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NCSY
INSPIRING TEENS
TO CONNECT WITH THEIR HERITAGE
NCSY is proud to play an important and trusted role in the lives of thousands of Jewish teens each year. Immersive learning and social programs connect teens with their Jewish identity and foster self-confidence.
Education, retreats, and summer travel experiences nurture a lifelong relationship and connection to Jewish heritage and the State of Israel. Learning Torah with exceptional educators, as well as leadership and volunteer opportunities, empowers NCSY teens to become peer role models and committed leaders of the Jewish community. NCSY strives to meet teens where they are—emotionally, spiritually, and geographically—through a full spectrum of programming for public and day school teens across 500 North American cities and three continents.
27,000+ 2,425 249
teens reached annually (17,125 during COVID-19) across 500 North American cities and three continents
teens participated in 23 NCSY summer programs with over 1,443 teens in Israel
public high schools across North America at which NCSY operates Jewish Student Union (JSU) clubs
Teens lead Havdalah at an NCSY Shabbaton. At the final blessing, “Hamavdil bein kodesh l’chol,” the room exploded with music, dancing, and unbridled NCSY ruach. This tradition dates back to the early 1960s.
MORE FUNDING, MORE TRIPS, MORE MEMORIES
As part of its mission to connect and inspire young people, NCSY has run immersive summer programs for Jewish teens in Israel for the past 40 years, providing over $1.5 million in scholarships and sending over 1,000 public school and Jewish day school students to Israel each year.
Thanks to the generous grant from the Marcus Foundation, RootOne—powered by The Jewish Education Project—NCSY provided $3,000 travel vouchers to participants, dramatically increasing the number of teens who were able to attend NCSY Summer in Israel programs by 40%. This summer, NCSY responded to the ever-changing border and vaccine guidelines to safely bring 1,443 teens to Israel for one of the most transformative experiences of their lives.
$3 MILLION GIFT ESTABLISHES KATZ FAMILY PUBLIC SCHOOL INITIATIVE
DRIVING IMPACT FOR JEWISH STUDENT UNION PROGRAM
Avi and Becky Katz, longtime Jewish communal leaders, established a multi-year, multimillion dollar national initiative focusing on NCSY’s Jewish Student Union (JSU). A network of after-school Jewish clubs in public high schools, JSU is a stepping-stone for teens in public high schools who want to connect with their religious and spiritual identity through strong Jewish role models, experiential Jewish learning, and community.
The Katz Family Initiative includes the creation of a new position of National Director of JSU, which will be held by Devora Simon, formerly the Silicon Valley NCSY/JSU Director; it will also fund a JSU Presidents’ Conference designed to give students the resources to drive engagement in their own JSU clubs. In addition, the Katz Initiative will fund four new programs designed to improve student retention and help students transition to Jewish programs beyond JSU club meetings. The Katz Family Initiative is expected to transform what JSU can do for the Jewish people by building meaningful relationships with each teen and developing the next generation of Jewish leaders.
NCSY ISRAEL
Michlelet campers enjoy a balanced program that incorporates interactive learning, meaningful chessed trips, touring the land of Israel and, most of all, fun.
SERVING TEENS THROUGH EXPANSION
NCSY Israel provides spiritual inspiration and relatable role models to teens who have emigrated from North America. Programs operate in five chapters: Jerusalem, Gush Etzion, Bet Shemesh, Modiin/Chashmonaim, and Ra'anana. Building on local chapter events, NCSY Israel programming is expanding with three regional Shabbatons and monthly regional Latte & Learning programs. The introduction of a new staff role, Aliyah Integration and Absorption, will support teens and aliyah.
–Amelia, Glenbrook South High School (JSU Public School Student)
JEWISH YOUTH PLEDGE:
THE FUTURE OF ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE
As a complement to the Jewish Future Pledge—a moral and financial commitment to the Jewish people—Southern NCSY has launched the Jewish Youth Pledge.
By signing the pledge, teens commit to strengthening the Jewish people and the State of Israel, showing family, friends, and communities that their passion for the Jewish people will carry on throughout their lifetimes.
I hereby pledge to act today and throughout my lifetime to strengthen the Jewish people and the State of Israel. I make this commitment because I have a responsibility to ensure that my generation writes the next chapter of the Jewish story and remains a strong link in the chain of generations.
–Jewish Youth Pledge
NCSY teens celebrate at Live Park in Rishon LeZion, which featured the dedication of an NCSY Summer Sefer Torah, which will be housed at NCSY Kollel’s campus in Beit Meir.
IT WAS AN NCSY SUMMER TO REMEMBER
BRINGING AMERICAN TEENS TOGETHER IN ISRAEL
After teens’ lives were disrupted due to the pandemic, NCSY knew it was essential to bring back Israel experiences for teens in an extraordinary way. Recognizing that summertime is a pivotal time for NCSY teens to connect with their heritage through informal education that inspires religious growth, NCSY brought together hundreds of teens for an inspirational Yom NCSY. The event was held at Live Park in Rishon LeZion and featured Jewish music sensations, Shlomo and Eitan Katz.
Yom NCSY included a dedication of an NCSY Summer Sefer Torah, which will be housed at NCSY Kollel’s campus in Beit Meir. In the days leading up to the grand event, the scroll, along with its sofer, traveled to the NCSY Kollel campus where teens from all different religious backgrounds had the opportunity to write the final letters of the scroll. The event raised nearly $128,000 toward scholarships for next summer’s NCSY programs.
SUMMER 2021 NCSY/JSU PROGRAMS
ANNE SAMSON TJJ
ANNE SAMSON TJJ AP
ANNE SAMSON TJJ ACTION
ANNE SAMSON TJJ WEST
CAMP KESHER
CAMP SPORTS
GIVE
GIVE WEST
HATZALAH RESCUE
IMPACT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAMP KAYLIE ISRAEL ID
JOLT ISRAEL
JSU GO
KADIMA LAVI
KOLLEL
MICHLELET
MYC ISRAEL DISCOVERY
NEXT STEP ISRAEL INTERNSHIPS
ROAD TRIP
Laizer Kornwasser, National Vice President of the OU and Co-Chairman of NCSY Youth Commission; Rabbi Dr. Joshua Joseph, Executive Vice President and COO of the OU; Tiffany Yankovich, National Development Director of NCSY; Becky and Avi Katz, guests of honor; Rabbi Micah Greenland, International Director of NCSY; Moishe Bane, President of the OU; and Mitchel Aeder, Chairman of NCSY.
GRAND GALA CELEBRATES CHAMPIONS OF JEWISH IDENTITY
More than $670,000 was raised at the NCSY’s National Gala & Ben Zakkai Reception this year, which fêted communal leaders who have invested in programs that have fostered Jewish continuity and identity.
Over 300 supporters attended the party in person while hundreds more watched it virtually. The guests of honor were longtime NCSY supporters Becky and Avi Katz of Teaneck, NJ. Mr. Katz is the chair of the OU’s Board of Governors and has also chaired NCSY’s board. The celebration also honored Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus and hospitality titan Mike Leven as “Champions of the Jewish Future.”
Also recognized were The Nachum Segal Network’s President and Host, Nachum Segal, and General Managers, Miriam L. Wallach, for their continued partnership with NCSY; Isabelle Novak for her halfcentury of devoted service to NCSY; Rabbi Daniel and Leah (Feuerstein) Feldman from Teaneck, who received the Enid and Harold H. Boxer Memorial Award; and Rabbi Yerachmiel Fried, who received the Rebbetzin Ella and Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik Memorial Award. In addition, the evening showcased NCSY’s 25th Annual Ben Zakkai Honor Society Scholarship Reception, which honored the legacy of Ben Zakkai member Ari Kahn.
All the Gala honorees’ commitment to the continuity of Jewish heritage inspires the NCSY team daily to find better ways to connect with teens in the most meaningful and impactful manner possible.
NCSY LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE
NEW NCSY LOCATIONS: AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND PARK CITY, UTAH
SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina Chile
ATLANTA
Alpharetta Atlanta Chamblee Duluth Dunwoody Johns Creek Marietta Milton Roswell Sandy Springs
ATLANTIC SEABOARD
Baltimore Cherry Hill Greater Washington Greater Philadelphia Northern Virginia Richmond
CANADA
Calgary Edmonton Hamilton Montreal Ottawa Thornhill Toronto Vancouver
CENTRAL EAST
Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus Detroit Pittsburgh Windor, Canada
ISRAEL
Beit Shemesh Gush Etzion Jerusalem Area Modi'in Ra'anana
MIDWEST
Chicagoland Kansas City Memphis Minneapolis North Shore Saint Louis
NEW JERSEY
East Brunswick Englishtown Fair Lawn Highland Park Metro West Teaneck Twin Rivers West Orange
NEW YORK
5 Towns Brooklyn Great Neck Long Beach Manhattan Merrick Oceanside Plainview Port Washington Queens Roslyn Syosset Westchester West Hempstead
NORTHEAST
Albany Greater Boston Greater Hartford Rochester Stamford
SOUTHERN
Asheville Boca Raton Broward Charleston Charlotte Columbia Greater Miami Greenville Jacksonville Myrtle Beach Orlando Palm Beach Parkland / Coral Springs Raleigh Savannah South Miami
SOUTHWEST
Austin Boulder Dallas Denver Houston San Antonio
WEST COAST
Arizona East Bay LA - City LA - Valley Las Vegas Orange County Portland San Diego Seattle SF & Marin Silicon Valley Utah
FUNDING SOURCES
TOTAL FUNDING: $28,317,000
47% 50%
3%
50%
47%
3%
OU CONTRIBUTION $14,296,000
DONATIONS $13,253,000
PROGRAM FEES $768,000
EXPENSES
TOTAL SPEND: $23,917,000
4% 15% 66%
9%
12% 85% 9%
66%
12%
REGIONAL YEAR-ROUND
PROGRAMMING $15,893,000
SUMMER PROGRAMS $2,843,000
9%
ADMINISTRATIVE $2,154,000
9%
4%
NATIONAL YEAR-ROUND
PROGRAMS $2,078,000
STAFF TRAINING AND
DEVELOPMENT $949,000
Through COVID-19, program spending decreased. Alternate programs replaced many in-person programs. Most have resumed in FY '22.
The financial information here includes the total communal impact of OU programs worldwide. In addition, the OU provides significant support for all of its programs through facilities, management, and administrative services—e.g., IT, Finance, HR, and Communications. Those expenses are not reflected in the program’s financials.
