Young people need a community
YOUNG PEOPLE today have so much on offer to them — whether it’s extracurricular activities, international trips, thousands of films on Netflix, or anything they could ever want inside their smartphones. Despite the changes in technology, opportunities and time, every young person needs a community.
As young Jewish people in Britain, we are fortunate to not only have a community, but a large and varied one too. Whatever your belief, interest or lifestyle, there is something on offer. The question is not “How do we pick and choose?” but rather “Where do we see ourselves fitting into that?”
As educators and youth workers, it is our responsibility to provide a space of belonging for the young people in our community. To do so, they must feel safe, supported and empowered. That is where the Leadership programme comes into play.
I started on a teen Leadership programme at the age of 13, went on to volunteer and then manage the Leadership programme, manage Leadership by Streetwise and attend multiple adult Leadership programmes too. To say each Leadership programme that I have attended has shaped my skills and personality is an understatement.
The young people in our community are not the leaders of tomorrow, they are the leaders of today. They know what they want, what they need and they typically like to do a lot of it themselves. We need to harness their passion and drive and show them that we are behind them all the way. Summer camps and youth clubs are great for their development, of course, but let’s prepare them and offer them even more.
Leadership by Streetwise offers a nationally accredited qualification by Sports Leaders UK. We aim to not only provide a community, but also CV-boosting qualifications. Streetwise is a partnership with CST and Maccabi GB. The young people learn about their personal safety and how to correctly be upstanders in today’s society, something that is so important for themselves and their peers. Maccabi GB is part of a global organisation that connects Jewish people around the world through sport, education and wellbeing. Leadership by Streetwise offers an annual Jewish identity trip to another European city with a thriving Maccabi organisation. Harry Davis, 17, reflected on his time in Budapest by saying: “I will always be appreciative of the opportunities that Streetwise have offered me, especially the Budapest trip. In October 2019. I took part in Leadership’s second Jewish identity trip, this time to Budapest. We had a Leadership-style version of the pre-camp programme for the European Games in 2019. The trip allowed me to connect with my Jewish heritage together with experiencing some Hungarian culture. We visited landmarks like the Fisherman’s Bastion and the Dohany Street
Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Europe. A group of us gave a small talk at the Shoes on the Danube memorial and the significance that the thoughtprovoking sculptures held. We were also able to meet the heads of Maccabi Hungary and get to know Hungarian teens doing similar programmes to us. The recollections of my three-night stay in Budapest will stay with me forever, and I am excited for any future international trips that Streetwise may hold and I look forward to potentially leading on one of these trips.”
Next summer, we will be taking hundreds of athletes and managers to the 21st Maccabiah Games. Among the management team, we have many Leadership by Streetwise alumni, and all four junior squad madrichim are alumni and current volunteers leading the 2021-22 Leadership cohort. Many current participants on the programme will also attend as athletes, using their new developed leadership skills to get them ready for a summer of competition and fun. Lily Myers, age 15, is part of
We need to harness the passion and drive of young people’
the junior female lacrosse team. She says: “The skills I have learnt at Leadership are not only for sports leaders, but for the athletes too. Things such as communication, teamwork and commitment are all essential on the pitch or when training with my team. I now feel that I can be a more effective player and leader, helping my teammates by using what I’ve learnt throughout the year, and hope to learn next course year.”
Leadership by Streetwise 2021-22 has just been launched. After being online and limiting in-person activities, residentials are back in December. The team are ready to teach, support and inspire the next set of Maccabi leaders. We’ve seen our strength in tough times, and now we move forward as a stronger community, a stronger family and are ready to keep thriving. To sign up to the Leadership by Streetwise 2021-22 programme, go to www.maccabigb.org/ leadership. This programme is available for all in years ten to 13.