NCSY

NCSY

FUTURE LEADERS OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

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 Israel, while leadership and volunteer opportunities empower NCSY teens to become peer role models and committed leaders of the Jewish community. A full spectrum of programming in 150 cities across three continents uniquely positions NCSY to meet teens where they are, emotionally, spiritually, and geographically.

Public school teens participate in the Havdalah ceremony at the Aspire: Yarchei Kallah retreat.

50,000

TEENS REACHED ANNUALLY ACROSS 150 CITIES ON THREE CONTINENTS

363

JSU CLUBS AT PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

4,400

IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL PARTICIPANTS IN PROJECT COMMUNITY 2020, BRINGING NCSY TEENS TOGETHER

As part of the Aspire: Yarchei Kallah retreat, hundreds of NCSY teens attended the Daf Yomi Siyum HaShas celebration.

WHEN COVID-19 CHANGED THE WORLD...

NCSY Reinvented Summer for Thousands of Teens

Coronavirus did not stop NCSY. When the world went into quarantine in March 2020, NCSY jumped into action to make sure teens stayed connected and inspired during their time in isolation. A full curriculum of new, virtual programs across the U.S. and Canada gave teens purpose and much-needed social connection after a semester of isolation with volunteer, social, and educational experiences. Summer in-person chessed programs included rebuilding a house with Habitat for Humanity, planting vegetable gardens, painting local parks, offering free car washes, connecting teens with seniors, installing mezuzahs, and hosting carnivals for individuals with disabilities. NCSY’s signature Israel programs, GO (Girls Only) and Kollel sessions, also took place in various communities.

Walking the Walk: Tikkun Olam

Coming to the aid of those in need is an important NCSY mission—even during a pandemic. Example: As part of NCSY Relief Missions, which puts teen volunteers on the front lines of relief efforts in the wake of natural disasters, NCSY worked with Habitat for Humanity to arrange for teens to help rebuild the house of a community leader who lost his home to Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In summer 2020, NCSY also trained certified hurricane Ready Teams, small groups of teens and staff who can help communities recover from a disaster.

Leadership of Project Community 2020 Go provided meaningful experiences this summer.

More Funding, More Trips, More Memories

Thanks to a generous grant from The Marcus Foundation, NCSY will dramatically increase the number of teens attending NCSY Summer in Israel in 2021 through RootOne vouchers. Running immersive summer programs for Jewish teens in Israel has been central to NCSY’s mission for over 40 years, providing $1.5 million in scholarships and sending over 2,000 public school and Jewish day school students to Israel. These experiences are often the most memorable and meaningful in these young people’s lives.

NCSY teens volunteered alongside Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild a house damaged in Hurricane Sandy as part of an NCSY Relief Missions program.

LOOKING FORWARD

Summer 2021: Stronger Than Ever

COVID-19 stopped summer plans in 2020, but summer 2021 will see 22 unique programs across the U.S., Israel, and Europe. From sports and corporate internships to work with Israeli first responders, NCSY summer programs provide a panorama of experiences unbounded by geography.

A Revolution: The Shevet Glaubach Fellowship

Created in spring 2020 thanks to a generous grant from Drs. Miriam and Felix Glaubach and family, the Shevet Glaubach Fellowship trains and inspires the next generation of Jewish leaders. The Fellows, which include NCSY advisors and college-aged leaders, expand their skill sets and learn to take responsibility for the broader Jewish community. Programming includes chavruta learning and community Shabbat programming.

Public school teens receive awards at Aspire: Yarchei Kallah, a 5-day retreat for Torah learning during winter break.

NCSY EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

In December 2019, NCSY held its annual Aspire: Yarchei Kallah— a five-day Torah-learning retreat for public school teens during their winter break. Traditional classroom learning was supplemented with group study, one-on-one learning, and late-night discussions with teachers, advisors, and fellow NCSYers. After a week of studying Torah, teens are imbued with a deep passion for learning more about their heritage.

Saving the World: JUMP!

Using a “create-a-thon" model, in November 2019 teams of over 100 teens from across the country gathered to develop social entrepreneurship projects that would benefit their communities. JUMP—a teen leadership program—awarded grants for the best ideas developed at the event. Winners included the iKeep initiative, empowering teens to be excited about Shabbat; Vaping Killz, an anti-vaping campaign; and J.U.I.C.E., a program designed to integrate the Ashkenazi and Sefardi communities.

ALWAYS NCSY

Taking It to the Next Level: NCSY Alum on College Campuses

NCSY doesn’t end with high school. Alumni who are committed to Jewish continuity on campus are awarded the Judah Fellowship, taking lessons learned in their years at NCSY and running events for fellow college students. These events include Shabbat and holiday programs and social action and relief missions over their winter breaks.

Project Community 2020 Kollel Teaneck, NJ participants learned together in the summer program.

A Home for the Whole Family

An eight-day trip to Israel for moms of teens is just one of many programs focused on the family. NCSY hosts a variety of activities for parents and siblings, including holiday meals, meaningful classes, and concerts.

States and Provinces with Jewish Student Union (JSU) Public School Clubs

NCSY runs 363 JSU clubs at public high schools across the United States and Canada, strengthening students’ connection to their heritage and identity.

Alberta Arizona British Columbia California Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Kansas Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Nevada New Jersey New York Ohio Ontario Oregon Pennsylvania Quebec Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Washington

NCSY JUMP contestants present their idea to a group of panelists made up of community and lay leaders.

NCSY LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE

United States

ATLANTA

Alpharetta Atlanta Chamblee Decatur Duluth Dunwoody Johns Creek Marietta Milton Norcross Roswell Sandy Springs

ATLANTIC SEABOARD

Allentown Baltimore Cherry Hill Philadelphia Delaware Greater Washington Harrisburg Lancaster Norfolk Richmond Wilkes-Barre

CENTRAL EAST

Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus Detroit Pittsburgh Toledo

MIDWEST

Nashville Des Moines Indianapolis Kansas City Memphis Milwaukee Minneapolis Omaha South Bend Winnipeg Saint Louis Chicagoland North Shore Louisville

NEW JERSEY

East Brunswick Metro West Elizabeth Passaic Englewood Teaneck Fair Lawn West Orange Highland Park Twin Rivers Englishtown

NEW YORK

Monsey Queens Westchester Brooklyn Long Island Manhattan Great Neck Plainview West Hempstead Oceanside Long Beach Merrick Roslyn Port Washington 5 Towns Syosset

NORTHEAST

Greater Boston Stamford Greater Hartford Greater New Haven Rochester Buffalo Binghamton Albany Catskills Mount Kisco Syracuse Providence

Westport Western Massachusetts

SOUTHERN

Columbia South Carolina Myrtle Beach Tampa New Orleans Huntsville Orlando Charlotte Chatanooga Raleigh South Miami Greater Miami Parkland / Coral Springs Boca Raton Palm Beach Savannah Broward Miami Beach Charleston Greensboro Jacksonville Little Rock

SOUTHWEST

Austin Dallas Houston San Antonio El Paso Boulder

Denver

WEST COAST

Seattle Eugene Silicon Valley SF & Marin Portland Arizona Orange County LA - City LA - Valley San Diego East Bay Las Vegas

Argentina

Buenos Aires JSE

Canada

Hamilton Calgary Toronto Thornhill Ottawa Montreal Edmonton Vancouver

Chile

Santiago

Israel

Raanana Gush Etzion Beit Shemesh Modi'in Jerusalem Area

Michlelet Mechina:

Letter from a Public School Teen

I don't know what inspired you to think about us—about the girls sitting in public school, tapping their feet, itching for something deeper, for something real—but I’m so grateful you did.

At Michlelet Mechina, I saw girls who authentically cared for one another, who were unapologetically themselves. Most of all, I saw women and rabbanim who embodied Torah and who made it completely accessible to me even with my limited background in Jewish education and in Hebrew. This program inspired me to become religious and gave me the resources to continue back home in America. Now, every asher yatzar that I breathe, every Shabbat kodesh I greet, every bracha, and even every giggle is filled with the joy and the peace of mind that I am a Yid working on my relationship with G-d.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. If it wasn’t for your tireless efforts to make Michlelet Mechina a reality, I may never have had this beautiful life. It means the world to me that you chose to invest in us. I pray that this program can continue to light up the eyes and lives of all girls from public school who have this inner desire for Yiddishkeit.

With much appreciation, NP

NCSY | Financials

FUNDING SOURCES

Total Funding: $40,979,000

40% 23%

38%

39% 38% 23% OU Contribution | $15,814,000 Donations | $15,546,000 Program Fees | $9,619,000

EXPENSES

Total Spend: $39,360,000

6%

32% 55%

5%

55%

32%

6%

5%

2% Region Spend | $21,685,000 Summer Programs | $12,531,000 Administrative | $2,416,000 National Year-Round Programs | $1,872,000 Staff Training and Development | $856,000

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.