Jewish Teen Initiative – Boston (JTI Boston) is excited to introduce the newly selected 2020-2021 Peer Leadership Fellows who will be helping to make our community more connected and inclusive in the coming year. JTI Peer Leadership Fellows represent 20 different schools and 19 synagogues throughout the Metrowest and North Shore communities of Greater Boston.
JTI Boston’s signature Peer Leadership Fellows program trains and empowers teens to be communal connectors. JTI Peer Engagement Fellows reimagine how they can develop meaningful relationships with their peers, connecting those peers to the vast menu of opportunities available to Jewish teens in their community and beyond. Fellows meet monthly (in real life and virtually), building a team of leaders helping to strengthen their community and each other. Each Fellow serves as a resource for their peers, helping to connect those who are uninvolved or marginally engaged.
JTI Boston is proud to be working with Hillel International, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, to adapt their engagement model for the teen community. Hillel has mobilized college peer interns to professionalize its outreach on campus, strengthen student connections and boost participation. JTI Peer Leadership Fellows receive training based on the Hillel model to practice within their own community.
JTI Peer Inclusion Fellows help redefine what mainstream inclusion can be in the Jewish teen community, helping to connect with and support peers at local, regional and national events. JTI Boston is thrilled to be partnering with Ruderman Family Foundation and other community partners to continue this work. JTI Peer Inclusion Fellows will work to remove many of the stumbling blocks that prevent teens from feeling comfortable and connected at teen programming by acting as a buddy for their peers.
This impressive cohort will lead the way as catalysts for connection in a time when it is critically important. JTI Boston is excited to begin the fifth year of this effort, which has (so far!) connected with over 1,500 Jewish teens from communities throughout Greater Boston. We are proud to be part of a growing national network, with other cities adopting this methodology. Many thanks to our partners at Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Ruderman Family Foundation and Jim Joseph Foundation for supporting this important work.
Learn more and meet the Fellows here. For additional information, contact associate director Brett Lubarsky.
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