Youth Groups

The OJC's award-winning USY chapter is an integral part of our synagogue's culture. Spanning from 8th through 12th grades, our USY program focuses heavily on cultivating leadership and producing programs run for and by our USYers.

Events are held most Tuesday nights after Kulanu finishes (6:15 or 6:30 PM), as well as on select Saturday Evenings and Sundays.

Here are some of our most popular programs:

Teen Leadership Council - Usually held the first Tuesday night of every month, our teens gather to develop their leadership skills and plan upcoming events. 

Social Action/Tikun Olam - Throughout the year, teens have various opportunities to give back to the community. USY leads our Mitzvah Day Breakfast Run and participates in People to People's Project Joy program.

Shabbat - While there is always a dedicated Youth Shabbat on our calendar, congregants often remark that it always feels like Youth Shabbat. Our teens are regular leaders in services, by reading Torah and leading Shacharit. Once a month, our Rabbis join our teens for Teen Tish, where we hold an informal discussion over snacks.

HAM (Hands-On Art and Media) & Cheese - Don't be fooled! We checked with Rabbi Scheff, and this program is fully kosher. HAM and Cheese is our opportunity to offer an educational, but fun, activity for our teens. Past programs have varied from concerts to guest speakers.

Holidays - USY is heavily involved in planning and participating in our synagogue's holiday programming. We plan and operate the entire Purim carnival, organize a White Elephant during Hanukkah, and show up on Yom HaShoah to honor the memory of the 6 Million.

Outings - While we love the OJC, we try to get out of the building as much as we can. In the fall, our teens and families go Apple Picking and visit a neighborhood in NYC, such as the Lower East Side. In the winter, we visit the mall often, seeing a movie or going to 5 Wits. And in the spring, we go mini-golfing and join the whole community for a baseball game!

These are just some of the programs that USY offers! And if there's something not listed here that you'd love to do, then join us and help plan the next big hit!