Youth Organizing
Carrying forward the rich history of Jewish youth activism, JCUA creates spaces for young Jews to become agents for change.
To win a world of safety and liberation, we need young people leading the fight. Facing economic inequality, climate change, and attacks on queer identity, teens and young adults are rising up to exert a more just vision of the future.
JCUA’s Or Tzedek Organizing Internship and Organizing Fellowship bring together cohorts of teens and young adults from across Chicago and its suburbs to explore community organizing through a Jewish lens. Over eight months, participants learn the history of Jewish activism and resistance, gain critical organizing skills, and take action on active grassroots campaigns in Chicago. Participants become powerful organizers, and many program alumni remain part of the JCUA community as members of and leaders within our multi-generational organizing committees.
To learn more or get involved, contact Manager of Youth Organizing & Education (mara@jcua.org).
Or Tzedek
The Or Tzedek Organizing Internship, for high school students, meets twice a month from September to May on Sunday afternoons, with an additional commitment of attending at least one JCUA meeting or event each month. Participants build a rich community with other young Jews and work together to organize a youth-led action at the end of the program.
Organizing Fellowship
The JCUA Organizing Fellowship, for young adults ages 18-23, meets twice a month from October to May on weekday evenings. Alongside regular workshops, Organizing Fellows attend JCUA actions and events throughout the year,conduct one-on-one relationship-building conversations with each other and the broader JCUA community, and think strategically about how to bring JCUA’s work to their campuses and communities. Throughout the program, participants develop a dynamic understanding of Jewish identity and tradition and take action on JCUA’s campaigns for immigration justice, affordable housing, and community safety.
Youth Caucuses
There are many ways to be involved with JCUA’s youth organizing outside of the Or Tzedek program! JCUA’s Youth Organizing Caucus, Queer Youth Caucus, and Affinity Space for JOC Youth are monthly spaces for youth to take action and build community – we are always welcoming new members!