NFTY Convention 2013!!!

A couple of weeks ago I was on a business trip in Washington D.C. to assist an orientation sponsored by the Office On Violence Against Women.  During an afternoon off, a co-worker and I wondered around D.C. and after much walking, wanted to grab water.   The nearest place to get water was a Starbucks situated in a hotel.  After purchasing the water, I walked into the hotel lobby.  Much to my surprise, I started to feel like I had been there before.  After a few seconds, I remembered the chaos and excitement of hundreds of teenagers chilling in the hotel lobby. I realized that this was the hotel that hosted NFTY Convention 2003 when I was a junior in high school!

Many thoughts ran through my mind, memories of who had been there with me, how incredible it was to be surrounded by that many Jews my own age, and how its been just over 10 years!  So much has happened in those years.  I also got really excited thinking of the upcoming NFTY Convention in Los Angeles and how I have come full circle.  About 10 years ago I was a participant and this year I will be leading workshops at convention as part of Reyut.  

NFTY Convention 2003 (Ari on the left)

NFTY Convention 2003  (Sari on the left)

Many of the moments that shaped my teenage years took place in settings like NFTY, my TYG, and OSRUI.  However, looking back on those moments there was one thing that no one had educated me or my peers about and that was, "What is a healthy relationship, and how do you know if you are not in one?" These spaces created for Reform Jewish Youth are the perfect venues to address these issues and ensure we are fostering a culture for these teens of gender equality and partner equality.  February will be National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.   It is important that we take action during that month.  We are so grateful to NFTY for inviting us to convention so we can talk with teens about how they can, "make their move," on this issue. Healthy Relationship education and Teen Dating Violence are crucial subjects.  This year, they also happen to fit into NFTY's Study Theme (“Hashomer Achi Anochi”- Am I My Brother’s Keeper?) and Action Theme (R'Fuat Hanefesh - Caring for the Soul: NFTY Addresses Mental Health).  We are responsible for ensuring those in our community are in healthy relationships.  We know that unhealthy teen relationships can lead to physical, emotional, and mental health issues that can last a lifetime.  It is so important to be having these conversations in our movement - with teens, with parents, with Jewish professionals.

 NFTY Convention 2013 will be incredible.  Ari and I can still remember Convention 2003 so vividly.  There is not another experience like it.  So register!  We can't wait to see you there.  We can't wait to continue these vital conversations with old friends.  We can't wait to start new conversations.  We can't wait for you to join in Reyut: The Jewish Campaign for Healthy Relationships.