JFS’ CEO Lino Covarrubias and Senior Director of Philanthropy Jayne Lampert had an inspiring time with the Rashi Teen Learning and Leadership Council of 25 students, devoted to becoming future leaders in the Jewish Community. It was a pleasure being part of an education program with the amazing Barry Shrage!! The Mantra of the students: “Leaders are not born- they are made”.
Program Overview and Expectations:
The JFS-Rashi Learning and Leadership Council consists of middle school students from The Rashi School. Students were selected to serve on the council for one year with quarterly modules. Each module consists of leadership skills training, with a Jewish learning component.
In the first learning module, which was held in November, students learned to be active bystanders by taking part in the Training Active Bystanders (TAB) program. This training is designed to empower a bystander who is witnessing a harmful situation to ACT. “The TAB program helps participants recognize when they are bystanders, analyze situations, and evaluate the consequences for everyone involved. TAB heightens bystanders’ power. It shows how bystanders can interrupt harm doing and generate positive actions by others.”
And on Wednesday February 1st, pictured above, the council members learned about providing equity and equality through social service organizations. The students were charged with a leadership project of creating Welcome Hampers for JFS clients moving into new homes, and also engaged in a lively interactive discussion with Barry Shrage about his leadership of CJP and antisemitism. Barry served as president of Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) of Greater Boston for over 30 years. He has been a strong voice on the American Jewish communal scene and is known for his enthusiastic support for Jewish education.
JFS’s Goals for Students in the JFS-Rashi Learning and Leadership Council:
Leadership: To further develop effective leadership skills to take on roles within their communities and beyond, and to expand experiential learning opportunities in support of student empowerment, voice, and social action
Network: To develop a network of peers in an effort to learn, lead, and engage in social justice programming and to gain global awareness
Inspiration: To be inspired by change-makers and recipients of services in order to continue engaging in social justice throughout their lives high school, college and beyond