Jewish Life continues after Religious School and Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Most UT teens stay connected with their friends and heritage in the UT Youth Group, which meets monthly for activities that are fun and meaningful.
Several times a year the Youth Group distributes food, clothing, blankets and personal care items to the homeless poor on the streets of New York City with Midnight Run (as in the picture to the right). Group members also lead holiday activities at the Religious School and take overnight trips.
As a member of North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY), the UT youth group members can attend its Kallot, which bring teens together to engage in Jewish learning, social action, and building community, and having a great time.
September 18 | Opening year event 8th-12th grade |
October 3 | Rosh Hashanna Morning Volunteering –Activity with shinshinit |
October 12 | Yom Kippur Activity |
November 20th | Youth Group Activity |
December 18 | Union Temple Chanukah Celebration |
January 7th | MLK Day Midnight Run |
January 16 | MLK Day of Service |
February 12 | Elderly home Tu Bishevat visit |
March 11 | Purimfest prep |
March 12 | Purimfest |
April 1 | Passover Unseder Project and Havdallah |
April 29 | Yom Hazikaron/Yom Ha’Atzmaut Project |
June 10 | Midnight Run |
June 24 | End of year celebration |
We encourage all our teens to join us. It only costs $50 per year. Apply online here or contact Youth Group Leader Kendell Pinkney for more information.
NFTY is the Reform Jewish youth movement that fosters leadership at the national, regional and congregational level. Comprised of over 750 international synagogue youth groups, NFTY also functions as a youth organization, an affiliate and as a program of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). NFTY is divided into different regions; Union Temple is a proud participant in NFTY Garden Empire Region(GER). NFTYites forge and build friendships, lifelong Reform Jewish identities, and leadership skills through community building, worship, social action, and experiential youth-led Jewish educational programming. Many NFTY leaders continue on to become both lay and professional leaders of the Reform Jewish Movement.