When you own your story, no one can take it from you
JCRC Youth Fellowship for Jewish Identity and Leadership
Photos: Ethan Roberts Photography
By Naomi Breazeale (pictured on right)
Naomi provides project support to our staff in JCRC’s Youth Fellowship for Jewish Identity and Leadership including planning and teaching sessions to our 22 teen fellows.
January 16, 2025
When you own your story, no one can take it from you. This powerful belief inspired the creation of the JCRC Youth Fellowship for Jewish Identity and Leadership—a program designed to empower Jewish high school juniors and seniors to explore and embrace their history, develop strong leadership skills, and cultivate a profound sense of pride, purpose, and joy in their Jewish identity.
The fellowship was born during a June lunchtime conversation with my JCRC colleagues, following Haviv Rettig Gur’s two days of insightful analysis at our annual event. My colleagues, JCRC Directors of Judaism and Israel Education, Holly Brod Farber and Sally Abrams, reflected on the troubling dynamics we had observed on college campuses throughout the year—something I had experienced firsthand, having graduated from Hamline just the month before. The night prior, Haviv had delivered a compelling keynote speech emphasizing the importance of understanding the story of the Jewish people as a whole and its intrinsic connection to the story of the State of Israel.
That sentiment resonated with me deeply. When I first stepped onto my college campus in the fall of 2020, I wasn’t anti-Israel, but I also wasn’t sympathetic toward Israel. It would have taken very little to sway me into becoming an anti-Israel activist. Only through self-education did I develop a steadfast Zionism, one firmly rooted in the progressive values I hold dear. That understanding of Zionism is what allowed me to navigate the end of my college career with my story—and my identity—intact.
I can’t quite remember what sparked it, but something during that lunch set me off on a bit of a rant. I let my opinions flow, voicing my frustrations with how Zionism is taught, how the Jewish community is falling short in preparing young people for the narratives they’ll face on campus, and the urgent need to rethink how we approach teaching not just about Israel, but about Jewish identity as a whole. I’m grateful to my colleagues for looking beyond my pent-up frustration and uncovering an idea within it all: the youth fellowship.
I spent a few weeks brainstorming and organizing. I drafted session ideas, identified potential speakers, outlined collaborations with organizations, planned activities, and more. Then, I presented it all to my team—and later to two teen focus groups—for feedback and refinement.
To their credit, the JCRC team placed a great deal of trust in me. I had only started working there in February, had just graduated college in May, and, truthfully, I had never designed a fellowship before. But I had been a college student in the aftermath of October 7th. I attended a small liberal arts university where identities were treated as currency, and social capital was tied to claims of oppression. I was fluent in the language of these dynamics and knew how to present Zionism in a way that resonated within the progressive framework of university campuses.
We launched our inaugural session in November, starting with a broad overview of the roots of Jewish identity. In December, we shifted focus to the history of American Jewry, featuring guest speakers who shared their personal experiences of fleeing the Soviet Union. January’s session explored Jewish diversity and solidarity movements, with inspiring talks from Yedidya Yasu and Iola Kostrzewski, followed by presentations on Jewish activism prepared by the fellows themselves. And next month we will dive into discussion of the State of Israel and the history of early Zionism.
I’m incredibly proud of the change we’re creating—change that began with a lunch conversation and a team that allowed me to pursue an idea. I know it’s making an impact. I’ll be sitting at a Shabbat dinner, and adults (unfortunately not eligible for the fellowship) will tell me how much they wish they could attend and how important the programming is. Parents have approached me, sharing how much their children have learned and expressing their gratitude that the youth fellowship is happening. Fellows, too, have spoken to me—and to our speakers—about how much they’ve gained from the experience and how engaging the topics are.
As we continue to receive such feedback, we are reminded of our ongoing commitment to learning, planning, and growing. Yet, through all of this, we remain grounded in our story—the story of the Jewish people. Because we understand this truth, it is ours to hold, and no one can compel us to forget it.
This blog post was the featured staff column for the January 2025 Gesher (‘Bridge’ in Hebrew) – JCRC’s monthly email newsletter.
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Funding of the JCRC Youth Fellowship for Jewish Identity and Leadership was provided through a grant from the Toodie and Frank Trestman Collaborative Education and Special Needs Fund, a fund of the Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation, and through a grant from the Women’s Endowment Fund, a fund of the Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation, and through an anonymous fund at the Minneapolis Foundation.
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As the consensus public affairs voice of the Jewish community, JCRC builds relationships to fight antisemitism and bigotry; educates about Judaism, Israel, antisemitism, and the Holocaust; advocates for Jewish values and priorities; and safeguards our community.