Learning That A Loved One is LGBTQ

By Lauren Carpenter
Access Services
Jewish Community Services
With the recent passage of Marriage Equality legislation in Maryland, more dialogue about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBQT) issues is taking place in the media, in the workplace and in many homes. However, the very personal moment when a loved one tells you that he or she is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender for the first time can still feel challenging.

Imagine this scenario: Your son is home from college for the weekend and he says he has something important to tell you. You take him out to lunch, and over the course of the meal, he tells you that he is gay. The moment he tells you, you may be at a loss for words. You love your son, but you may not know what to say.

Feeling a wide range of emotions, such as surprise, fear, anger, sadness, confusion or relief, is totally natural and can even be healthy. Your culture, religion, political views and family history can add another layer of complicated feelings to the situation. Regardless, if you want to preserve the relationship you have with this person, you will want to work through these emotions so that you can come to a place of acceptance, understanding and compassion.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Remember that your loved one is confiding in you because he or she loves and trusts you, and wants to share this important piece of his/her life with you. Also remember that it has probably taken a lot of courage for this person to be able to talk with you about it.
• Get support from someone who has been there.
• Educate yourself about what it means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered.
• Try not to let labels like “gay” or “homosexual” color how you now see this person. Remind yourself that this is the same person inside, with the same personality, quirks, and strengths she or he had before revealing this new information.
• Remember that you are not alone. One in four families has an immediate family member who is LGBTQ, and most people have at least one LGBTQ individual in their extended circle of friends and family.
• If it is not possible for you to come to a place of acceptance or understanding, at least try to find a way to maintain a civil and respectful connection with the person. Doing your best to keep the lines of communication open can do a lot for your relationship.
• Consider professional help if you are having a hard time coping. Speaking with a therapist at Jewish Community Services (410-466-9200) is a good way to start processing this new information.

 

And, check out these resources:

• “Open Doors” – This is a program for LGBTQ teens that meets on the second Tuesday of each month and features speakers, discussions and activities based on the interests of the participants. For information, visit http://www.jointeens.org, email sarafeldman@jcsbaltimore.org or mliebeskind@jcc.org or call 410-581-9388.
• Parents of LGBTQ – This group for Jewish parents of LGBTQ children meets at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC.  For information, email Melissa Berman at mberman@jcc.org or call 410-559-3593.
• The Keshet Parent and Family Connection – This program is part of the Keshet national grassroots organization that works for the full equality and inclusion of LGBTQ Jews in Jewish life. A local group called The Parent Connection serves parents in the Baltimore/Washington DC area. Trained Jewish parent mentors are available to provide confidential peer support to other parents whose children have identified as LGBTQ. To access this service, log on to https://www.keshetonline.org/program.support-families/ and fill out the required forms. The Keshet program will then make the match with local parents. For information, email Joan Cohen, Senior Manager, Access Services at jcohen@jcsbaltimore.org or call 410-843-7317.
• JQ Baltimore – This is a community-wide organization for Jewish LGBTQ individuals, their families and friends. The group is dedicated to making the Jewish community more welcoming and inclusive. For information, visit http://www.facebook.com/JQBaltimore, email jqbaltimore@gmail.com or call 443-300-8996.
• PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) – PFLAG has a chapter in Baltimore that holds monthly meetings for parents. For education materials, visit http://www.pflag.org. To speak with a parent of an LGBTQ child who can provide support and advice, call the hotline at 443-255-1484.
• JCS – For local and national resources for Jewish LGBTQ individuals and their families, visit http://www.jcsbaltimore.org /Resources/JCS Information and Referral On-Line Database.

 

It may take time to fully process the news and you might have a lot of questions. That’s ok. Just don’t forget to continue to assure your loved one that you still love and care about him or her. Each person’s experience will be unique, but these suggestions will help guide you on your journey to understanding something new about the person you love.

Proud Partners

By Jeffrey Blavatt and Nina Rosenzwog
Co-chairs
Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership

Ten years ago when THE ASSOCIATED:  Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore launched its Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership with our sister city in Israel, no one could have anticipated just how much this relationship would flourish.

One of the hallmarks of this Partnership has been the strong connection formed person-to-person and the recognition of the similarities that link our two cities. In the years since its creation, the Partnership has witnessed 10,000 Baltimoreans traveling Ashkelon to visit, volunteer and forge strong bonds with individuals and families there. ASSOCIATED leadership, mission participants, young adults on Taglit-Birthright Israel, JCC Maccabi team members, teens, day school students, synagogue members and those active with other local Jewish organizations have all spent time in the southern Israeli city.

The foundation of the Partnership is the shared values of our two communities and the issues of mutual concern. The importance of volunteerism has been one area of interest in both cities and we have seen the fruits of all of our labors pay off.

In Ashkelon, interest in volunteering among teens has grown exponentially during the course of the partnership. Seven years ago, 900 teens were volunteering in their city. Today, almost 6,000 teens give their time and talents to Ashkelon.

The Stuart and Marlene Greenebaum Volunteer Center in Ashkelon enables both locals and visitors to the community to connect in meaningful ways to serving the needs of the Ashkelon community.

Likewise, the issue of Jewish identity is one of great importance in both Baltimore and Ashkelon. Through the Partnership, people of all ages connect to each other and experience firsthand the reach and import of our global Jewish family.

As we hear disturbing news about anti-Israel sentiments on college campuses and among young people, these personal encounters can help solidify a positive relationship between the next generation of Jews and Israel.

The strong bond between our communities provides great comfort to our friends in Ashkelon during times of crisis in Israel. When rockets are launched from Gaza, hundreds of them land in Ashkelon, driving the citizens into bunkers and their homes, away from their daily routines. During these difficult times, our community lends support through social media, phone calls and emails to Ashkelon. Our counterparts in Ashkelon have all expressed great appreciation for the love and concern they feel from friends in Baltimore. For those who are involved with this sister city relationship, the conflict in Israel becomes very personal when the people under attack are those with whom we have spent time, shared Shabbat meals and consider our friends.

Looking ahead, we are excited about new opportunities for our Partnership. We are seeing a new culture of involvement in Ashkelon, where the first cadre of lay leadership is now becoming active in the Partnership.

Locally, we are also expanding Partnership programming so that all who want to be part of our relationship with Ashkelon can get involved.

For a decade, the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership has bridged the miles that span between our two communities, showing all of us the rich rewards which come from being part of a global Jewish family.

Learn about getting involved with the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership>>

This column also appeared in the January 4, 2013 Baltimore Jewish Times.

The Gift of Jewish Camp

By Adam Broms
Assistant Director
Capital Camps

Imagine a scene: approximately 600 individuals sitting in a room together. The “learners” are no older than 16; the “mentors,” university-age or recent college graduates. They’re seated in small circles on the floor throughout the room.

In the circle, there are candles, one for each participant, flickering in the darkness. The sound of voices, quiet at first, but growing with intensity, fills the room with the beautiful sound of Hashkiveinu, the prayer with which we conclude each day. On this night, we conclude more than a day – we conclude a successful summer, reflecting on four weeks of fun, friendships, laughter and Jewish journeys.

This scene is a perfect example of just one moment in time at Jewish overnight camp. Each summer, thousands of campers and staff flock to small towns around the country. Most people have never heard of these towns – towns with names such as Waynesboro, Kunkletown and Palmer. But we have. Not because of what occurs there between September and May, but for what takes place there during the summer, when a beautiful piece of land comes to life with a vivaciousness and energy difficult to replicate.

We tell parents that the best gift they can give is the “Gift of Camp” – that precious, unforgettable experience where one truly makes his/her best friends in the world and deepens his/her Jewish identity. And, it truly is a gift: the opportunity to try new things, take a few risks, meet new people and learn what it means to be independent.

In recent years, studies have shown that individuals who attend Jewish camp have a deepened sense of Jewish identity, a stronger sense of community and better developed independent living skills. We see it later in life when our campers become staff members, and when they head off to college and create their own Jewish communities.

Camp is about growth. It is about the opportunity to sharpen skills in activities like soccer, dance and drama. It is about trying new things among the support of friends, such as conquering a fear of heights in reaching the top of the climbing wall. It’s about learning the remarkable history of Jewish heroes by “meeting” them as they walk through a cabin full of inquisitive minds. Every activity is designed to inspire our campers – and our staff – to grow, to question and to learn. And, we do it all while having a great time.

Fun is an essential aspect of camp. I know camp is fun when I see the look of sheer joy on children’s faces, as they leap off the diving board, as they seal a game of basketball with a free throw, as they paint the last stroke of a mural, and as they cruise down the zip line over the lake. The combination of meaning, growth and fun begins to define who that individual is, as well as who he/she will become.

In the circles on the floor, 600 individuals reflect on four weeks of fun and friendship. They look at the person to the right, and to the left, close friends who have become another brother or sister.  They gaze across the room at someone who helped them play their first chords on the guitar. They stare into the flame, remembering the flicker of the Shabbat candles.

And, they resolve to be sitting here again, 11 months from today. The countdown begins now…

Take a tour of Capital Camps and learn more>>

Beth Tfiloh at the 2012 General Assembly

By Aaron K.
Class of 2013
Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School

“Life is full of tears of joy and tears of despair. Life is not made of years but of moments” – Elie Wiesel

Just as Martin Luther King demonstrated on the National Mall in 1963 for a cause he firmly believed in, so too did 250,000 people demonstrate on December 6, 1987 for the support of Soviet Jewry. The issue: Jews throughout the Soviet Union were living under anti-religious, anti-Semitic and Communist oppression and were denied the ability to emigrate. They were hunted down by the KGB for even the slightest detection of religious practice. Possessing scant knowledge of Jewish history, customs and holidays, many of them either assimilated or converted. Those that chose to fight, however subtle it may have been, were called refusniks and were often convicted of treason and sentenced to long and harsh prison sentences in Siberia.

Perhaps the most famous refusnik, Natan Sharansky,was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment in a Siberian labor camp for teaching Hebrew to students. While he was frequently held in solitary confinement and in a special “torture cell,” Sharansky became the first political prisoner released by Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, thanks to intense political pressure from Ronald Reagan and the Jewish community in the United States.

This December we mark the 25th anniversary of the largest active protest on behalf of the Jewish community in American history. It was protests like these that helped end the Soviet oppression just a few months later.

Yet the passage of time diminishes the reality of history, making it belong to ‘those’ people, in another age, epoch, and place. This is a phenomenon that the Jewish community desperately hopes to avoid. As the last of Holocaust survivors die off, it is up to future generations to remember such tragic and important events as if they experienced them.

As such, about 20 students from Beth Tfiloh’s senior class headed down to the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly. Few had ever heard of the issue of Soviet Jewry until we were inspired by the stories and open dialogue of Elie Wiesel and Natan Sharansky. Their leadership among the Jewish community and their dedication to our history is truly admirable.

Students like Marisa K., class of ’13, shared in Wiesel’s sentiment regarding the historical illiteracy of young people. “I was appalled to learn that such an event had never been made known to me and my peers. We definitely need to do a better job as a community to make sure that our history is never forgotten.”

In response, Rabbi Frank is coordinating a significant program this winter dedicated to understanding the Soviet Jewry movement.

Regardless, the American Jewish community in the 80s and 90s protested vociferously. According to senior Josh L., their actions were truly commendable.

“Political advocacy in response to the Soviet Jewry crisis yielded tangible results. From this, I learned that we must actively pursue justice rather than passively acquiesce in the status quo.”

As an overall conclusion on the hour long conversation Tali V. ’13 had this to say, “It was incredible to witness Wiesel and Sharansky, two men from different generations of savage anti-Semitism involving Jewish concentration camps and gulags, sitting together and conversing in today’s society of Jewish freedom and power.”

While the dialogue between Sharansky and Wiesel was certainly the main event at the General Assembly, seniors got chances to see the inner workings of the North American Jewish community by listening to unique speakers that spoke about issues such as: Israel and the Media: Tools for Effective Communication; Investing in Israel and Improving Results; and, Israel’s Haredi Community Today.

Economics student Elliott S. ’13 was very impressed with the session about investing in Israel for its information and open dialogue between the audience and the presenter. “As I intend to study economics in college next year it was very mind opening to learn that Israel’s market is a great opportunity for American companies.”

During lunch, the delegates from Beth Tfiloh sat with staff and lay leaders from The Associated and helped the community by writing letters to American soldiers returning home for the holidays and by making blankets for poor and needy children. “Very seldom do I get to have a direct impact on the Jewish community as I do at the General Assembly. I can make blankets for the poor and yet I can sign up to learn more about other issues from so many other organizations as well. It’s truly a once in a lifetime experience,” commented Yuval M. ’13.

In addition, the break gave students a chance to chat with members of dozens of organizations and learn about the services many of these groups provide. The students thoroughly enjoyed getting free souvenirs, whether a Theodore Herzl mug provided by the World Zionist Organization, a free t-shirt courtesy of the JFNA, popcorn, jelly beans, free newspapers from the Jerusalem Post and even massages. According to Jordan S. ’13, who went with his local National Conference of Synagogue Youth group (NCSY), “Like AIPAC, this was a great opportunity to meet Jews and supporters of Jewish causes from around the world and build a meaningful relationship with them.”

Keys to a Successful Job Search

By Mary Blake
Senior Manager, Career Services
Jewish Community Services’

Did you know that the current unemployment rate for teens ages 16 to 19 is 23.7 percent?  These days, working is a necessity for many teens but they lack the tools they need to advance their job search. How can these inexperienced job seekers get ahead?

Most teens have never been coached in vital skills like how or where to look for a job, complete an application, write an effective resume and cover letter, network, complete applications, utilize social media in a job search, and the best ways to interview and follow-up, explains Deborah Weksberg, Career Coach of Jewish Community Services (JCS)

When looking for a job, Weksberg recommends the following tips for teens:

Resume writing
Create a resume for each job description that is tailored to the specific job requirements and “translate” your skills. For example, if you were the soccer team captain, your leadership skills may be pressed into service as anything from a shift leader at Appleby’s to a mother’s helper “leading” five children through their recreational paces.

Networking
Post your job search goal on your Facebook page, and ask your “friends” to refer you to their employers or let you know who is hiring. Post your resume as well, so a “friend” could show it to a parent who is an employer, for example.

Interviewing
Have questions prepared for the interviewer about the business or the job – questions that are not about vacation or salary. For example, “What is the greatest challenge in this job?”

A discouraged teenage job seeker is more likely to grow up to become a discouraged adult worker with a greater risk of being underpaid and even unemployed. To help teens in their job search, JCS Career Services has launched “Keys to a Successful Job Search,” an exciting new program designed specifically for teens ages 14-19, in collaboration with JOIN for Teens. “Keys to a Successful Job Search” can help younger job seekers succeed today and develop skills that will last throughout their lifetime.

“Keys to a Successful Job Search” offers practical advice on the important skills that will help young adults find and maintain employment in this challenging economy and beyond. Professional JCS Career Coaches will facilitate workshops at various dates, times and locations from October 2012 through March 2013. Teens can mix and match to choose a menu convenient for them.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Grandchildren of Harvey M. and Lyn P. Meyerhoff Philanthropic Fund, all of these programs are free. Participants are simply asked to pre-register. (Click here for the complete schedule of workshops.)

In addition, there will be opportunities to meet personally with a Career Coach, and to connect with potential employers through Job Fairs and JCS Job Developers, who establish and maintain relationships with local employers.

For more information, email Deborah Weksberg, Career Coach, or call 410-843-7437.

365 Days to Give

By Rochelle Eisenberg
Public Relations Manager
THE ASSOCIATED

Giving back to the community has always been important to Pikesville’s Jennifer Grossman. A strong believer in helping others, this young woman and mother of three has made a point of instilling in her family the importance of engaging in mitzvot.

That is why she chaired Jewish Volunteer Connection’s (JVC) Community Mitzvah Day, an annual day of volunteer opportunities throughout Baltimore, from 2008 to 2010. It’s why her children made sandwiches and delivered them to homeless shelters, meeting and speaking with the clients on December 25 last year.

And, that is why she also agreed to chair Mitzvah 365, a new initiative from JVC, a program of THE ASSOCIATED.

“I chaired Mitzvah Day, but there are 364 other days of the year,” says Grossman. “We want to find ways for individuals to get involved in community service every one of those.”

Mitzvah 365, set to launch later this month, will feature 365 ways individuals and families can make mitzvot and community service a daily part of their lives. “We hope to inspire our community to give back to the community,” Grossman says.

Each day on the Mitzvah 365 website, individuals will discover existing volunteer opportunities already happening in the community or organizations where they can create their own community service projects.

“For example, we might highlight Special Olympics one day and work with interested individuals to help them make volunteer connections,” says Grossman.

Erica Bloom, assistant director for JVC, adds that there will even be ideas for Shabbat, such as offering to babysit in synagogue or walk an elderly person to shul. “We want to create a culture of service that doesn’t just happen once a year,” she says.

That culture of service is evident in another new opportunity for local families. “Volunteams,” a collaboration between JVC and THE ASSOCIATED’s Jewish Community Services (JCS), will bring families together to be part of a volunteer team. They will commit to making the lives of adults with special needs a little brighter.

Each family on the team will choose one day of the month to visit a group of adults living at one of the JCS residences for adults with developmental disabilities. Together they might play games, read stories, make snacks and create craft projects.

“The families and residents can do whatever they like to do,” says Beth Land Hecht, Senior Manager, Volunteer Services for JCS. “When you begin to see some of the same people over again, you start to build a relationship. They remember you and you remember them. You become friends.”

In addition, the program will include opportunities for all the families participating as part of a “Volunteam,” along with the adults they visit, to get together for larger social events several times a year.

“If you start a culture of volunteering when your kids are young, by the time they become bar or bat mitzvah, it is natural for them to pick a project with which they have experience and to which they are connected. Hopefully this positive volunteer experience will carry them into their teen years and will continue to build,” says Hecht.

For Grossman, that culture of giving back is already ingrained in a positive way. She laughs as she shares the story of her son, telling a relative who asked her what he was doing for Christmas Day.

“My son said, ‘what do you mean, what are we doing on Christmas? It’s Mitzvah Day. That’s what you do,’” she recalls.

Interested in joining a “Volunteam?” Email Beth Land Hecht at bhecht@jcsbaltimore.org or call 410-843-7456.

Exercising: An Escape and an Opportunity

By Keith Anderle
Administrative Specialist
Access and Volunteer Services
Jewish Community Services

When I was fifteen, I begged my parents to get me a weightlifting bench.  After using the barbells and leg press for the first time, I proceeded to use it daily — as a clothes hamper and homework shelf.

It quickly became apparent that whenever I needed or wanted to exercise, I was much more apt to go outside and run around playing baseball or soccer than I was to sit on an uncomfortable bench. It felt ridiculous pushing or pressing heavy objects that could only be moved with great effort, for what I deemed to be a very minimal reward.  Shortly after that, I began running regularly and I also found a variety of other physical activities that I continue to enjoy to this day.

Many of us view exercising as a chore or something that’s tough to adhere to consistently, what with hectic work and social agendas.  But it doesn’t have to be like this, if you’re able to find an activity that’s both physically enjoyable and that provides an opportunity for you to refresh your mind and outlook.  Exercise is not only good for the body, but it also has been found to improve mood, reduce stress and anxiety, increase energy and enhance self-esteem.

Figuring out what kind of exercise to do is just as important as performing the exercises themselves.  This process of finding the right physical activity is what often prevents us from exercising regularly. Too often we don’t take the time to explore other possible activities before creating excuses such as finding it impossible to enjoy the form of exercise we’ve chosen, or being too busy.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to find the right exercise for you.

• Do you have natural movements, habits or hobbies that could be slightly modified into exercise activities?
• Do you prefer exercising on your own or with others?
•  Are you more comfortable with a structured activity (like a class) or one where you can go at your own pace?

Once you’ve found the right set of exercises, you’ll likely find the repetitious practice to be enjoyable and you’ll look forward to the activity.  As a bonus, the new found energy you get from exercising will make handling your day easier than before.   The rewards of the activity aren’t just physical, they’re also mentally beneficial.  As a runner, there’s nothing more helpful to my mindset after a stressful day than a good run.  The exercise is therapeutic and it also enables my body to relax afterwards so that I can be better prepared the rest of my day.

As exercising becomes more habitual, it can yield even more benefits.  Besides the physical and emotional perks, you might be able to save money by walking or biking to work sometimes instead of driving.  Exercise could even accelerate your career by giving you opportunities to network through group classes or activities.

Exercising can be a daunting task, but if you’re committed to finding activities that are the right fit for you, it can become a very rewarding one. Many fitness centers and Jewish Community Centers offer one-time free sample classes and short term free memberships that give you chances to try new activities.  Running has helped me — what kind of exercise inspires you?

Living a healthy life is important for us all.  When you need help, you can turn to Jewish Community Services’ highly trained and experienced mental health professionals.   JCS works with families, children, adolescents, couples and adults to develop solutions for life’s challenges and to maintain a healthy perspective on life.

Learn more about what JCS has to offer>>

Call 410-466-9200 for more information.

Eleven Days

By Sophia Goldman
Diller Baltimore Teen Fellow, 2011-2012

Eleven days was all it took for me to make 19 new best friends. And when I tell you that I could write a whole book describing the North American Seminar (NAS) much less a blog post, I’m telling the truth. At a glance, 11 days seems like such a short amount of time, and looking back, I definitely wish we all had more time. However, the 11 days we got together were packed full of community service, Judaism, seminars, pictures, laughs, smiles and hugs (there were a lot of hugs). And while the Israelis were jet-lagged for most of their stay, they rarely showed it and instead were full of spirit and excitement, which only pumped up the Baltimore cohort more. By the end of our first weekend together spent at a retreat at Capital Camps, we had completely achieved “Ashkemore,” our perfect blend of Ashkelon and Baltimore.

While the Israelis toured Baltimore, we were able to tag along when possible. And while it was usually troublesome to get out of our school activities, it was always worth it. Even the small trips, like going to Quarry Lake, were so much fun for the sole reason we were together. However, we each had responsibilities too. The Baltimore teens were broken into groups of four and were responsible for certain parts of the week, like the opening seminar, or the retreat at Capital Camps. Likewise, the Ashkelon teens were broken into groups of four and were responsible for explaining certain parts of their tour, like when we visited Washington, D.C.

Eleven days and we had a new family. And everyone could feel it, from each teen in the groups, to our junior counselors. When asked in our maagals (circle discussions we had after an event) if we had been experiencing any problems our groups were silent. It was simple, we were too happy with each other and with how perfectly everything was managing. And another reason the NAS was so special was the bonding our Baltimore group experienced. I am counting down the days until our turn to venture to Israel to connect with our second family again!

Learn more about THE ASSOCIATED Teen Programs>>

Advocacy Day 2012

By: Zach Ranen
Gilman School, Grade 10
STAC Fellow 2011-2012

On February 7, 2012, Jewish Volunteer Connection’s STAC (Students Taking Action for Change) fellows traveled to Annapolis to participate in Advocacy Day. In advance of speaking to the legislators, we were eager to use the skills learned from earlier program meetings.

We were fortunate to have a one-on-one session with Delegate Eric Bromwell. In this session, each group was able to lobby the Delegate with the hopes of convincing him to support the bills they have been working on since the fall. It was truly a great experience to make our opinions heard by an influential leader. Delegate Bromwell listened intently to our views on each bill, enabling us to feel we were making a difference and putting our knowledge of these bills to good use.

After our session with Delegate Bromwell, we went to the Legislative Reception where we met the Lieutenant Governor and listened to speeches from members of the Jewish community as well as members of the legislative community. One STAC fellow was even able to give his “elevator pitch” to Delegate Dana Stein.

Finally, we were able to spend valuable time with the Elijah Cummings Youth Project teens to debate prominent controversial issues being addressed in the upcoming legislative session.

Overall, Advocacy Day was an extremely valuable and rewarding experience where we were able to put the skills we’ve learned in STAC to good use and make our voices heard.

Students Taking Action for Change (STAC) is a 10-month teen leadership program of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore and Jewish Volunteer Connection, in partnership with the Baltimore Jewish Council.  To learn more about STAC and THE ASSOCIATED’s Teen Leadership programs, please contact Renée Goldfarb at 410-369-9338 or rgoldfarb@associated.org.

Have You Considered a Teen Leadership Program?

By: Lauren Offermann
Pikesville High Senior
2010-2011 Diller Baltimore Teen Fellow

The most appealing part of the Diller Baltimore Teen Fellows Program, for me, was not only the ability to travel to Israel but also the chance to choose my own community service project -  one that really speaks to who I am and my beliefs. Each teen wrote a grant and created a six-week community service project that helped to address issues that each one of us found important. I have been studying the French and Spanish languages and cultures for many years and I chose to focus my project on this interest. I created a program where I had culture classes at an underprivileged elementary school for an hour every Tuesday. I have always found importance in educating a younger generation to understand that there is more to life then what they are living. Many of my students had never thought of the possibility of traveling or even understanding how other people live their lives.

I really wanted to take a more real approach to the cultures because I wanted to find a way for the kids to appreciate everything they were learning. We studied a different country every week including Belgium, Argentina, Spain, France, Senegal and also the American city of New Orleans. We focused on the language, culture and food of each. Our first week was France, where the kids learned some basic French words, painted and learned about the famous painting “Starry Night,” by Vincent Van Gogh. We ended the class by trying croissants with nutella and banana pieces. For the week we focused on Argentina, the kids learned a few words in Spanish, played a game of floor soccer and were able to make their own tacos. Each aspect of the culture allowed the kids to learn in a more personal and hands-on way.

I was nervous to start this program because I had never met these kids and I wasn’t sure how they would respond. I had my group of volunteers, all of whom were familiar with the French and Spanish language, and so began one of the best experiences I had in Diller. As I began to work with these 14 amazing third and fourth graders, I realized how important my project really was for them. I saw a transformation as each one of them began to explore what the world has to offer. I noticed week by week that they asked more questions and craved more knowledge. I heard more and more comments from them about traveling, seeing the world for themselves and learning how to speak one of the languages.

One of the biggest things that stuck with me was on the last day of my project. It hadn’t occurred to me that my kids didn’t understand that it was only a six week program and as I said my goodbyes and wrapped up our time together, one of my students looked surprised and said, “You aren’t coming back next week?” Each of my other students chimed in with the same surprise and I realized how much I had affected them and how the program had helped them to grow. I felt so much pride in my students for opening their minds to learning the new cultures, my volunteers for taking the opportunity to help make a small difference, and even in myself for being able to use my interests for creating a service project.

This experience has taught me how easy it is to make a change within my community and how affective one voice, no matter what the age, can be in impacting a group of people.

Are you a teen leader or do you know someone who is? THE ASSOCIATED is taking applications for its three Teen Leadership Programs: Diller Baltimore Teen Fellows, Students Taking Action for Change and the Teen Giving Initiative.
Learn more and download an application>>