George Burns * Billy Joel * Sandy Koufax * Goldie Hawn
Barbara Streisand * Jerry Seinfeld * Billy Crystal * Mandy Patinkin
Albert Einstein * Adam Sandler * Bette Midler * Anne Frank
Milton Berle * Mel Brooks * Fran Drescher * Sammy Davis Jr.
David Lee Roth * Henry Winkler * William Shatner * Leonard Nimoy

What do all these people have in common????
They're Jewish and they're proud.

Woobury J.C. is proud of our Jewish Youth Groups. You can still join us! Our youth group - grades 8 through 12 (USY). All of our groups meet weekly.

USY is an international youth groups which also have events outside the synagogue such as dances, kinnusim (weekend retreats for USY), shabbatonim (weekend retreats for Kadima), trips, sports events, interchapter events and much, much more. We're here to bring exciting, fun-filled programs to you. But we can't do it alone...

USY is not just meetings in the temple…it is so much more! It is an opportunity to take a break from school and home. We combine with other united youth on Long Island for bowling, dancing, and partying. We will go on conventions and have events with high school students from all over New York. Each year there are International Conventions where you have the opportunity to meet others from all over the country. USY has camps such as teen travel, which go across the United States and opportunities to explore areas throughout the world! So come out to a meeting and see how great this year will be.

The beginning of the school year and the beginning of the Jewish year are often proximate, but it is rare that they are as close as they are this year. In some ways this is logically very inconvenient, but in other ways it is exciting. With these two important new beginnings coming so close together it gives us a chance to think deeply about the changes we mean to make this upcoming year. How am I going to be a better person in 5771? What changes do I plan to make myself a better, more curious learner this year?

One of the new beginnings we also start in September that might not be the first to jump into your mind is the beginning of the USY year. I am confident that this year will be one of WoodUSY’s best years yet! We have a number of exciting things going on, including a rising crop of new ninth graders that Nina Hoenig said have lots to offer. We are also hoping to have the honor of hosting the Rakevet (our division in USY) annual Fall Kinnus this year.

Fall Kinnus is a weekend spent with USY making friends, celebrating Shabbat, and doing projects to support Israel and raise money for Tikun Olam, the USY charity. Twice a year Jewish teens from east Nassau and Suffolk counties are hosted for this event by a synagogue in the area. The WJC has never hosted a Kinnus. But we hope to this year. WoodUSY cannot host Kinnus alone, we need the help of the entire WJC community. One of the things we need the most help with is finding host homes for the USYers.

When teens come to a Kinnus they spend the day at the synagogue, and Friday and Saturday night sleep on the floor at the homes of families from the synagogue who welcome the USYers into the community. USYers do not need beds, bed linens, or towels. They bring their own sleeping bags and sleep on the floor. You do not need to entertain them. Basically all they need is an empty basement with a bathroom, and four or five teenagers will enjoy themselves immensely for the evening.

If your family would theoretically be interested in hosting boys or girls for a weekend this fall, please email Loen, WoodburyUSY@gmail.com. We can only host Kinnus if we know we have places for about a hundred teens to sleep. We may also be calling you on the phone to gauge your interest in helping out.

I’m always happy to answer any questions sent to WoodburyUSY@gmail.com

Shanah tovah and g’mar tov,
Loen Amer
WJC USY Director