Community programs

At the heart of this fellowship lies a commitment to creating affinity spaces-spaces that provide a sense of belonging and understanding among individuals who share common experiences. Within these spaces, Jewish teens of color are encouraged to explore their personal narratives, discuss the intersections of their identities, and forge deep connections with their peers. Participants will emerge empowered, equipped with the tools to shape a future that celebrates diversity, inclusivity, and social justice.

Tzelem is a transformative teen group for LGBTQ+, nonbinary, and gender expansive teens and allies to explore who they are through Jewish and gender lenses, together with a trained mentor using a dynamic curriculum. A joint project of a number of Baltimore-Area synagogues and 4Front, Baltimore’s teen engagement initiative, and facilitated by Lily Glushakow-Smith, teens will meet monthly in participants homes. The first meeting will will take place on a date and time will be determined by the group. Meetings are held in members’ homes on a rotational basis. There will be a small fee to cover food and materials. Program begins in September and new members will be accepted through 10/31.

Keshet works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life. At Keshet’s Shabbat retreats, LGBTQ and ally Jewish teens are able to exhale; to find their place and their voice as emerging Jewish leaders. Together, they build meaningful friendships, engage in deep Jewish learning, and return home to build a world we can all be proud of. Keshet also creates and promotes virtual and in-person events for LGBTQ and ally Jewish teens.

LT’s will balance responsibility and learning while developing child development skills and positive attitudes necessary to becoming a counselor or instructor.  Specific training will take place to guarantee that our “staff-in-training” are comfortable in their designated areas, having the opportunity to work with a variety of age groups/bunks/specialty areas.  This is a great way for them to gain experience and to see which ages/areas suit them the most.

CA Camps offers informal learning and growth opportunities toschool-aged children at Chizuk Amuno Congregation Schools & Camps through safe, educational, and fun programming. CA Camps’ programming fosters independence, school readiness, and inclusion for all campers.

These summer leadership experiences programs bring the best of BBYO—leadership, service, and siblinghood—to world-class summer experiences.

Advanced Skills Overnight Camp is for adventurers who want to deepen their knowledge with focus on a special project. Throughout the week we go on creek walks, pick wild edibles, and harvest vegetables from the farm. In the evenings, we build campfires, go on night hikes, play capture the flag, tell stories, and sing songs together. Campers spend the entire time outside, including camping out overnight in individual tents.

The Gesher program is designed to give rising 12 graders experiences and tangible tools that will benefit them as counselors, individual leaders, and professionals, including group facilitation, public speaking, conflict management, active listening, and program implementation. CITs will also explore their Jewish identity and how it relates to their leadership style, their life outside of camp, and their work with campers.

Immersive two week summer intensive combining Judaism and the Creative Arts.

The Seniors division is the oldest of our camper divisions. Senior campers experience a program that is specifically designed to create the most enjoyable camp experience for this age group, while providing opportunities to grow leadership skills. The Perlman Camp Teen Leadership Program strives to build, strengthen and develop our participants, both as individuals and as a team, with the skills, knowledge and experiences necessary to prepare them to become active Jewish leaders at camp and in their communities at large.

This leadership development program is designed to empower teens by offering new responsibilities, challenges, and adventures including working with younger campers, team-building, and amazing off-site field trips each session.

Camp Ramah in the Poconos is an overnight Jewish summer camp located in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains for kids and teens grades 2-10. We create a warm, nurturing, kosher, Shabbat observant environment complete with water sports, ropes course, sports fields, creative arts, singing, dancing, and spiritual learning that fosters lifelong Jewish connections, one happy camper at a time.

Only one overnight camp in Maryland combines nearly 100 years of history with state-of-the-art facilities and experiences. At Camps Airy & Louise, your child is free to find their inner awesome and make friends that last a lifetime. Camp Airy for boys and Camp Louise for girls both feature a wide range of activities with something that every child is sure to love – from sports to performing arts to outdoor adventures and more. Leadership Training is offered for campers in rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grades.

Unlock your Limitless Potential at Capital Camps! Experience Limitless Adventure our brand new static tower on the ropes course, our beautiful lake and aquatics center, sprawling sports fields, impressive arts offerings, and more. Capital Camps offers an inclusive environment for all campers to challenge themselves and form Limitless Friendships. Teen programs create opportunities for Limitless Leadership: Camper programs for 8th, 9th, and 10th graders, as well as a Leaders-In-Training program for 11th graders, and Counselor-In-Training program for 12th graders.

Through community outreach education and public awareness, the Center for Jewish Camping engages and inspires the Greater Baltimore Jewish community, in order to maximize the number of teens attending Jewish camp, and ensuring a vibrant Jewish future.

When Jewish students arrive on university campuses, they are often bombarded with anti-Israel propaganda and programming coming at them from all sides, especially on social media. This can be overwhelming for new students who usually do not have the knowledge or resources necessary to counter this slew of misinformation. That’s why Hasbara Fellowships offers a school-year-long high school internship program for students from across North America. The Internship includes sessions on Jewish indigeneity, anti-Israel bias in the media, utilizing social media as a tool for advocacy, how to communicate for Israel, and more. Students get access to books, resources, and informational toolkits on how to serve as proud and effective ambassadors for the Jewish People. The internship itself is flexible and self-directed, allowing students to complete their requirements in accordance with their personal schedules and with the support of our staff.

Would you like to learn about social issues and culture in Israel and then share what you’ve learned with your friends and community? Are you interested in connecting with teens from across North America and Israel with diverse passions and interests? Does the idea of organizing for positive change in Israel and at home inspire you? Would you like tools to use to improve your communities and the wider world? If any of these questions are true for you, APPLY to the URJ Teen Israel Organizing Fellowship!

StandWithUs Teen Leadership Council participants will have the opportunity to further their Israel knowledge, plan innovative Israel programs with their peers, and play a vital role in ensuring that teens in their community are connected to Israel. Student participants will engage in a four-month long program which includes: individual and group learning about Israel, mentorship in leadership skills and community building, access to StandWithUs speakers and materials, and an opportunity to connect with other teens in the region with similar goals and aspirations.

The StandWithUs Kenneth Leventhal High School Internship is for self-identified leaders in 11th and 12th grade, who want to proactively impact their local schools and communities. Leventhal Interns will provide nuanced education about Israel and the tools to fight antisemitism to their peers through interactive and creative initiatives and programming. Leventhal Interns cultivate their leadership in the areas of knowledge acquisition, professional development, and practicing new management skills, while receiving personalized mentorship from StandWithUs professionals.

Are you a rising 10th grader in the Baltimore Jewish community looking for an unforgettable experience? Look no further! “BMore Israeli” is a dynamic year-long leadership program designed just for you. Dive into a journey that connects you with your Jewish heritage and Israeli culture and equips you with invaluable leadership skills and a passion for your homeland.

LFT helps high school students develop a strong Jewish identity and trains them as advocates for Israel, and to be voices against antisemitism. LFT gives students the tools to talk about the issues impacting world Jewry today, and the confidence to stand up for these issues in college and throughout their lives, no matter how difficult the situation.

CTeen’s (Chabad Teen Network) mission is to provide a nurturing environment fusing fun, friendship, humanitarian outreach, mitzvah observance, and engaging Torah study.

A Gen Z-led movement dedicated to combating climate change and environmental injustice from a Jewish lens. Our goal is to make taking collective action towards climate justice a central, defining feature of what it means to be Jewish over the next decade, empowering the next generation of Jewish youth to be leaders in our fight to build a sustainable and equitable world for all.

Tikvah Online Academy offers small, discussion-based classes for students interested in Jewish ideas, Zionism and modern Israel, American history, and Western civilization. Available to 7th-12th grade students, they can supplement their learning and explore a new subject of interest!

Teen Beit Midrash of Hebrew College (TBM) is an intimate and challenging program for teens in 8th-12th grades of all denominations who are looking for a pluralistic and inclusive place to explore their identity as a Jews and deepen their knowledge. We meet each week to connect with teens from all over the country, learn to read and translate traditional Talmud text and think about how they relate to our lives and the world we live in today.

Come find out about this unique program online for everyone.

NCSY and JSU hosts Latte and Learning every Monday night during the school year for Jewish high schoolers at non-Jewish private and public schools. These evenings are an opportunity for teens to gather in community and discuss Jewish topics of free Starbucks!

This is an elite program, open to Jewish community and public school teens, designed to create the next generation of Jewish leaders through individual training and exposure to current world influencers.

Now you can be one of the 6,000 teens from around the world to participate in this five-day Olympic-style sporting event held each summer in several North American cities.

HaZamir Baltimore is part of a youth movement that welcomes Jewishly identified and musically talented teens from a broad range of cultural backgrounds and levels of religious observance. HaZamir offers teens across the United States and Israel the opportunity to learn and sing Jewish choral music at the highest musical standard and on the world’s greatest stages. In weekly rehearsals (currently virtual), regional gatherings, and the HaZamir International Festival, HaZamir teens study Jewish text and history, grow as leaders, cultivate a deep connection to Israel, and create enduring friendships that transcend geographic, political, social, and denominational differences. Together the singers of HaZamir create harmonious unity and long lasting connections, to one another and Judaism, through excellence in music.

HSOSC is excited to be offering a mix of social engagement and social action programs for Jewish Teens in grades 8-12. Our programs are new and fresh and open to all Jewish teens in the Baltimore community. Visit our website for a full calendar of events:

Gratz Academy, the high school program of Gratz College, engages teens in meaningful learning and community building experiences through live, online Jewish Studies and language courses. Students can earn college credits and certificates while studying with Gratz College faculty and engaging with peers from across the country.

Gratz Academy supports excellence in teen education by utilizing today’s premiere tools and resources to engage students in deep-dive explorations of topics that are relevant to their lives and supportive of their developing identities. Foundationally pluralistic, Gratz Academy offers Jewish Studies courses that encourage dialogue, questioning and personal interpretation, and Hebrew and Yiddish language courses that promote the development of oral, aural and written skills.

We seek to prepare high school students for the antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment they might be faced with on their college campuses. By drawing on resources from the most effective international organizations that train students and educators, Israel High ensures that Baltimore’s students have a strong sense of Jewish identity and their relationship to Israel, have the tools and resources to feel confident and proud of their connection to the Jewish state and are linked to a network of educators and professionals who are trained to support them in their journeys to college.

The Program: Students participate in sessions facilitated by local educators with materials and support from international organizations such as StandWithUs, Makom, Emory University’s Center for Israel Education (CIE), AIPAC, and JerusalemU.

Find you path…choose your adventure…from travel, study, social action, youth group and more!

AMHSI has been pioneering the academic and experiential study of Israel and Jewish history at the high school level. Students are inspired to live outside their books, encounter new ideas and challenge themselves to find their own link within the chain of Jewish continuity. Travel options include semester, minimester, and summer options from 4-6 weeks for 11th and 12 graders.

Discover 3 Unique Summer Programs

Entrepreneurship Israel:

A comprehensive 4-week innovative learning program where teens will get to discover Israel in a brand-new way – as an Entrepreneur! From one-on-one mentorships to workshops with leading Israeli philanthropists and tech giants, teens will learn how to develop their creative problem solving skills and build better solutions for tomorrow. Throughout the program, students work together with Israeli students to help conceptualize, build, prototype, and pitch viable start-ups to a Shark Tank-style panel of professionals.

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With 100 years of providing meaningful experiences to Jewish teens, we know a thing or two about creating life-changing summers filled with adventure, growth, friendship, and fun. Close to home or far away, our programs embrace pluralistic Jewish values and provide opportunities for inspiration, connection, and community.

Create and be part of an immersive traveling Jewish community. Hike, climb, discover, and explore with old and new friends from across the world. Return home with endless personal accomplishments, meaningful memories and stories you’ll never forget.

On a USY Summer Experience, you will gain independence and a better sense of self, form lifelong bonds of friendship with teens from across North America, be immersed in other cultures and see the world from a different perspective, develop a deeper understanding of global issues and conflict, repair the world in local communities through volunteer work and service, and discover the joy of Jewish living through fun, meaningful experiences that create a lasting impact.

Masa Israel Journey Gap Programs offers college-bound high school graduates the opportunity to experience another culture while volunteering, interning, studying, developing Jewish identity, and having an adventure before college.

Our RAC teen justice fellowship programs are learning intensives in community organizing, designed to equip our youth leaders with the skills to create change in their home communities. Through our fellowships, high schoolers connect with other social justice leaders from across the country and learn lifelong skills applicable to any issue they are passionate about. Our fellowships value experiential learning, moving beyond theory and Zoom training into action. Each fellowship culminates in teens designed projects.

Empowering Minds (EM) challenges 10th and 11th grade students in the greater Baltimore area to take action on hunger. The program revolves around four key statements: understanding the origins of food insecurity, personal connection to the issue, recognizing its significance, and exploring ways to make a meaningful difference. Our emphasis focuses on developing leadership skills, fostering collaboration, encouraging advocacy, and promoting volunteerism. We aim to empower students to actively ask, “How can I make a greater impact in my school, my community, and the world?”

The Elijah Cummings Youth Program in Israel is an elite two-year leadership fellowship for high school students in Baltimore. Our Fellows lead their generation by gaining first-hand cross-cultural knowledge and skill. Our efforts are infused with the desire to further historic African-American and Jewish bonds.

Leveling the Playing Field gives underprivileged children the opportunity to enjoy the mental and physical benefits of youth sports participation. We do this through the donation of used and excess sporting equipment to programs and schools serving low-income communities.

imadi supports families living in Washington D.C. and Maryland who have a child diagnosed with a chronic illness or a genetic condition. Through concierge case management, patient advocacy, and therapeutic programming, imadi provides a customized client experience to families facing complex pediatric health diagnoses. imadi creates meaningful volunteer experiences for teens to work with clients and families.

The Art of Leadership program brings together 10th and 11th grade public and private school students of diverse backgrounds to develop leadership skills and engage in dialogue across cultural barriers.

AIPAC provides opportunities for teens to learn about Israel advocacy through attending the AIPAC policy conference.

Are you a rising Sophomore, Junior, or Senior, looking for an opportunity to engage in conversation with your peers around Anti-Semitism, Racism, and issues affecting our communities today? Look no further than joining the Social Justice Teen Fellowship cohort. In partnering with the Elijah Cumming Youth Program we strive to bring together the Black and Jewish communities to discuss, build, and organize around issues such as housing, environment, incarceration, etc. Fellows will work alongside the cohort of teens from ECYP to create justice focused podcasts, as well as go on a FREE three-day Civil Rights Bus Journey. This is a unique and transformative opportunity.

Through year-round programming and domestic and international travel opportunities, USY provides meaningful, immersive Jewish experiences, helping teens integrate Jewish rituals and values into their everyday lives.

NFTY’s Mid Atlantic Region (NFTY-MAR) includes North Carolina (excluding Charlotte), eastern West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC. We work in partnership with Union for Reform Judaism affiliated congregations to provide meaningful Jewish experiences for middle and high school students.

NCSY is the premier organization dedicated to connect, inspire and empower Jewish teens and encourage passionate Judaism through Torah and Tradition.

Beth Israel’s Chapter of the Conservative Movement’s Youth Group

Baltimore Council is home to over 350 Jewish teens throughout Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Each of our chapters has its own teen leadership board and hosts weekly programs, typically on Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons. Each chapter is supervised by at least one adult advisor. The council comes together throughout the programming year for large events and conventions.

Events are planned by teens, for teens and programming ranges from fun activities like ice skating and overnights, to communal Shabbat celebrations and leadership trainings. A parent, advisor, or regional staff­ member is always on hand to ensure safety and health.

BBYO Baltimore Council gives our members opportunities to develop leadership skills and positively affect their communities, the world, and themselves. We constantly strive to provide more Jewish teens with more meaningful Jewish experiences each and every day, so that they may become the future Jewish leaders in their communities and in the Jewish world at large.