AUGUST 19 • 2021 | 15

OUR COMMUNITY

W

hen the Detroit Jewish com-
munity leaders discovered an 
alarming number through 
research — that 70% of Jewish teens in 
Metro Detroit aren’t engaging in Jewish 
life — the Jewish Community Center and 
youth professionals took notice and began 
to promote positive change.
Despite having more than 35 local 
Jewish youth-serving organizations offer-
ing a variety of excellent programs, teen 
engagement is still low. 
“We began to ask ourselves, what should 
we be doing, knowing that 
we have all these wonder-
ful opportunities and we’re 
still missing the mark?” says 
Katie Vieder, JCC’s director 
of tween, teen and family 
engagement for Jfamily.
According to Rabbi Jen 
Lader of Temple Israel, “In this 
hyperconnected world, teens 
are busier than ever before. 
They’re packed with sports and 
drama, tutoring and dance, not 
to mention escalating academ-
ic expectations. We are fighting 
for their time in a way we’ve 
never had to fight before.”
A slowdown from the COVID-19 pan-
demic gave the JCC an opportunity to 
consider this ongoing problem and what 
steps it could take to refuel Metro Detroit 
teen engagement in Jewish life.
“There is a big challenge of rebuilding 
from the pandemic as a lot 
of our teen networks in town 
overlap and are supported by 
each other’s success and net-
working,” says Rabbi Yarden 
Blumstein, teen director at 
Friendship Circle.
To set the change in 
motion, the folks at Jfamily 
talked to different communities across 
the country and to its local youth-serving 
partners, “We did a lot of focus groups 
with teens and parents both engaged and 

unengaged,” Vieder says.
Since September 2020, the JCC has 
worked with the community’s youth-serv-
ing organizations including youth groups, 
congregations, camps and day schools 
to identify best practices to boost teen 
engagement in Jewish life that can be 
implemented right here in Metro Detroit.
The efforts paid off. “We came to the 
realization that there’s a lot we can do,” 
Vieder says. “We just need to shift our 
perspective on what matters.”

BUILDING AWARENESS
Though the JCC had a teen engagement 
plan, it was one that had been in place for 
many years.
COVID-19 showed the importance of 
being able to adapt to a changing world, 
so the JCC knew the time had come to 
revamp its model.
The goal: to reduce the staggering 70% 
number of Jewish teens unengaged in 
Jewish life.
The first step was to significantly 
increase awareness for existing programs.
“The Metro Detroit community has a 

wide-array of fantastic teen 
opportunities with something 
for everyone. However, many 
families are not aware of all 
the program available, and 
organizations struggle to find 
the unengaged,” says Rachel 
Ellis, senior regional director 
of BBYO Michigan Region.

There’s a new way to connect to Jewish life …

continued on page 16

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“IN THIS HYPER-
CONNECTED WORLD, 
TEENS ARE BUSIER 
THAN EVER BEFORE …
WE’RE FIGHTING FOR 
THEIR TIME IN A WAY 
WE’VE NEVER HAD TO 

FIGHT BEFORE.”

— RABBI JEN LADER

Teens from Adat Shalom on a volunteer outing.
Katie 
Vieder

Rabbi Jen 
Lader

Rabbi 
Yarden 
Blumstein

Rachel Ellis