Conservative movement finds ‘highly sexualized culture’ in youth programming
An report examining sexual misconduct in the Conservative movement found no "systemic or widespread abuse" but various causes for concern
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News Jewish youth group gets swept into vaccine mandate debate
The mandate from the headquarters of Conservative Judaism’s youth movement is clear: the unvaccinated can’t participate in national and regional events. But that requirement conflicts with anti-mandate laws of a dozen states, including Florida, Texas and Georgia. The result for hundreds of United Synagogue Youth staff and teens caught in the middle ranges from confusion…
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Community How USYers gave over $20,000 to racial justice organizations
As two white, Ashkenazi Jewish teenagers, it could be easy for us to turn a blind eye to systemic racism. Our privilege has shielded us from ever having to fear the police, being left out of school curricula or feeling alienated in our daily lives. The easy route would be to look away and pretend…
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Life First Openly Transgender Teen Elected To USY Board
(JTA) — Sawyer Goldsmith said he has always felt accepted as a a member of the LGBTQ community in United Synagogue Youth, the Conservative movement’s youth group. But the 16-year-old from suburban Chicago hopes his recent election to serve as religion/education vice president on the group’s international board, the first time an openly transgender person…
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News After A Teen Tour Turned Into An Abuse Nightmare, Waiting On An Apology
Jimmy Cohen was a legend to the 47 Jewish teenagers who rode a big tour bus across the United States together in the summer of 1997. The bus trip, officially Bus B of USY on Wheels, Conservative Judaism’s official teen tour, was a six-week-long excuse for the 16-year-olds to hang out, make friends, make out,…
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Culture From Gorka To Carlebach: The Forward Staff’s Favorite Articles Of 2017
2017 has, collectively, been few people’s ideas of a fun year. Still, it’s welcomed a wealth of excellent journalism. While we’ve previously celebrated work from other outlets, the Forward’s staff has also chosen our own most exceptional work from this year — our 120th in business. My picks include Sam Kestenbaum’s deeply reported “How This…
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News Are Jewish Youth Groups’ Hookup Games About Romance — Or Power?
At the annual convention of one Jewish youth group, students whisper about a legendary achievement called “the sweep.” It’s part of a make-out competition called the “points system” that has been played at each of North America’s four major liberal Jewish youth movements at various times over the past three decades. Under the rules of…
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Fast Forward Former USY Director Admits To Sexual Misconduct
A popular former regional director of Conservative Judaism’s youth group admitted to “improper behavior” with teenage boys in an interview with the New York Jewish Week. Two former youth group leaders accused Robert D. Fisher, who ran the Pacific Southwest Region of United Synagogue Youth, of coercing them into sleeping in his bed in the…
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