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THE KESTY KONNECTION We all need opportunities to “be Jewish together.” KESTY (Kensington Emanuel Senior Temple Youth) -- part of NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth) is our Senior High School youth Group. KESTY is an important part of our congregational life. It offers us the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue about what it means to be a Jewish teen in this ever changing world and to talk about and act on issues of social justice and world politics, and mostly making connections with other Jewish teens in the congregation, as well as in this Mid-Atlantic Region. NFTY-MAR is our regional youth group. 9th through 12th graders can go to overnight events in Maryland, Virginia, DC, North Carolina, and Delaware to make friends, celebrate their Judaism, and have a blast! There is also an event for 7th and 8th graders, and 8th graders can come to some events so they can get involved in NFTY as soon as possible. And mark your calendars for these other amazing regional events: | 12/27 to 12/30: Winter Kallah - Its one of two events held at Capital Camps Retreat Center in Pennsylvania, so it always has a fun, camp-style feel. It's full of fun traditions like the Talent Show and the Head Waiter ceremony. | | 1/15 to 1/17: MAJYK (Junior Kallah) - This event is only open to 7th and 8th graders, and we would LOVE for you to attend! It's the perfect way to get acquainted with NFTY-MAR and get an early start on your four years with NFTY. | | 3/12 to 3/14: TheVent - This event is so great, it's The Event -- TheVent. The Mid-Atlantic Region divides into four subregions for color wars! We do everything to earn points for our teams from eating pudding to doing social action. Eight graders are invited to come to this event. Come and support the East! | | 4/22 to 4/25: Spring Kallah - This is the last event of the year, so elections are held for the new Regional Board members. There's a formal dance on Saturday night, and Sunday morning is always full of tears for the departing seniors. |
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Spring Kallah was about to begin. I was pretty nervous. I didn’t know what to expect from the experience I was about to have. As everyone started to arrive I got worried. I felt I didn’t fit in. Everyone had their group of friends and knew a lot about each other. I knew no one except my fellow KESTY members. I tried to be optimistic but I kept feeling like an outsider. The next day I hung out with my friends from KESTY but didn’t really interact with other people. Over the course of the day I started to loosen up and talk to other people. I finally opened up and started to get into the activities that we were doing. I made amazing friends over the course of the weekend and will never forget the great experience I had. This event was a great experience after all. Once I found the courage to talk to people who I didn’t know, I become great friends with them and had so much more fun. My first NFTY event is something I will never forget.
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Want to learn more about summer camping opportunities through the Reform Movement? Check out their website at www.urjcamps.org. And be sure to click here to find out about the Cantors' Concert in January, SINGING FOR S'MORES, to raise money for camperships to enable kids to attend Jewish camps this summer!
JANUARY NEWSLETTER COLUMN BY CANTOR BOXT: As many of you know, the over 15 summers I spent in a URJ Reform Jewish Summer camp were the most transformative experiences of my life - both in terms of my growth as an involved and engaged Jew, but as a human being. It was at camp that I learned how to be a good friend, how to love people from whom I was different, where I learned how to formulate my own thoughts and opinions and how to express them with clarity and kindness. I learned what a real community feels like, what it feels to be part of an experience in which I was valued as a member, but that also had value as a whole - where we had to contribute but sacrifice a bit of ourselves for the greater good. My summers outside Indianapolis as a young person were formative, and my summers (and years) at Kutz Camp in New York brought me closer to my journey to the cantorate, brought me Jason, and the people who are the most important people in my life. Any of us who have had, or who send our children to any summer camp experience know that it is a costly venture. It is well worth it, of course, and the programs our children experience cost money to provide and we feel strongly about providing them. But for MANY of us costs are so prohibitive. Many of the campers at all of our Movement camps (as well as many other camps) receive scholarship dollars from a variety of sources to enable them to have these life-changing, transformative experiences. Unfortunately, with the economy what it is - not only do more families need those important scholarship dollars, but there are FEWER organizations and funds available to provide those funds. The URJ has seen a significant decrease in its "campership" fund, where dollars are given to help any child who wishes to attend a URJ camp, with the pledge that no child should be refused for inability to pay. Because of this, the ACC (American Conference of Cantors) has partnered with the URJ to perform over 20 concerts around the country to raise as much money as we can in the next few months to fill this campership fund with the dollars needed to help all of our young people attend a URJ camp. I am honored to be a part of a Concert at 7:30 pm on January 9th called Singing for S'mores: This is a concert of area cantors and music leaders from Reform Congregations, to raise money solely for this fund. See the enclosed flyer and the poster in the lobby - Temple Sinai is hosting this area concert - we are inviting current campers as well as any URJ camp alumni in DC to come sing, celebrate, and help raise money for the programs that brought so much joy to so many of us. Please consider attending or donating - not only to help young Jewish children, but if nothing else, for an evening of great music!!! Even if you never attended camp, but understand the value that these experiences for our Jewish youth, please consider going to our sight and making a donation to this incredibly important cause. I hope to see many of you on the 9th, where we can give you a little taste of warm summer camp to get you through these cold winter months! www.smores.eventbrite.com. Warmly,
Cantor Rosalie Boxt
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Got questions about KESTY? Want to get involved, but don't know how? Talk to your KESTY board members or grade representative. Is there an event you're dying to have? Something you want to see in our newsletter? Got a fun way to get everyone excited about KESTY and NFTY-MAR? We want to know! No, we're not just saying that. WE LOVE IDEAS! Talk to a board member any time at synagogue or by email the President, Adam Tananbaum, at youthadvisor@templeemanuelmd.org, attention: Adam. KESTY Board President: Adam Tanenbaum Programming Vice President: Jamie Lazarus Communications Vice President: Brina Seidel Social Action Vice President: Ray Paleg Membership Vice President: Sophie DeWaal Religious and Cultural Vice President; Schuyler Parsonnet Chair of Programming: Cayla Landesberg Chair of Communications: Ryan Solomon
Grade Representatives (Is your grade not listed here? That means we don't have a representative for your grade. If you're interested, talk to a board member!) KESTY Youth Group Advisor: Nathan Render, youthadvisor@templeemanuelmd.org
Shalom Temple Emanuel! Hello! My name is Nathan and I am excited to be the new KESTY/JETY advisor. I am originally from Skokie, IL, just north of Chicago, and recently graduated from Tufts University near Boston, MA. It's going to be a great year and I hope you'll get involved. Even if you've never been to an event before or been involved with KESTY, I encourage you to try it out and come see what it's all about. Feel free to email me with questions or just to say hi - YouthAdvisor@TempleEmanuelMD.org. I look forward to meeting you! L'shana Tovah, Nathan Render
My name is Adam Tanenbaum and I am the 2009 (5769) – 2010 (5770) KESTY President. I am a junior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. If I were stranded on a desert island and I could only take one thing with me, it would be my trusty guitar. Two of my greatest passions are playing guitar and singing. Whenever I have any down time at all, I am either playing guitar by myself at home, or jamming with a friend of mine. I am also a NFTY-MAR regional song leader and I am very active among the region. At school, I am a member of the track and field team where I throw shot put and discus, and a member of the Tri-M (Musical Honors Society. KESTY has got some great ideas planned out for this year, and if anyone (and I mean anyone) has an idea for a program or event, let me know in person or send me an email to youthadvisor@templeemanuelmd.org, attention: Adam. L'shanah tovah, Adam
My name is Sophie Kobina Smith DeWaal and I am your Membership Vice President (or MVP as I like to refer to myself). I LOVE mac and cheese, I’m a senior at John F. Kennedy High School, and this year I’m on the soccer, swimming, and softball teams. In KESTY we do super fun events YEAR ROUND like falafel fest, lock-ins at the synagogue, and various NFTY events. But forget what I have to say, come check our events out for yourself, Can’t wait to see you there!
I am Ray Paleg, your Social Action Vice President for this upcoming year. I am a sophomore at Albert Einstein High School. I love sewing, eating, and dancing, and I am currently the captain of Poms at my school. This year I hope to incorporate social action into more events, and have a few volunteer days where we can spend time together while helping our community. I am extremely excited for what this year has in store, and if you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to come and talk to me.
My name is Brina, and I’m so excited to be the Communications Vice President this year! I’m a junior, and I go to Bethesda – Chevy Chase High School. I’m probably the only Jewish Irish dancer you’ll ever meet. I should also point out that you’re looking at our main communications project this year: The KESTY Konnection! This newsletter has existed for more than twenty years, but it fizzled out a few years ago. We’re bringing it back full-force, and we want your submissions! If you’ve got a story about a Jewish experience or a social action cause or a fun fact or anything else you want to see in here, please contact me at youthadvisor@templeemanuelmd.org, attention: Brina. Thanks so much! Brina
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