With the hope to form safe and welcoming spaces for Jewish teenagers, the Jewish Student Union uses relatability, history and modern technology to provide a positive environment for members.
A meeting for the JSU begins in room 146 with kosher pizza and community. The meetings are led by the Jewish Student Union officers, Co-President Sarah Magazine, Co-President Jordyn Childs, Secretary Addie Gorman, Recruitment Reed Gottesman and Recruitment Ashley Rudolph. These meetings take place in Matthew Salzman’s room on the occasional Friday according to the co-presidents.
Kahoots, slideshows, presentations and rabbi visits help members to learn about Judaism. They strive to provide a valuable experience to feel united and like an active part of the Jewish community.
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and others are all Jewish Holidays that occur in the fall. Learning about the Jewish religion and its holidays is important in having a successful JSU according to Magazine. “Our last meeting was about the High Holidays, so we talked about Rosh Hashanah, and we did a Kahoot. And there’s a lot of community bonding time, getting to know the other Jewish people in the school,” Magazine said.
Members can learn more about the meetings by getting on the email list and following Wootton JSU on Instagram. Holding these meetings that educate Jewish teenagers using modern technology allows members to relate with the past and form communities with others in the present.
These bonding opportunities allow Jewish teenagers to become an active part of the Jewish community. JSU officers help ensure that members can be confident in their Jewish identity and learn about their religion, according to Gorman. “I’m really passionate about Judaism, and I like helping others explore their Jewish identities, and I think it’s really fun if we all get to meet in school, and, like, learn about the holidays, and just have fun together,” Gorman said.
By being able to feel united as a community, connections between members can form. Relatability plays a large role in this club as members can connect their experiences in the club to out of school activities according to Magazine. “The community here, the Jewish community, is rather cohesive, and we all participate in the same activities, so going to JSU was a great time to hang out with my friends from Camp or BBYO,” Magazine said.
Having religious representation helps young Jewish teenagers feel like they matter in their community. Bringing awareness to places that represent different communities can give a sense of belonging Ivy Severe, a freshman and member says. “I think most schools have a representation of a Jewish student Union, and I think it’s just really important to get the word out that, you know, there are places… to have a safe place,” Severe said.
There are over 400 JSU clubs across the nation, with the purpose to help build communities and bond with other Jewish teenagers. Students can join the JSU regardless of how frequently they practice Judaism.
