ANNUAL REPORT 2022 INTRODUCTION Moving Traditions just released a new strategic plan, MOVING FORWARD: OUR NEXT GENERATION, which announced our ambitions to double our impact over the next three years. We invite you to read the plan (see QR code on back page), explore our impact this past program year (2021-22), and join us in emboldening thousands of Jewish youth to thrive.
OUR WHY: At Moving Traditions, we believe that if you give teens a sense of confidence in exactly who they are (shleimut), if you connect them to caring communities (hesed), then you develop teens who have a sense of purpose and believe they can build toward a better and more equitable world (tzedek).
SHLEIMUT Jewish youth pursue knowledge and personal wholeness
WELLBEING / SHLEIMUT 90% of teens found a place where they could be themselves and be accepted for who they are.
HESED
TZEDEK
Jewish youth develop supportive and healthy relationships and connect to their communities
Jewish youth cultivate a commitment to inclusion, equity, and justice rooted in Judaism
CARING CONNECTIONS / HESED 87% of parents say B-Mitzvah Family Education makes them feel like they are part of a Jewish community that supports them.
JUSTICE / TZEDEK 100% of Kol Koleinu fellows said the fellowship helped them grow as activists and feminists.
OUTCOMES
SHLEIMUT
Jewish youth pursue knowledge “It’s the most important community I’m a part of. I’ve and personal gone through so much this year, and the leader and my wholeness
TZEDEK
HESED
peers have helped me so much." — Tzelem Participant
“I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of the lessons, the follow up. All of the resources. I can tell that Moving Traditions really cares about the well-being of teachers and students.” — Kulam Educator “This was one of the best webinars I've attended. Extremely wise and articulate panelists, with great takeaway information.” — Raising Up Teens Parent Participant
Jewish youth cul commitment to in equity, and justice in Judaism
Jewish youth develop supportive and healthy relationships and connect to their communities
Traditions Move: Families, communities, organizations, cultures, and rel practices support, embrace, and nurture Jewish youth. Judaism is authentically vibrant, meaningful, and relevant for all Jewish
GOAL 1:
GOAL 2:
REACH MORE JEWISH YOUTH
BUILD AN ECOSYSTEM OF SUPPORT FOR JEWISH YOUTH
Last year, in 2021-22, we emboldened 5,750 Jewish youth through 167 partners across North America offering Moving Traditions programs, including: B-MITZVAH FAMILY EDUCATION, a framework for 5th-7th graders and their parents to explore what it means to become or parent a teen 3,565+ preteen participants 115 partnering institutions TEEN GROUPS, transformative communities where 8th-12th graders explore who they are together with a trained mentor using a dynamic curriculum, including Rosh Hodesh, Shevet, and Tzelem 1,260+ teen participants 160 teen groups KULAM, a curriculum used by Hebrew High Schools to help teens engage together in dynamic and authentic conversations 680+ teen participants 31 partnering institutions MEYER-GOTTESMAN KOL KOLEINU TEEN FEMINIST FELLOWSHIP, where 10th-12th graders gain confidence, build community, and develop agency as Jewish feminist changemakers 53 teen fellows Last year’s youth participation increased by more than 30% over the previous year. We aim to serve 6,500 youth in 2022‑23.
91% of TEENS say: “My experience with Moving Traditions programs was good or great.”
92% of EDUCATORS say: “Moving Traditions’ program helped me connect Jewish wisdom to youth’s socialemotional development.”
85% of PARENTS in the B-Mitzvah Family Education
program say: “I had a valuable conversation with my child during the session.”
Last year, in 2021-22, Moving Traditions engaged 215 educators and 4,875 parents, including: 4,275+ parents engaged through B-Mitzvah Family Education sessions 215 clergy and educators trained to implement Moving Traditions programs across North America at our online Carol Lowenstein B–Mitzvah Training Institutes and other national training conferences 400+ staff members trained from 40+ youth-serving organizations and camps through CULTURESHIFT, including new partnerships with BBYO and URJ 550+ unique parents, grandparents, and educators of Jewish teens engaged through RAISING UP TEENS with Moving Traditions, a series of free webinars on topics including reproductive rights, demystifying gender language, navigating risky behaviors, and more This year, in 2022-23, we will engage 200+ educators and over 5,800 parents through programs and webinars.
GOAL 3:
SOURCES OF INCOME
SECURE THE RESOURCES TO SERVE MORE TEENS AND THEIR FAMILIES
FOUNDATION SUPPORT: $1,328,866
With your partnership and generosity, together we will raise the resources needed to support thousands of Jewish youth through Moving Traditions’ transformative programs.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT: $704,326
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT: $966,169
BOARD SUPPORT: $315,839
OPERATING EXPENDITURES PROGRAMS: $2,422,514 ADMINISTRATIVE: $280,787 FUNDRAISING: $283,366
PROGRAM FEES, DONATIONS IN-KIND AND INTEREST: $181,053
We deeply appreciate the generosity of the individual contributors and institutions that support Moving Traditions: Anonymous (2) Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies Combined Jewish Philanthropies Crown Family Philanthropies Dorot Foundation Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Jack and Golde Wolfe Miller Fund Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia Jewish Federations of North America Jewish Social Justice Roundtable Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Palm Beaches Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta JEWISHcolorado Jim Joseph Foundation Lasko Family Foundation Lucious N. Littauer Foundation Neshamot Rose Community Foundation Russell Berrie Foundation Shards of Light SRE Network Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grants SWAHA Foundation
The Bernard and Etta Weinberg Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia The Covenant Foundation The Hadassah Foundation The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles The Miriam Fund The Wilf Family Foundation UJA-Federation of New York
OUR BOARD Rabbi Darcie Crystal / Board Chair Elyse Everett / Vice Chair Bethany Shiner / Treasurer Jonathan Krasner / Secretary Tami Astorino Sue Beller Suzanne Feld Rabbi Dena Klein Rabbi Lori Koffman Mike Markovits Jasmine Tarkoff Bobby Zuker Shuli Karkowsky / CEO
Help Moving Traditions embolden twice as many teens to thrive by 2025! BECOME A PARTNER
OUR STAFF
PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS
See our staff on our website: MovingTraditions.org/AboutUs/Staff
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MovingTraditions.org
STRATEGIC PLAN 2022-2025 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Preteens and teens today need our help. Even as they are constantly plugged in, they are often highly disconnected: from healthy ways to care for themselves, meaningful connections with their peers, feeling that they are supported by the Jewish community, and from hope for the future. Jewish teens are seeking a sense of belonging and purpose, places to speak honestly about the pressures they feel and concerns they have about the world, to find solace and joy, where they can both honor their connection to the Jewish past and use that Jewish foundation to move themselves and our communities forward. Moving Traditions exists for times like these. We are uniquely equipped to support teens, their parents, teachers, mentors, and clergy to engage with the challenges of our era and to help teens find the inner resources and the external supports in the Jewish community that will help them thrive. Our programs, based in a commitment to Jewish principles and an evidencebased approach to teen wellbeing, support teens to develop an authentic and balanced sense of self; connect with others through ongoing and robust relationships; and develop a larger sense of purpose and a commitment to equity and justice. Through our programs, teens experience a Jewish community that prioritizes their questions and concerns and they find meaning in Jewish wisdom, ritual, ethics, and tradition. In a world where teens are too often ranked, judged and disempowered, Moving Traditions fosters unique Jewish spaces, designed with a keen sensitivity to the changing yet ongoing importance of gender in teen development, mentor and peer support, and youth agency. Given the moment of need, with this strategic plan we lay out an ambitious goal to DOUBLE THE IMPACT of Moving Traditions’ work to help more teens access the sense of personal wellbeing, connection, and purpose MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. That includes the following core strategies:
GOAL 1: REACH MORE JEWISH YOUTH Embolden over 10,000 Jewish teens and preteens each year across North America to thrive by strengthening their Jewish identities, wellbeing, relationships, and commitment to justice.
GOAL 2: BUILD AN ECOSYSTEM OF SUPPORT Strengthen the ecosystem of support for Jewish youth elevating the critical connections between individual wellbeing, healthy relationships and communities, and systemic justice and equity.
GOAL 3: SECURE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES Ensure we have the resources to achieve our programmatic goals by investing in resource generation, organizational development and infrastructure, board growth, and staff and board diversity and equity.
LEARN MORE AT MovingTraditions.org/Strategic-Plan Scan with your phone camera to read more