Teen Jews of Color Fellowship Launching Next Cohort

After a successful first year, the Teen Jews of Color Fellowship founded by Rabbi Kelly Whitehead '24 is accepting applications for its second cohort. The initiative seeks to reach the growing number of young Jews of color and give them community building and organizing skills - all in an inclusive space where they can explore their intersecting identities.

"We are putting out a call for applicants, and also encouraging peers and adults to nominate candidates, to fill 15 spots in our next group," said Whitehead, who was ordained at HUC-JIR this year and is also a '23 graduate of the Zschool where she developed the expertise to launch the initiative - which is sponsored by the Shards of Light Foundation, and is co-led by Israel Harris and Rabbi Isaama Goldstein-Stoll '19.

"The Teen JOC fellowship is open to 11th and 12th graders who might identify as Jews of color and are interested in learning more about their own racial identities. We are also prepared to accept 10th graders who demonstrate readiness to grow, learn, reflect, and take on leadership roles," Rabbi Whitehead said of the program hosted by the Union for Reform Judaism, where she serves as Assistant Director of Learning and Engagement's initiative "Jewish Your Way."

The Teen Jews of Color Fellowship provides mentorship from adult Jews of color, who provide participants with guidance and inspiration as they address current events and study the history of racism and antisemitism, helping them create meaningful projects based on their learning.

Rabbi Whitehead says what she is hearing back from members of the first cohort shows that the program is already living up to its goal of empowering fellows to step up as leaders in their own communities and beyond.

"This fellowship connected me to other teen Jews of color, which I thought was necessary and important given that I only knew one other Jew of color at all, said fellow Noralee Z. "Having a group of people with similar experiences as me was something I needed to have and that I found here."

Participant Kylie S said the fellowship has been "essential to my connection deeper into my Jewish community and has given me invaluable connections with people of similar experiences."

"I loved this program so much because it made me realize that being a Jew and a person of color aren't separate things - they make me who I am, and it makes me stronger," said cohort member Dina R. "Though at the retreat I didn't know the fellows that well yet, it was a safe space that we were all able to dig deep into our feelings and experiences. I would do this all over again if I could."

While the Fellowship is guided by Reform Jewish values, the initiative welcomes Jews of color from any denomination - or none - from across North America. The 9-month program runs through May 2025, with participants meeting both virtually during evening sessions, and at an in person retreat in October at the NFTY Collab.

Nominations are currently open for adults and peers to fill out anonymously on behalf of teens they believe would be a good fit for the program. Nomination and applications can be found on nfty.org/tjoc.

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