men and women who have dedicated their lives to protecting Israel. Learning about such a great

19 foundation was very inspiring. After Colonel Amit Tesler shared some battle strategies and techniques, and then were sent off again to play some more. It was amazing how instantly both teams performed much better, and the battle completely changed around. The even not only taught us how to paintball, but of the IDF, the importance to join, and the importance of supporting our troops. 10. Pinwheel- Herzl Ner Tamid (ACHIM), Seattle, WA Every spring, Seattle Achim has an Israel event to celebrate Israel's birthday and to teach USYers more about our holy land! J-Team, the Jewish philanthropy program that looks for teens to join their board and help allocate money to charities all around the world, gave a short presentation to the USYers to encourage them to join the following year. Then we jumped right into our programs. Before each activity, we would explain that portion of Israeli history the game represents. To teach about the British blockade of Holocaust survivors from Israel, we played a modified version of Sharks and Minnows (in which the Sharks are the British and the Minnows are the boats full of immigrants). After that, we tried out the Kibbutz life with a water relay that requires the kind of teamwork needed for Kibbutzim workers, and split up into groups to try and build the tallest structures with only dried spaghetti and limited tape. Finally, after an a barbeque and Israeli salad, we twisted a mafia murder game to make it a Hagganah vs Irgun conflict that we historically explained beforehand. This event won Best Regional Israel Program and Regional Israel Advocacy Program as well. 11. Hagesher- Adath Jeshurun, Elkins Park, PA The Falafel Night is AJ USY's opening event. As food is one of the elements that gets all USYers to come to events, that's the appeal for this one as well. There is of course the fixings for Falafel, and other Israeli foods and candies. Israeli music is playing in the background to set the mood of the Israel theme. This past year, we set up a table for "make your own flag," an area where USYers could design their own Israeli flag with the parts they saw fit and then they would explain their reasons. Additionally we had several USYers speak to the group about their experiences on Pilgrimage, TRY and USY High, and camp Israel trips in order to get the USYers excited about going to Israel. 12. Hanegev- Temple Beth Torah, Tamarac, FL ShiratHasticker Goal- The Program focuses on showing USYer the meaning of public views on certain events and problems. They will be looking at Bumper stickers found in Israel and will be discussing the meaning behind them and what they think they mean. USYers will not only learn and discuss Israel, but also will be able to make stickers themselves. Preparation/Result -Tell the USYers before the program that they should bring their favorite bumper sticker that they own or have seen. They may print one from online. Make sure you have the song on an mp3 player or a CD. Print and

20 make copies of the lyrics to the song. Read the information on HadagNachash and the origin of the Shirat HaSticker song. We created a power point presentation with the lyrics and 5 examples of bumper stickers, and a full explanation and trigger questions. We provided blank stickers for each USYer to create their own bumper sticker and then we auctioned them off raising $ for TO. All USYers were involved in discussion and nobody was left out. STEPHANIE NICHOL AND JAKE WINN ATTENDED THIS PROGRAM and was a lot of fun! 13. SWUSY- B nai Zion, El Paso, TX Tour of B nai Zion Biblical Garden BZUSY members gathered in the Cantor David Leon Biblical Garden, a replica of the state of Israel on the Synagogue property, on a Sunday afternoon for a snack of Bamba and wafers before touring the area. While walking the path from Eilat to Tiberias, BZUSY members shared stories of their personal journeys in the Jewish homeland and the Israel Affairs VP discussed the geography, landmarks and history.

21 2010 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Best of Programs Religion/Education 1. CRUSY- Beth Shalom, Pittsburgh This year, to accompany our ongoing weekly service, our Rel/Ed came up with a wonderful idea to establish a continuous studied curriculum. With the help of our rabbi, Rabbi Mike Werbow and other Jewish community professionals, we created a curriculum that studies the Book of Joshua, one chapter at a time. This program will culminate with a siyyum celebration, sure to be an exciting and boisterous event. 2. CHUSY- Beth Hillel, Willmette, IL 3. ECRUSY- Agudath Israel, Ottawa, ON Our best Rel-Ed program runs throughout the year. It is called Tefillateinu and it is a USY-style, USY-run prayer service for kids in the congregation. USYers research the parsha and come up with a special activity relating to the weeks portion and run through it along with a service full of discussions. This brings youth into the synagogue on a weekly basis, keeps USYers up to date with the Torah portion and gets younger involved and excited about Judaism. 4. Kesher Israel, West Chester, PA Our synagogue hosted a few Shabbat services at our synagogue this year. Many chapter members attended each and the main one had 25 attendees which is half of our members! The congregation loved our creative ways of praying and greatly enjoyed our enthusiasm as a chapter. The rabbi begged us to come back and host some more next year! After Kiddush, we hosted a Ruach session in the social hall and got many of the congregants very involved in some of our

22 songs. Many of the members also remembered a few of the tunes from their USY days. It was fun for all! 5. Forest Hills Jewish Center, Forest Hills, NY 6. EMTZA- Shaare Zedek, St. Louis, MO SZSL is very proud of our ability to combine religion with really fun activities. One of our best REL/ED programs from last year was the Havdalah Hayride. Everyone gathered at the synagogue and did an Emtza style Havdalah, with a little SZSL twist in it. SZSL is a real community and at this havdalah service it

23 was definitely clear. After services we were off to the hayrides! On the ride there the bus was filled with USYer s singing their favorite Jewish songs, from songs we learned from EMTZA to our Jewish camp songs. At the farm we all sat down made s mores and our REL/ED Vice Predisent, Josh Aroesty, opened a discussion about Havdallah and how it came to be and how Jews end Shabbat in a different ways. Of course it was interrupted with USYer s. 7. NERUSY- Temple Israel, Sharon, MA SA/TO Sports Day/Kosher for Passover Shabbat Dinner was a fun-filled Passover day when our chapter came to the temple to participate in a series of relay races based on the 10 plagues. Races included leap frog (frogs), building LEGO sculptures blindfolded (darkness), and games of dodge ball (hail). The event cost $5, all of which went to Tikkun Olam. Later that day, the chapter reconvened at a member s house to cook a kosher for Passover Shabbat dinner together. For dinner, we got creative with the limited food choices we had for Passover and ate delicious gnocchi. While the food was cooking we went outside and played Frisbee in the yard. After a USYer-led Ma ariv service, we had dinner and sang ruach. The day incorporated SA/TO and Rel/Ed aspects. 8. Hagalil- Adath Shalom, Morris Plains, NJ 9. New Frontier- Palo Alto USY, Palo Alto, CA We first stopped off at the Mountain View Farmer's Market and had a guided tour/talk about kashrut and Slowsher philosophy (food that s slow AND kosher!) through the market by The Kitchen Table's Executive Chef, Chaim Davids. After purchasing a kosher picnic at the market, we headed to Foothills Park to enjoy a picnic lunch and then had hike experience led by me (Nathan Dinitz) and Sarah Rovin We had worked together with Rabbi Matzkin to create a program for everyone to learn about sefirot and some Jewish ideas about connecting with the nature surrounding us through spiritual and physical energies. 10. Pinwheel- Herzl Ner Tamid (ACHIM), Seattle, WA Our first rel-ed program of the night was a question and answer session about personal beliefs concerning Judaism. The discussions were so electric that it ran fifteen minutes over and no one noticed. Our rabbi came in while we had dessert and talked to us about the four children present at the passover seder-- how we can interpret their meaning in the seder.

24 In the morning, we led services for the congregation at Herzl Ner Tamid. Our second main program was to create our own type Judaism in chocolate form. Everyone had a basic framework of a chocolate cup, and would add a type of candy if the representative meaning was something they believed Judaism should have (ex: put in whipped cream if you think keeping Shabbat is a necessity). In the evening, we had a mysterious recipe to find and a thief to catch! Everyone received a personality and unique background information. We dived into character. Just to give you an overall idea, the cast included a nastymouthed oompa loompa, the golden calf, Charlie and his friends, and a crazed Mashgiach. We finished the Shabbaton with a USY-style Havdallah the cherry on top of the delicious weekend we all had!! Note: one of the character explanation sheets for the recipe stealing mystery is below there were 35 parts written up for this mystery, each just as (or more so for the main characters) intricate as the following: Golden Calf the Idol who acts like a Movie star. Behavior/Personality: You are chill, laid-back, and pretty proud of yourself. Add, whatever to basically everything you say, and keep your head up high. You still think that everyone should worship you and the ground you step on. YOU ARE SUPER CONDESCENDING. If anyone mentions the recipe, scoff and say you bet that it's just lost somewhere. Willy Wonka's candy isn't that good, anyway. Information you are aware of: You knew absolutely nothing because... Where you were at the time the recipe was stolen: You were actually off in some desert when the recipe was stolen. You were not invited to the party, and you don't want anyone to figure that out. Top Suspects: 1) The Mashgiach, because she/he is giving you a hard time for being here. 2) Augustus, because he looks like he's going to eat you. 3) The Rabbi, because you think he is definitely smarter than how he acts. Things to Accomplish: You have your favorite pokemon card with you. And you have a friend that is dying of chicken pox. You know that there is a doctor here somewhere, but you really don't know who it is. All you know is that they have medicine, and that is the only reason you came. Find them and buy the medicine with anything you have. Aka your pokemon card. Interactions with specific individuals: You dislike both the Rabbi and the mashgiach. If they ever talk to you, just say moo rather haughtily and walk away. You like the oompa-loompa known as Jupiter because you think he/she is HILARIOUS. Mock Mars when he/she gets really mad and mimic Veruca when she throws a fit. The Angel is pretty cool, once you get to know him. Go up to him and give him a hug whenever someone yells at him. copyright Seattle Achim Hagesher- Adath Jeshurun, Elkins Park, PA Every year, AJ's youth help to lead services on Youth Shabbat. It is a time when not only the USYers, but the Kadimanicks as well get to step up and show the congregation the presence of the our generation within our community. The Rel/Ed and a few fellow board members worked together to organize the leaders, torah readers, and luncheon for Youth Shabbat. The board was active

25 in calling as many youth as possible and allowing the youngest members of our congregation to lead smaller parts or parts in English. The rabbi led a trivia bowl with many great prizes that were donated by members in the synagogue, such as sports tickets, jerseys, books, and other little toys and candies. Additionally, two or three board members are able to give speeches about their USY experiences and Israel programs. It is a great weekend for promotion and support from synagogue. 12. Hanegev- Temple Beth Torah, Tamarac, FL Learn While You Pray Goal- To create a learning environment in which we could ask questions and actually learn while we pray. Our youth director put the service together, with creative English explanation after each essential part. Some of the English parts were funny, while, at the same time, educational. The passages came from different Internet sources, which provided great opportunities for USYers to ask questions. Preparation/Results- 1. Assign Hebrew parts to those who know how to read, and then assign creative English explanations to those who can t read Hebrew. 2. Make prayer booklets out of the research done with creative English explanations and the actual prayers and blessing in Hebrew. 3. Explain to the participants that smart questions that everyone can learn from will be rewarded with Smartee s and questions that are not so smart are rewarded with a Dum Dum. 4. No one is allowed as ask question until the prayer is done and the creative explanation is read. Questions must be asked in accordance with the corresponding part of the service 5. Make sure that the story that is told is related to the creative learning concept. 6. Have a nice Oneg so that the USYers can hang out and talk about what they learned. 13. SWUSY- B nai Zion, El Paso, TX BZUSY Shabbat BZUSY members took charge of Friday evening and Saturday morning Shabbat services, leading Kabbalat Shabbat, Mincha and Ma ariv, Shachrit, and Musaf as well as Torah readings, Aliyot, and English and Hebrew readings. Kadima-aged students also participated by opening the ark and leading the Ashrei, and the BZUSY REC VP delivered the D var Torah on both days.

26 2010 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Best of Programs Social Action and Tikun Olam 1. CRUSY- Beth Shalom, Pittsburgh Social Action Programming- Upcoming in March, BSUSY will team up with the Temple Sinai NFTY chapter to host a city-wide Haiti relief fundraiser. At this point, three weeks before the event, over 250 teens have RSVPed. The event is sure to be a huge success. Tikun Olam Programming- This fall, BSUSY visited a plot of land donated to the local Hillel Jewish University Center and spent the afternoon weeding and tilling the soil there with the help of two college students. Afterwards, Maya Rosen organized a group discussion on Jewish farming ethics and environmental values. 2. CHUSY- Beth Hillel, Willmette, IL

27 3. ECRUSY- Agudath Israel, Ottawa, ON Social Action Program Our best Social Action program is another thing that runs through the year. It is collecting food for our food bank. At every program the option of donating canned food is always advertised and given, and though this we collect valuable resources for the food bank. We also have special program designed to collect food. One in particular actually had a Tikkun Olam element to it. It was the all famous Wacky-Mack program on Purim. Our chapter got together and decorated Wacky-Mack boxes and then sold them as greggors for the Megillah Reading. We then donated all of the Wacky Wack boxes to the Ottawa Kosher Food Bank which is run out of our chapter's synagogue. Tikun Olam Program: Our best Tikkun Olam Program was the highlight of our year. It was called Casinukah and brought out 40 attendants. In this program we rented Casino tables and had games running all night. People were given a certain number of chips to play with, and they could pay for more. Whenever they decided to they could go cash in their chips for raffle tickets. Members of our synagogue had very generously donated many prizes for the raffle, one of which was two tickets to an Ottawa Senators hockey game. Also at this event were lots of snacks, and there was an ice cream bar which you had to pay extra to use. The ticket price payed for the decorations and the actual program plus a built in TO donation, and all of the optional spending was for TO including an optional donation at the door. To make the night feel special it was semi-formal, and we had a volunteer photographer taking pictures at the door. This program was certainly a night to remember. 4. EPA- Kesher Israel, West Chester, PA In May, we hosted a SA/TO day at our synagogue. This fun-filled morning included a bagel and lemonade sale and a car wash for the members of the congregation. We had many of our members (and their parents!) volunteer to help out with this program. The parents who dropped their kids off at Sunday School loved an inexpensive car wash for a good cause. All of our hard work and planning paid off because the rabbis and all of the other staff members of the synagogue and parents were raving about the great attitudes and car washing skills of our enthusiastic members. 5. Forest Hills Jewish Center, Forest Hills, NY

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29 6. EMTZA- Shaare Zedek, St. Louis, MO Go Green Lounge Night- A program dedicated to why going green is important as Jews and ways to recycle and conserve. 7. NERUSY- Temple Israel, Sharon, MA This year to celebrate Passover, Sharon USY had a Social Justice Chocolate Seder. We used our special Sharon USY social justice Haggadot edited and updated by our SATO VP and his general board. In addition to the traditional Passover blessings and stories, these Haggadot included information and statistics on things such as homelessness, unemployment, and domestic violence. For the food, we made a seder plate with all chocolate foods, such as chocolate eggs, a chocolate cow to replace the shank bone, bitter chocolate, trail mix for charoseth, and leaf cookies, to represent the items on a traditional plate. Alongside the chocolate seder plate there was an actual one set up with all the normal foods. To represent the wine we had chocolate milk. Using the haggadah as a base, the SATO s led discussions based on topics involving how we as individuals and as a community can better the world we live in. Good times were had by all while we expanded our social consciousness.

30 Tikun Olam Program - This year, as in the last three years, Sharon USY sent a group to build houses for Habitat for Humanity. Our group of 9 USYers went down to Miami over our February break and had a great time. A large majority of the participants are not active in USY, and in fact joined USY for the purpose of this program, making this not only a SATO activity, but also a Membership increasing activity. While there, we also did various services and study groups, making Habitat a Rel/Ed activity. The participants, newly charged about social action and USY will be drawn on to communicate about the program to potential future participants, making Habitat a Communication event! The program also taught the participants about poverty, housing and racial issues. It also gave the teens a chance to be around a lot of people who were not Jewish and may have never met Jews before. This was quite a cultural experience. The USYers served as ambassadors for the entire Jewish people. While people usually think that Tikun Olam is only about raising money, Sharon USY took it a step further by rebuilding the world, one house at a time. 8.Hagalil- Adath Shalom, Morris Plains, NJ 9. New Frontier- Palo Alto USY, Palo Alto, CA The USYers made sandwiches at our synagogue, and then we all went to Haight and Ashbury, a very hip and cool section of San Francisco. On our way to San Francisco, we stopped at a beach to do a quick beach clean up. Once we got to the Haight, in addition to free time to hang out and wander through the many awesome stores, each group of USYers had a bag of the sandwiches that we made to hand out to the many homeless people who wander around there. Overall, the event was our most popular with the greatest turnout, and everyone benefited from learning how easy it is to personally help out the poor and hungry. 10.Pinwheel- Herzl Ner Tamid (ACHIM), Seattle, WA Social Action Program J-Serve For the Spring event of our seasonal SA/TO programs, we did a community-wide volunteer program called J-Serve. It s an annual event that

31 brings Jews from every youth group and transports them to places all around the greater-seattle area to volunteer. There were over 80 teens there total, and about 18 USYers present. Everyone chose the site that they felt most connected to: some people went to Eastside Baby Corner or Treehouse to sort/fold children s clothes, the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club to help them move furniture, or helped around the Jewish Community Center to help set up posters, and move furniture and tables. This day each year keeps us grounded and connected as Jews helping the world. It doesn t matter how big or small the action is, every minute counts when we are positively affecting the people around us. This was a great project for our USYers to learn and help people in our community. Tikun Olam Program Masquerade Casino night When the clock struck seven on February 20 th the guests poured in. Who were they? No one knew... they were hidden behind their formal gowns and feathered masks. They numbered over forty, each one donating $10 for poker chips as they passed through the open doors of the Hostesses home. There were tables set up for blackjack, roulette, poker, and some decks of cards waiting for a new game to be explained and played for chips. Some won, some lost, but all enjoyed the exotic chips and seven layer bean dips, the virgin martinis, and the delicate desserts while making new friends and raising what totaled over two hundred and thirty dollars for Tikkun Olam! Before the grandfather clock chimed ten o clock, raffle tickets were purchased with poker chips, and a few lucky winners won a few special prizes, ranging from lava lamps to alarm clocks to a mini fondue fountain. The guests left, promising to return, and disappeared into the night 11. Hagesher- Adath Jeshurun, Elkins Park, PA Social Action Program For the last four years, AJ USY hosted a Hanukkah Celebration for mentally and physically handicapped adults. We work with an organization called Gam Yachad, which brings these Jewish adults together for the holidays, to gain a sense of community. The USY members are able to bring a fun afternoon to these adults through a series of festivities. Usually, the afternoon starts with some type of art project, such as making one's own menorah. Afterward, there is Hannukah-festive foods like potato latkes with apple sauce and sour cream, and the jelly donut sufganiot. The USYers love that they get to make the adults so happy, and celebrate Hanukkah in such a special way. Additionally, the USYers help to make the food together before the event starts. Tikun Olam Program AJ USY's Mitzvah Movie Marathon is one that the USYers look forward to all year. The event starts at 7pm and ends at around 7am, (although USYers sometimes stay longer) for an evening of movies and lots and lots of fun.

32 The movies start right away, and the USYers bring them from home or rent some movies before they come to the synagogue. The movies range from slapstick and romantic comedies to Disney movies, Israeli movies, and action-packed movies. The USYers have a minimum fee of $20, but are encouraged to give any higher amount they please. The money goes right to the chapter Tikun Olam money. There are tables of food for the USYers to snack on, and two meals are offered also. Besides the movie room, there is also the game room. In this room there are Wii Games and Madden Football Competitions as well as board games. The Madden Football Competitions are $5 per player. This event has always provided a fun, social atmosphere as well as a great way for us to raise our Tikun Olam funds. 12. Hanegev- Temple Beth Torah, Tamarac, FL Plant a tree: Here & in Israel Goal-The purpose of this program was to celebrate Tu b shvat and share the holiday with our congregation. The trees growing here at home will represent the tree growing in Israel. Preparation- Make a flyer that states that the youth department will be selling trees for Tu b shvat. Each tree that someone buys will be planted at their house, so include space where they can tell you the location in their yard where the tree will be planted. The trees should sell for $36 dollars per order. That covers a donation to plant a tree in Israel and a donation to the youth department. We went to home depot and they donated baby trees as well as the planting soil. This covers all the cost. The shovels and gloves should come from your USYers homes. There will be no money spent. Also make sure that you have cars that can take the USYer to plant the tree. Implementation shovels for digging in the ground, one very large bag of planting soil, 8-10 Garbage Bags, Multiple Pairs of yard gloves, Water Jugs, Water from a hose, Small Trees (Depends on how many are sold). Separate USYers into groups and assign each group to a certain amount of houses and plant trees. Tikun Olam Program TBT Derby (Day at the Horse Races) Goal- The goal of this program was to involve our synagogue members in a joint program, which would promote the youth department while raising money for TO. Our secondary goal was to offer a no charge fun program for all so as to increase participation. The money raised came from the food purchases, the betting on the races, and the sponsorship of each of the six horses. Preparation/Results - Once we selected a date 3 months in advance, we selected 6 USYers ho would dress up like the horse jockeys. We gave each USYer a letter, drafted by our Director, so that they can get an individual or a company to sponsor a horse for $ In return, the sponsor would receive free advertisement in the monthly newsletter, and they would get to decorate the horse and jockey (bumper stickers, t-shirts, signs etc ).

33 We made a track in the social hall with spaces that are 24 inches X 24 inches. We had a starting point and a finish line with 15 spaces in between. We also had a concession stand selling hotdogs, snacks, and refreshments. We had a betting window, which sold tickets for each race. We acquired 6 10 prizes for the Chinese auction at the end for all of the inners prize tickets. We had 125 participants ranging from pre-school to Senior itizens. We raised about $2, SWUSY- B nai Zion, El Paso, TX Social Action Program Southwest Key visit BZUSY members visited Southwest Key, a local non-profit outreach organization catering to Central and South American youth separated from their families to deliver holiday gifts collected by the congregation and to interact with the teenage residents. As many of the BZUSYers are bilingual (fluent in both English and Spanish), they were able to communicate with the residents and compare their experiences living in El Paso. Tikun Olam Program Raise Your Paws for Peace Blessing of the Animals After a year-long Raise Your Paws for Peace silicone bracelet fundraiser, this Tikun Olam project culminated in a Blessing of the Animals led by Rabbi Leon. Members of the congregation and the El Paso community at large gathered on the B nai Zion playground with their pets for a meet-and-greet, a creative service and individual animal blessings. BZUSY members and the SATO VP were proud to present the Humane Society of El Paso a sizable check from monies collected from bracelet sales and generous donations from members of the congregation. While most attendees brought their canine companions, one family showed up with a guinea pig and another four chicks!

34 2010 USY International Chapter of the Year Nominees Best of Programs Social Programs 1. CRUSY- Beth Shalom, Pittsburgh In December, BSUSY hosted a co-shul-in with BGUSY attended by 40 USYers. There we ran a convention-style schedule, involving full prayer services, and full teen involvement and leadership. We discussed being Jewish in the diaspora, as well as how Judaism affects your everyday life. In the spirit of Hanukkah, we also did a great gift swap 2.CHUSY- Beth Hillel, Willmette, IL 3. ECRUSY- Agudath Israel, Ottawa, ON Social Program: Our best Social Program occured at the beginning of our year and it was "Spring Action", a trampoline program. We went to a trampoline studio and had a lesson with an instructor, and after we had snacks in a private room. It was very simple, but it went very well and drew in some new members which was very exciting. 4. EPA- Kesher Israel, West Chester, PA Movie Night (11/21/09)- In November, we had a Havdalah/movie night. At 7 PM, all 30 (approximately) attendants gathered in the synagogue to end Shabbat with Havdalah. After Shabbat was over, our chapter board members played a few icebreakers with the USYers, and then we all gathered into the social hall to watch a movie. But, in order to watch a movie, we had to vote! To raise money for SA/TO, everyone voted with money for their favorite movie