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Until last week, 17-year-old Elie Schwartz of Baldwin. N.Y., thought most homeless people were "stupid" and that they "didn't care anymore" about themselves or about living.

But after joining more than 850 Jewish teens and several dozen homeless people on the "Tikun Olam Walk for Homelessness and Hunger" in San Jose on Dec. 29, Schwartz had a different opinion.

"They do care. They do want to succeed in life," said Schwartz, who was attending the United Synagogue Youth's five-day international convention in San Jose. "They want to live. They haven't given up on life."

Many participants agreed that the 3-mile walk was the highlight of the 49th annual convention of the USY, the high-school affiliate of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

The late-morning march started in St. James Park, a two-square-block haven for San Jose's homeless in the heart of downtown. Many of the homeless who regularly congregate there joined the teenagers in solidarity.

"With our energy and spirit, we can make a difference," said Aviva Kieffer, 18, of Weston, Fla., who served as international USY president in 1999. "Homelessness and hunger are issues of global concern; by involving ourselves physically, we can change the world."

The educational theme of the convention, which ran Dec. 26 through 30, was "Tzorchei Tzibbur: Community and Responsibility in the Jewish tradition."

The message that was driven home in workshops and seminars was "Count me in," according to Mitch Reitman, the San Mateo-based executive director for the Northern California region of USCJ.

"We learned a lot about what we can do to help the community, both by tzedakah and by g'milut hasadim, acts of loving kindness," said 18-year-old Josh Taff of Sacramento, who was elected USY's international president for 2000 at the convention. "This walk today was unbelievable. I hope it set a precedent for the country that other youth groups will follow."

The sight of more than 1,000 people — including USY staff plus more than 50 homeless people — walking through downtown San Jose caught many motorists, pedestrians and business people by surprise.

The teen delegates, including many boys wearing kippot, chanted slogans such as "Hey, hey, ho, ho. This homelessness has got to go!" and bellowed out such songs as "Hinei Mah Tov."

Many homeless joined in, even though they didn't know the words, and helped carry placards and banners. Police officers on bicycles accompanied the entourage and regulated traffic.

Schwartz said he was moved spiritually by marching side-by-side with homeless people.

"I have never really dealt so much with the homeless before," he said. "I mean, I have seen them and offered my personal comforts, but never on such a grand scale where we can have a dialogue with them."

Added Taff: "Their stories were amazing. One woman I talked with said God had motivated her to live on. It gave me an enormous sense of pride to take part in this. I felt proud to be a Jew."

Several homeless people said the experience was a moving one for them, as well.

"I didn't know anybody cared about us until I saw these kids," said Robert Hames of San Mateo, who has been homeless for 11 months.

He was one of 35 to 40 homeless who attended a breakfast at the convention's headquarters, the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose, and then participated in the walk.

At the breakfast, the teens and homeless participated in small discussion groups. The South Bay's Community Homeless Alliance Ministry served as the liaison between USY and the homeless.

"A lot of them [teens] didn't really know what homeless was," Hames said. "But I got a chance to talk to them and set them straight. Like most people, they thought all homeless use alcohol and are drug addicts. Not true."

Richard Freese of San Jose, who lives with his wife and two kids in a camper parked in a church parking lot, said he was encouraged to see so much enthusiasm and concern from the teens.

"Who knows? Maybe one of them might grow up to be president and they could make a change for us," Freese said. "The mayor of San Jose is not even trying to open up his heart to anybody. At least these kids are."

Before coming to the convention, the teens raised about $20,000 through collections at their synagogues and in their communities. A USY spokesperson said the money will be allocated next spring to various charities that help the homeless and hungry.

USY has roughly 15,000 members in the United States and Canada, with 17 regional organizations and more than 400 local chapters.

The Northern California region sent 140 teen delegates, the most of any region and the local group's largest delegation ever. The USY convention was also held in San Jose in 1986; next year, it will be in Boston.

Rabbi Jerome Epstein, the executive vice president of USCJ, said the convention was a rousing success.

"Whenever we bring 800 to 1,000 kids together, it's got to have an impact on them because so many of them are searching for community," he said. "When one sees hundreds of young people sharing that commitment, it's terrific."

Regarding the convention's crowning moment, the walk for homelessness, Epstein said, "We wanted to make a point to the young people that Jewish living is more than just the ritual. It also has to motivate them to be partners of God in building a better world."