Moving Traditions emboldens Jewish youth to challenge gender stereotyping and other forms of discrimination and to pursue personal wholeness (shleimut), caring connections (hesed), and a just and equitable world (tzedek).Moving Traditions believes it is critically important for the Jewish community at this time of cultural upheaval and polarization to help teens navigate the world so they will thrive as healthy, ethical, and Jewishly connected people.However, while a majority of Jewish teens will become b-mitzvah, most drop out of Jewish life soon after, leaving the Jewish community at a critical stage, just when they are figuring out who they are and how to behave in a society that often dictates narrow and unhealthy gender roles and ways of dealing with differences.Moving Traditions connects the issues pre-teens 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 our 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, we create a more vibrant, engaging Judaism that helps all teens to flourish.
