Attending L'Taken inspired me to run for - and win - a seat on my local board of education
Despite growing up in a Jewish household, it was not until high school that my Judaism really shaped my life’s path.
Related Blog Posts on L'Taken Seminars and Leadership Development
Watching Adulthood Emerge on Capitol Hill
L’Taken is more than a kid-friendly version of real-life citizen engagement. L’Taken is the next step in the adultification of our youth.
Invited into the halls of Congress to urge their elected leaders to effectuate Jewish values, these soon-to-be voters take personal responsibility for their future. They choose issues they are most passionate about and research them with seriousness. (Our delegation focused on healthcare, LGBTQ rights, immigration, reproductive rights, and campaign finance, and issues related to Israel.) They reviewed briefing papers and studied relevant Jewish texts. They debated potential positions on pending legislation.
At L'Taken, Students Advocate on Refugee Resettlement
Over the winter, nearly 2,000 Reform Jewish high school students came to Washington, D.C. for the Bernard and Audre Rapaport L’Taken Social Justice Seminar, where they learn how to be effective advocates and to think about how issues of contemporary social
L'Taken Stays With Us Long After the Season Ends
With another L’Taken season ended, and preparations already beginning for next year, the current class of legislative assistants spent some time reflecting on their experiences working with the teens and chaperones who come to Washington, D.C.
L'Taken Ruach Week!
Thanks to everyone who participated in our inagural L'Taken Ruach Week! This post has been updated below to show the winners of our four prizes. And to thank everyone who participated at L'Taken we will have a special gift for you at L'Taken.
At the RAC, we
L'Taken Student Lobbies to End to Violence Against Women
Over the course of six L’Taken seminars this winter, I had the opportunity to work with inspiring groups of teen advocates dedicated to ending violence against women. At the final seminar of this season, Sasha Halpern, from Temple Brith Achim in King of
Coming Together as a Movement Through Social Justice
By Reuben Bank
When people ask me why I’m passionate about social justice I always struggle to find the correct answer. There are several generic responses that I could go to such as, “because there are so many unjust things in the world,” or another classic, “because I have a passion for helping people,” but these never seem to work for me. They don’t encompass the real reasons that I am passionate about tikkun olam, about repairing the world. I’m not passionate about social justice by itself, I’m not interested in doing random community service hours every weekend. As a Reform Jewish teenager, I am passionate about being a part of a movement.
Teens Connect to Judaism Through Justice
Every year, nearly 2,000 high school-aged Reform Jewish students participate in the Religious Action Center's L'Taken Seminar in Washington, D.C. At the beginning of December, Rabbi Greg Litcofsky, took the confirmation class at his congregation, Temple Emanu-El of West Essex, to Washington D.C. to participate in the L’taken Seminar. The program is designed to expose students to a variety of public policy issues, explore the Jewish values surrounding these issues and teach the skills of an effective advocate. Below, Rabbi Litcofsky and one of Temple Emanu-El’s students, Annabelle Hanflig, reflect on their experience.