JCYF alumna Alison Berg in Sderot, Israel, on the playground she helped to fund. (Photo courtesy of the Jewish Community Youth Foundation.)

The Jewish Community Youth Foundation is starting its ninth year, with over 160 teens from 8th-12th grades participating in the project. Administered by a unique partnership consisting of the Ricky and Andrew J. Shechtel Philanthropic Fund, Jewish Family & Children’s Service and the Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks, the program is designed to develop the next generation of philanthropists.

This summer, JCYF alumna Alison Berg from Princeton Junction, a University of Michigan sophomore, returned from a Birthright trip to Israel with a very different perspective than most participants. During her ninth-grade year in the JCYF program, Berg’s group made a $3,300 donation to the Jewish National Fund “Let Us Play” campaign to fund an indoor playground bomb shelter in Sderot to give children a place they could play safely. Sderot has been a frequent target of attacks, making outdoor play impossible. On Berg’s trip to Israel, she found herself standing in the very playground she had helped fund.

Each year, the participants are required to contribute $120, which is then matched by the Shechtel Philanthropic Fund and the Federation. The dollars are pooled together, so that each grade has $7,200 for which it is responsible to allocate to worthy causes. The students meet six times between October and March in the Princeton area to discuss Tzedekah, assess the kinds of programs and issues they wish to explore, invite specific agencies to apply for funding and arrange for site visits to those agencies. By the end of the year, each group meets to debate and decide how their dollars will be donated.

This progressive curriculum begins with incoming eighth graders who focus on local Jewish agencies that provide assistance to those in need. Ninth graders explore regional and national agencies, the tenth grade class investigates support of Jewish art and culture, the eleventh grade class focuses on politics, outreach and advocacy, and twelfth graders learn about philanthropy in Israel.

Eighth, ninth and tenth grade registration is now in progress. For more information, visit the website at http://www.jfcsonline.org/jcyf.html or contact Celeste Albert at (609) 987-8100 or celestea@jfcsonline.org. The first Jewish Community Youth Foundation meeting will take place in the fall. Space is limited. There is a program participation fee in addition to the contribution. Scholarships are available.