Letting the Teens Drive the Ship: Leadership and Community in Teen Engagement

By Seth Golob, Director of the Jackson Religious School and Family Engagement at Sutton Place Synagogue

I believe that teen engagement is one of the toughest aspects of synagogue work. Teens are balancing a rigorous high school schedule, after school activities, sports, music, dance, volunteering, you name it. Then there is their jam packed social life. Where does connection to synagogue fit in this mix?

At Sutton Place Synagogue, we’ve carved out an interesting niche for our teens. Two guiding principles: leadership and community.

Over the recent history of our religious school, our Madrichim, teen helpers, program has always been thriving. Teens, once they graduate from the Jackson Religious School in 7th grade, have the opportunity to give back by helping in a religious school class. When we looked to expand our teen offerings, this is the first place we looked. Why is this program working? Leadership. Our teens are given a platform to use the skills and knowledge they worked on for years, and lead, teach, and inspire current students.

Community is always at the core of what we do. Creating a community for people to connect. We brought together a core group of our teens to spearhead what our teen offerings might look like. They took the mantle and flew with it. And their mission…to create community for others, to create connections.

Thanks to the FJMC Tzedek Awards, this was made possible. Our teens have connected with a local Senior living community to visit twice a month. They lead classes about tech and influencers, and sing Shabbat songs with residents. This builds a bridge between them, the teens, and the senior community. 

We might have built the frame of the ship, but we gave them the keys and steering wheel. 

I can tell you that this is only a first step, teen engagement is ever evolving. But I know for sure that we look to our teens to help guide the way and light the path. If we give them support, guidance, funding, and an opportunity, they will take it and thrive.