The Jewish Community Foundation recently hosted its 16th annual youth philanthropy fair, the B’nai Tzedek Shuk.
The fair is a highlight of the Foundation’s philanthropic programming and connects teens with Jewish communal organizations for an evening of education, engagement and fun.
For the second year in a row, the event was adapted to a virtual format where teens and their parents could log on to watch videos contributed by community organizations, participate in a live drawing and raffle for fun prizes, and have a Zoom call with the B’nai Tzedek Youth Council, a cadre of teens that worked together to plan the event. The theme of this year’s event was “Tzelebrate Tzedakah.”
The Foundation’s B’nai Tzedek program introduces bar and bat mitzvah-age youth to the joys of tzedakah by allowing them to establish their own personal charitable giving accounts at the Foundation. Once a year, teen fundholders may donate 10% of their funds to a Jewish charity, either locally or in Israel.
The Shuk gives fundholders the opportunity to learn about the missions of community organizations and how their donations can make a positive impact. In many instances, the Shuk is the first time teens are introduced to the wide array of diverse organizations working in the community.
“I learned that there are many different Jewish nonprofit organizations that benefit from B'nai Tzedek grants,” participant Eliezer Rich said. “I am blessed to have everything that I have. I think it is important to help others who are less fortunate.”
In lieu of meeting in person, 21 community organizations contributed short videos to the Shuk website in which they explained their impact and how young people could support their work. Many described how a donation of $36 or $50 - the amount that many B’nai Tzedek fundholders have to donate - could make a difference.
The videos, though not a replacement for face-to-face engagement, were a successful tool for educating young fundholders about how they could help meet the needs of the community. Many teens chose to donate to the Jewish Federation’s crisis relief fund to help Jews in Ukraine.
“Jewish Federation is deeply grateful for the considerable generosity shown by local teens in supporting the Jewish community of Ukraine through contributions made during the B’nai Tzedek Shuk in March,” said Derek Gale, vice president and chief operating officer of Jewish Federation. “We are proud of these young philanthropists in recognizing needs not just locally, but globally, and for taking action in the moment to help.”
Dozens of teens and their parents participated in the event, and B’nai Tzedek fundholders donated more than $3,000 to community organizations that evening. Six new B’nai Tzedek funds were opened at the event.
The event website remains accessible to those who were unable to attend the event and to the hundreds of B’nai Tzedek participants that are now in their 20s and 30s. During their own time, they can visit the website, watch the organization videos, and make their annual donations.
Since the B’nai Tzedek program’s inception in 2001, more than 620 teens have opened funds, and more than $333,000 has been donated to Jewish nonprofits. For more information about the B’nai Tzedek program, contact Beatrice Fine at (913) 327-4618 or .