ATLANTA, GA – Jumpspark’s Strong Women Fellowship, an empowering educational cohort for Jewish teens in grades 9-12, has continued to grow in size and expand programming to feature a Teen Board leadership position for third year returning fellows to give oversight over the fellowship throughout the year, interest-based cohorts for increased community building among fellows, small group meetings using Moving Traditions’ Rosh Hodesh curriculum, and increased leadership responsibilities for second-year returning teens. The 68 fellows participating in 2020-21 represent 17 high schools and 14 synagogues from the Atlanta metro.
The Strong Women Fellowship, launched in fall 2018 with an initial cohort of 28 teens, provides unparalleled access to strong women leaders, thinkers and voices shaping their world. Each month fellows meet guest speakers, build relationships in small groups, and grapple with the issues facing young women. The program is funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta, and the Jim Joseph Foundation.
After her experience in the fellowship last year, Sophie Kieffer said, “JumpSpark brought together an array of Jewish girls from across Atlanta with vastly different backgrounds, life experiences, and awareness of social issues. Our sessions taught us the skills to enter the world as college students, exposed us to the rich diversity of Jewish Atlanta, and heightened our awareness on the key social issues impacting our time.”
Monthly guests include local female Jewish professionals and leaders, as well as national leaders and influencers, that speak on relevant topics such as women in business, civic engagement, mental health, disability inclusion, and more. Guests this year include Stephanie Kaplan Lewis (co-founder, chief executive officer, and editor-in-chief of Her Campus), Lauren Berger (CEO & Founder of both CareerQueen.com and InternQueen.com), Caroline Rothstein (internationally touring and acclaimed writer, poet, and performer), Pamela Schuller (internationally known inclusion advocate), and more. For the full itinerary, visit https://jumpsparkatl.org/strong-jewish-women-speakers/.
New this year, JumpSpark has developed a Teen Leadership Board open to third year returning fellows to incorporate teen voice into every aspect of the fellowship. The Teen Board chose the speakers for the year and the topics to be discussed in the fellowship’s small groups. They will also give high-level feedback on the fellowship throughout the year and will continue to shape the fellowship’s growth and development.
The 2020-21 Teen Board includes:
Téa Barton
Emma Cohen
Lauren Cohn
Rachel Cohn
Sydney Fox
Tamar Guggenheim
Katie Hurwitz
Maya Laufer
Stella Mackler
Macy Mannheimer
Emma Nowitz
Lilah Presser
Zoe Siegel
Lili Stadler
Rene Walter
In addition, with the help of Rachel Alterman Wallack of VOX ATL, Atlanta’s home for uncensored teen publishing and self-expression, JumpSpark has reinvigorated a robust Peer Leader program for second year returning fellows offering leadership roles, tailored training and group facilitation resources, event planning experience, and resume-building skills and opportunities.
The 2020-21 Peer Leaders include:
Eva Beresin
Mollie Binderman
Rachel Binderman
Gabby Cope
Sarah Dowling
Alexa Freedman
Ruby Frohman
Julia Harris
Amelia Heller
Kayla Jacobs
Rebecca Kann
Phoebe Kaplan
Kira Mermelstein
Miriam Raggs
Skylar Rosenberg
Jenna Sailor
Peyton Schwartz
Noa Young
Audrey Zef
The 2020-21 Strong Women fellows are:
Ariella Ayenesazan, Peachtree Ridge HS c/o 2024
Téa Barton*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2021
Eva Beresin*, The Weber School c/o 2023
Mollie Binderman*, North Springs HS c/o 2023
Rachel Binderman*, The Weber School c/o 2022
Ella Brill, Decatur HS, c/o 2024
Maia Capuano, Alpharetta HS c/o 2024
Ryan Carter, Grady HS c/o 2024
Emma Cohen*, Woodward Academy c/o 2022
Lauren Cohn*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2021
Rachel Cohn*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2021
Dana Cohn, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024
Gabby Cope*, Lakeside HS c/o 2023
Gavrielle Diamant, The Weber School c/o 2024
Sarah Dowling*, The Lovett School c/o 2022
Sydney Fox*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2021
Leora Frank, Atlanta Jewish Academy c/o 2024
Ryan Frank, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024
Alexa Freedman*, The Galloway School c/o 2022
Ruby Frohman*, Dunwoody HS c/o 2023
Marissa Goodman*, Pace Academy c/o 2022
Jules Greenberg, The Galloway School c/o 2024
Eden Guggenheim, The Weber School c/o 2024
Tamar Guggenheim*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2022
Julia Harris*, Dunwoody HS c/o 2023
Amelia Heller*, The Weber School c/o 2023
Katie Hurwitz*, Johns Creek HS c/o 2021
Kayla Jacobs*, Pope HS c/o 2021
Rebecca Kann*, Pace Academy c/o 2022
Phoebe Kaplan*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2023
Nicole Katz, North Springs HS c/o 2023
Rachel Katz, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024
Leah May Kogon, The Weber School c/o 2024
Kayla Kornfeld, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2023
Maya Laufer*, Dunwoody HS c/o 2022
Amber Lewis, The Weber School c/o 2024
Maya Lewis, The Weber School c/o 2023
Stella Mackler*, Grady HS c/o 2022
Macy Mannheimer*, Milton HS c/o 2021
Kira Mermelstein*, Atlanta Jewish Academy c/o 2021
Mollie Meyerowitz, Pace Academy c/o 2022
Leah Moradi, The Weber School c/o 2023
Hannah Much, Pace Academy c/o 2023
Emma Nowitz*, North Springs HS c/o 2022
Leah Perlman, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024
Lilah Presser*, The Weber School c/o 2021
Rebecca Price, Druid Hills HS c/o 2023
Ariel Raggs*, Chamblee Charter HS c/o 2021
Miriam Raggs*, The Weber School c/o 2023
Zoe Richmond, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024
Lulu Rosenberg*, North Springs HS c/o 2022
Skylar Rosenberg*, Lakeside HS c/o 2023
Jenna Sailor*, Dunwoody HS c/o 2023
Ava Satisky, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024
Ariel Scher, Saint Francis HS c/o 2023
Peyton Schwartz*, Pope HS c/o 2023
Zoe Siegel*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2022
Jamie Silberman, Dunwoody HS c/o 2024
Lenah Simons, Grady HS c/o 2024
Lilly Srochi, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024
Lili Stadler*, The Weber School c/o 2021
Lily Stoumen*, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2021
Leah Taube, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024
Rene Walter*, Dunwoody HS c/o 2021
Noa Young*, North Springs HS c/o 2023
Audrey Zeff*, Grady HS c/o 2023
Alex Zelcer*, Woodward Academy c/o 2021
Bailey Zibitt, Riverwood Int’l School c/o 2024
*Denotes returning Strong Women fellow
JumpSpark, Atlanta’s hub for Jewish teen innovation and engagement, connects and invests in the community to create more meaningful and defining moments for Jewish teens in Atlanta. Serving teens, their parents, and educators that work with teens, JumpSpark offers empowering teen programs, Navigating Parenthood workshops, professional development, and grants. JumpSpark is supported as an innovation initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, by the Jim Joseph Foundation, and by generous donors in the community. jumpsparkatl.org.
Today The Jewish Education Project launched an ambitious new initiative to transform teen travel to Israel. Known as RootOne, the initiative is seeded with a $20 million gift from The Marcus Foundation and will help tens of thousands of teens travel there each summer with major subsidies for trip participants. We’re thrilled to partner with five leading youth serving organizations (YSOs)— BBYO, USY, Ramah, Union of Reform Judaism (URJ), and NCSY—to elevate their Israel experiences and to make them more affordable for more families.
Beyond increasing the number of teens and affordability of these trips, RootOne is an investment in the unique, immersive learning these trips provide. The initiative will support new trip curricula and offer deeper pre and post-trip engagement to strengthen participants’ Jewish identities and connections to community and Israel. We’ve brought on The iCenter for Israel Education to train all American staff who will lead trips, using their similar, proven model through which they train Birthright Israel staff. The iCenter also will help prepare Israeli teens who will join the trips since we know how impactful those peer-to-peer relationships are.
For decades, The Jewish Education Project has supported and resourced educators to deliver meaningful Israel education. But simply put, RootOne is a game-changer that takes these efforts to an entirely new level. It has the potential to impact a generation of young people. During the formative teen years, these trips can set a teen on a path for ongoing, meaningful Jewish engagement filled with lifelong friendships. They can cement a person’s connection to Jewish community, and they are integral to developing Jewish leaders who care deeply about Israel and the Jewish People.
The first RootOne trips are expected to leave summer 2021, with RootOne vouchers lowering the price point by $3,000 per participant. We expect to increase teens traveling to Israel on these trips by nearly 40% year over year. By 2025, we expect more than 10,000 Jewish teens will travel to Israel on RootOne peer programs every summer. And by 2030, that becomes 20,000 teens.
I invite you to check out the new website RootOne.org to learn more. Please share with your friends and colleagues. And we look forward updating you as this exciting initiative takes flight
Hello! My name is Sabrina Leftoff. This year, I am a senior at North Springs High School.
When Covid19 began to affect our area, school as well as many other time consuming events were cancelled. From this, I was provided with an unaccustomed amount of free time. I decided to reconnect with my love for arts and crafts, considering I normally don’t have the time to do so. I started to obsess over the many things I was able to create, and did not want to stop any time soon.
Although I was content with my crafts, I knew that there were many other people that did not have the same luxury that I was blessed with during quarantine. I began to brainstorm different ways that I could connect my love for art with my concern for those who are suffering. Eventually, I came up with the idea of designing and selling key chains to raise money for an organization that aids people who are suffering during this time. I came into contact with various individuals who provided me with the names of different organizations that fit my interest.
The key chains I designed are a combination of my own drawings, and different slogans that support social justice. I decided to incorporate these slogans so that while people are helping me contribute to those in need, they are also supporting the many movements that deserve of recognition and support. The drawings that are pictured on the key chains are various drawings I did during quarantine. They represent the time I had to focus on creativity and art, while others were struggling. My understanding of this is what initially sparked my desire to help those in need, which is why I decided to incorporate my own designs.
I hope to sell these key chains to spread awareness of the importance of social justice, share my creations with others, and most importantly, make an impact on an organization that speaks to me and is in need of my contributions.
To purchase a key chain and support my project visit:
Recent Comments