SJCC Brings Seattle Jewish Teens Together for J-Serve, a Global Day of Service
- See coverage in Mercer Island Reporter >>
Mercer Island, WA— More than 90 Jewish teens from across the greater Seattle area came together for J-Serve, an international day of service empowering teens to make a difference in their communities.
On Sunday, April 6, the Stroum Jewish Community Center (SJCC) led Seattle’s J-Serve efforts, coordinating a day of hands-on service projects for teens in grades 8–12. Teens tackled pressing community needs, including homelessness, health and wellness, food insecurity, and environmental conservation.
“J-Serve unites thousands of Jewish teens worldwide in a single day of service,” says SJCC Community Engagement Director Matt Lemchen. “It’s a powerful way to build Jewish connections and shape the next generation of leaders as they take on real issues in the Seattle community.”
As part of a global movement led by BBYO, Seattle’s J-Serve initiative—spearheaded locally by the SJCC—empowers teens to engage with Jewish values through meaningful service that impacts their immediate community and the world beyond. Since 2005, J-Serve has provided teens with the opportunity to engage in service as part of a united global network committed to fulfilling the Jewish values of gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness), tzedakah (just and charitable giving), and tikkun olam (the responsibility to repair the world). The annual spring event mobilizes Jewish teens around the globe to turn shared values into real-world impact.
“J-Serve is a chance for me to deepen my connections with my friends as well as my community,” says teen participant Sofia Metz. “As I’ve gotten more involved in BBYO, I’ve realized how important the principle of tikkun olam is—doing good for our world and our community…I love the idea of working with all of these organizations with so many of my close friends and new people I haven’t met yet!”
Teens took on service projects at five locations: assisting children with disabilities at The Friendship Circle of Washington on Mercer Island, spending time with seniors at Bellettini Senior Living in Bellevue, cooking meals for residents at the Jubilee Women’s Center in Seattle, restoring the SJCC Community Garden, and packing food bags for families in need with Jewish Family Service and Tzofim.
“J-Serve and other Jewish teen programs through the SJCC and BBYO shaped who I am today,” says SJCC Teen Coordinator and BBYO City Director Maddy Merrell. “Now, I get to help the next generation of Jewish teens find their community, connect with their identity, and maybe even discover their calling.”
J-Serve is a community-wide effort powered by an incredible team of youth-serving organizations, including B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO), SJCC, United Synagogue Youth (USY) at Herzl-Ner Tamid and Congregation Beth Shalom, North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) at Temple De-Hirsh Sinai, and Tzofim, the Israeli Scouts. This year, the SJCC is proud to host Seattle’s J-Serve, made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, as BBYO continues to lead the effort to inspire Jewish partnerships nationally and globally.