26 | OCTOBER 13 • 2022 

OUR COMMUNITY

A 

bored teen? Not the best expe-
rience for anyone (yes, parents, 
I’m talking to you, too.) A Teen 
Board? Well, that’s a different story and, 
by all accounts, a great experience in 
learning to help others. 
Teen Board is an initiative of The 
Jewish Fund that aims to develop teens 
as “philanthropists” and engage them in 
hands-on grant-making. 
Established in 1997 from the sale pro-
ceeds of Sinai Hospital to the Detroit 
Medical Center, the Jewish Fund contin-
ues Sinai’s tradition of assuring quality 
and compassionate care for those in need 
by awarding grants to help vulnerable 
individuals. 
Each year, The Jewish Fund engages a 
group of 25 Jewish high school students 
in grades 10 through 12 to be Teen Board 
members. At the end of the year, The 
Jewish Fund Teen Board members work 
together to grant $50,000 to both Jewish 
and secular charities in Metro Detroit. 
So, what’s it like to participate in this 
special cohort that helps to change lives, 
including those of the board members 
themselves? We asked Teen Board partic-
ipants, and the answers speak for them-
selves. 

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART 
ABOUT TEEN BOARD? 
Nicolette Handler: My favorite part about 
Teen Board is that I get to make a big dif-
ference in certain charity organizations, 
which allows them to start new programs 
or help more people. I also love the social 
aspect of Teen Board because I got to 
meet so many more Jewish teens in my 
area. 

Madison Charnas: I loved being able 
to connect with other Jewish teens and 
becoming more educated about the 
amazing organizations, both Jewish and 
non-Jewish, in the Metro Detroit area. 

Going on the different site visits was real-
ly interesting and so was hearing about all 
the things these organizations do. 
Ella Fried: My favorite part about Teen 
Board was interviewing the different 
organizations because they shared excit-
ing evidence of the change they were 
making in the community, and I felt 
empowered to be a part of that change. 
Tali Feingold: My favorite part is site 
visits with the nonprofits. I had the 
opportunity to meet with nonprofit 
leaders to discuss their grant proposals. 
I heard firsthand stories of their accom-
plishments and their aspirations for the 
future. In all my site visits, the leaders’ 
passion was contagious, and I found 
myself discovering a deeper connection 
to their grant, goals and to philanthropy 
as a whole. 

WHAT LESSONS FROM TEEN 
BOARD HAVE OR WILL SHAPE 
YOUR JEWISH IDENTITY? 
Madison Charnas: Philanthropy is a 
large part of Judaism and, while I was 
on the Teen Board, I was able to learn 

more than just the basics of philanthro-
py. There is a large focus on helping the 
members of the community who need it, 
which is also a large part of Judaism that I 
would like to continue to focus on. 
Ella Fried: Judaism and passion for 
social justice are two major parts of my 
identity. Teen Board helped to combine 
these two parts of me, each one fueling 
and strengthening the other. 
Nicolette Handler: Teen Board has 
shaped my Jewish identity by strength-
ening my tikkun olam, which is a core 
Jewish value. 
Tali Feingold: When in Teen Board, 
I read about many Jewish nonprofits, 
engaged in many discussions about 
Judaism and antisemitism, all surrounded 
by a community of Jewish teens and lead-
ers. Throughout the year, I learned about 
the difficulties that being Jewish can 
sometimes bring. But what stuck with me 
more is the countless ways Jewish com-
munity members assist each other. I feel 
that this has led to an unwavering pride 
in the Jewish people and a strengthened 
Jewish identity. 

Help Your Teens Become the 
Change They Want to See 

JEWISH FEDERATION

