Night 2: Young Adults
December 2020
This Hanukkah we are taking a moment to shine a light on the resilience of our community throughout this past year. Tonight, we light the 2nd candle of the menorah and read how our community brought light and hope to our young adults.
This past spring, Jewish young adults in San Antonio participated in the Yesod program organized by the Young Adult Division (YAD) of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio. This program promotes leadership development specifically through a Jewish lens, helping transform young member of the community into future lay leaders.
Over the summer, a group of college students enhanced their professional skills and became “changemakers”. The Changemakers Fellowship saw students across the world work together to make an impact in their respective communities including San Antonio.
YAD began to offer in–person socially distanced programming starting in October. Their first event was playing pickleball, followed by a small COVID safe Friendsgiving Shabbat. The purpose ofYAD is to provide networking and social opportunities for young Jewish professionals.
Since March, young adults in San Antonio have enjoyed Holiday and Shabbat packages, a variety of online classes and events, one-on-one meetups, and volunteering opportunities through Young & Jewish San Antonio. In the words of one young adult, “It’s so comforting to know that even when hard times hit, you are part of a caringYJSA community that will be there for you.”
Since Rosh Hashanah, with safety protocols in place, young Jews are getting together for social distanced outdoor and small batch events.
Visit www.yjsa.org for info about upcoming virtual and in-person opportunities. -Rabbi Teldon
NCSY has brought Jewish teens from around San Antonio together to celebrate, get inspired, learn and socialize together in a spiritually and physically safeenvironment, building the Jewish future. -Rabbi Yoel, Lax, NCSY City Director
Temple Beth-El’s Young Adult group “@20s30s” has risen to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in the face of uncertainty, the group continued to stay connected. They continued to build community through Zoom happy hours, game nights, and Break the Fast. “@20s30s” was one of the first temple groups to hold a socially distanced community event, the Sukkot Origami Night.