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FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about USY
What is USY?
How old do I have to be?
Why would I want to join USY?
Sound great! How do I join?
1. United Synagogue Youth is an international organization that was founded in Minneapolis in 1950. It was established for one simple reason: there was no youth group for children within the Conservative movement that incorporated Jewish education and a social environment simultaneously. So a bunch of rabbis got together and set up what we now know as
USY.
Since USY’s birth, USY has been going strong. It has grown from that small group in Minnesota to an international group with more than 400 chapters all across the United States and Canada. In addition to North America, sister organizations called Noar Mesorti in Israel and Noam USY in Hungry were established.
The aim of USY is to bring together Judaism, the Jewish people, the synagogue, and the Jewish teenager. As a result of this combination, the idea is that Jewish teenagers will become active young adults in their Jewish communities.
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2. Any Jewish teenager in grades 9 thru 12 can be a member.
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3. On the chapter level, USY has so much to offer! There are parties, social events, and special programs and trips. You can meet new people your age amd make the best friends of your high school years.
On our regional level, Hagalil USY (covering the northern half of New Jersey) is divided into seven areas, capturing 38 chapters and more than 1,250 members! There are monthly dances, several conventions, and our famous end of the summer week-long encampment.
On the national level, USY has a big one week annual convention in one of America's greatest cities. Recently it's been in Washington D.C. and it has also been in San Jose, Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Orlando!
There are also summer programs, including USY on Wheels, where you tool around the United States for 6 1/2 weeks with a bunch of other USY'ers, and USY Israel Pilgrimage. There is also the Nativ program for high school graduates, where you spend six month attending Hebrew University in Jerusalem and then six months on a kibbutz.
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4. Thought you'd never ask! E-mail Stephanie
Feigenbaum, Teaneck USY Membership/Programming Vice President. Please include your name, address, phone number, and home synagogue in your message.
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