Bay Area

Moving Traditions

(215) 887-4511 [email protected] movingtraditions.org
California Regional Director Julia Papiyan

Emboldens Jewish youth to thrive through the pursuit of personal wellbeing (shleimut), caring relationships (chesed), and a Jewish and feminist vision of equity and justice (tzedek). Combining positive psychology with Jewish values and partnering with Jewish institutions across North America to engage Jewish teens, families and communities.

Connects the issues preteens and teens care about most—such as body image, social and academic pressure, friendship, romance and sexuality—to enduring Jewish values, fosters positive peer-to-peer relationships through trained educators and mentors, and inspires participants to develop an ongoing connection to Jewish community. By promoting a more inclusive and expansive view of gender for Jewish girls, boys, and transgender and nonbinary teens, the program creates a more vibrant, engaging Judaism that helps all teens to flourish.

Established in 2005, organization has emboldened more than 31,500 preteens and teens, trained more than 2,640 adults as Moving Traditions B-Mitzvah Family Education program leaders and teen group mentors, prepared more than 140 senior camp leaders to promote safety, respect and equity through CultureShift, and partnered with more than 560 congregations, JCCs, camps, day schools and other Jewish entities across North America, including staffed regions in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia.