*SPONSOR CONTENT* 

Through a variety of programs, weekend retreats and trips to Israel, NCSY provides teenagers with the opportunity to embrace their traditions and heritage while being a part of the greater Jewish community. The organization works around the clock to inspire the next generation with their initiatives, including Torah High, a school that offers exceptional and affordable Jewish studies courses, for credit, to public high school students.

NCSY Canada, headquartered in Toronto, recently announced a new and ambitious challenge. They will be launching a campaign to reach 18,000 Jewish teenagers across Canada in the next seven years. The plan will include expansion across all of Canada by means of connecting with communities that they have not yet reached. NCSY will also be maximizing their efforts in communities in which they have existing operations by adding more staff in these locations. The final part of the plan will involve targeting communities with high rates of assimilation.

“Most headlines that you see today regarding Jewish education seem to be negative and about the decline of Jewish engagement and education,” said Rabbi Glenn Black, CEO of NCSY Canada and founder of Torah High and Jewish Virtual High School. “Our campaign is about our achievements, our reach and our success, impacting the lives of thousands of teenagers across this country and creating the next generation of Jewish leaders.”

The campaign will be launched at the NCSY & Torah High Gala Dinner on Nov. 28 at the Paramount Eventspace. The fundraising event will recognize members of the Toronto community who have been instrumental in NCSY’s expansion. Gerald and Sheryl Hartman, and Jeff and Honey Rubenstein will be honoured for their support of NCSY’s programs. The event will also honour the memory of the organization’s founders, Harold and Pearl Jacobs, with the establishment of a posthumous fund to support the new campaign, established by their children, Paul & Chavi Jacobs. Harold Jacobs founded NCSY 65 years ago, and his efforts have never been officially recognized. Jacobs, along with others, successfully grew the organization that now has branches in Canada, the United States, South America and Israel.

“The gala is our way of recognizing a number of families that have dedicated their lives to the betterment of society in general, and to the Jewish community specifically,” said Rabbi Black. “Each of these families has made it their priority to invest in our young people, specifically through the work of Torah High and NCSY. They are true ambassadors, ensuring that the work we do continues for many years to come.”

For a variety of reasons, thousands of Canadian teenagers are not exposed to a Jewish education.  As enrolment in Jewish day schools diminishes and parents and donors put Jewish education on the back burner, NCSY is determined to make a change and remind communities to prioritize Jewish youth.

“If we don’t focus on our children, we really don’t have a future. Jewish children deserve a Jewish education on some level,” said Rabbi Black. “With the community’s help, we are the people who will make that happen.”