J Teen Connect AZ, an initiative of the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center in Scottsdale, has relaunched its efforts to strengthen and expand Jewish teen engagement across the Greater Phoenix area and hired Shayna Raphael as its community coordinator.

Community stalwart Jennifer Schwarz was J Teen’s founder when the organization began in 2017, and in the spring of 2020, J Teen went on a COVID-induced hiatus.

“We are beyond thrilled to bring J Teen Connect AZ back to the community under Shayna’s leadership and to start promoting all of the incredible opportunities available to Jewish teens across the Valley, nationally and internationally,” said Schwarz. “We are thrilled to welcome Shayna and are very thankful to the VOSJCC for its leadership in taking on this important endeavor for the community.”

A recent graduate from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Raphael grew up in the Valley and is a member of Beth El Phoenix. “I was in all the youth groups and went to sleepaway camp, and I’m very familiar with this world,” she said.

Raphael explained that J Teen will serve as a bridge between youth groups and organizations, helping teens and families find appropriate programs. The service will connect teens to summer, Israel and gap-year programs and be a conduit, rather than hosting programs itself, for potentially larger collaborative events.

One of these events happened in March with a viewing of the documentary “October 8,” an exploration of the surge in antisemitism following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.

“Jen Schwarz managed to bring that to the Valley, fully funded, for teens to see it without any cost to them,” said Leah Zigmond, chief officer of youth and family programs at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center. “J Teen Connect is going to be able to do the outreach to connect all the different youth groups, so that teens can have a similar experience and possibly have access to things that they wouldn’t have in just their own youth group.”

Rafael said they are focusing on teens in grades eight to 12, during the transition from middle school to high school, when many kids drift away from Jewish activities.

“We’re trying to keep that connection,” she said. “I feel like that’s where you lose a lot of kids, when they go to high school and they’re like, ‘Why do I need to be involved in this anymore?’ We need to keep that sparkle going for Jewish teens.”

Zigmond said that they are also creating a parent advisory group. “The parents are the ones who often have the questions and the interest,” she said. “The kids maybe don’t realize that they’re going to want these connections in a few years, but the parents know they will.”

She also said that J Teen will have a parallel goal that is focused on Israel.

“We are especially excited about a new focus that will help more teens to travel on life-changing trips to Israel,” added Schwarz.

“Since October 7th, 2023, now more than ever, we need to offer teens a way to connect to Israel,” said Zigmond. “There’s so much about Israel in the news, and on social media, and so much of it is confusing that we want to make sure kids have a way to sift through all that information, feel good about their connection with Israel and know how to have a conversation about Israel.”

Since Raphael was attending U of A on, and after, Oct. 7, she said she witnessed firsthand a surge of Jewish kids on campus after the war began. She learned from University of Arizona Hillel that the university experienced a high rate of transfer students coming from East Coast colleges, perhaps due to the rise in antisemitism on other college campuses. According to Hillel Magazine, U of A ranked 17th in Jewish student population in the top 60 public universities/colleges.

She said it’s more important than ever for teens to connect, whether it’s going to Israel, attending a weekly youth group or going to Hebrew High, and she wants to make sure that teens can find these resources easily.

“Our main goal is to get teens involved, so that they grow into strong Jewish people as they continue through their journey,” she said. “There are so many programs in the Valley, and so many different opportunities for teens to become involved.” JN

For more information, contact Shayna Raphael at shaynar@valleyofthesun.org.