Jewish World Watch’s Teen Ambassador Program (TAP) not only can make a difference in how young people view the world; it can change their inner lives as well. That was the message relayed by various participants who addressed nearly 20 local students during a “Taste of TAP” event on Feb. 25.
The free event at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino gave prospective members a chance to learn more about JWW’s innovative TAP program, which holds social justice workshops for passionate high schoolers who are interested in genocide and its consequences – hunger, displacement, poverty and violence against women. Attendees also learned about JWW’s current work and watched the award-winning movie “Salam Neighbor,” which follows the journey of two 20-something filmmakers permitted to live inside a Syrian refugee camp.
Elianna Sokoler, a junior at Calabasas High School, told the assembled group about how her participation in TAP has made a difference for her.
Elianna Sokoler
“Starting in the Teen Ambassador Program, I was more shy,” Elianna said. “As I continued with TAP, I felt confident to share my ideas and thoughts in our discussions with everyone in the group as we got to know each other.
“I learned about the genocides occurring in places such as Sudan and South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Jewish World Watch’s actions to make a difference, such as through supporting many meaningful programs in these places, including the Little Ripples school for young children refugees from Darfur,” she continued. “The Jewish World Watch Teen Ambassador Program has taught me a lot about leadership and advocacy skills for the causes that I believe in, and how working together is key to making a difference.”
Another participant, Jonah Goldberg, a senior at Calabasas High School who joined TAP last year, said he’s learned a lot about himself through the leadership program.
Jonah Goldberg
“It’s hard to advocate for anything in your life or know why you’re fighting if you don’t understand how it fits with your sense of self,” he said. “Last year, we worked with a Myers-Briggs personality assessment expert to learn our personality types, took multiple leadership style tests, and discussed why we held certain role models.”
Jonah added that the skills he picked up in TAP help him in the rest of his life as well.
“We study and write elevator pitches, learn how to organize and run meetings, and learn how to communicate more effectively, through discussions and surprisingly fun activities,” he said. “I tend to translate a lot of what I learn here not just to meetings for other volunteer organizations but to my school orchestra and group projects. People will pick up on the fact that you’re sure of yourself, know what you’re doing, and are working for everyone’s benefit, and they’ll flock to you as a leader even when you aren’t asking for it.”
And in the end, Jonah said, TAP helps everyone be more aware of what’s going on in the world and make it a better place.
“TAP allows you to master that seemingly empty term on college essays, ‘global citizen.’ It can be really fun to surprise other people by holding your own in a conversation about the racial violence in South Sudan or service projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“I think Jewish World Watch has a leg up on any other organization you may choose to work with, because we don’t just raise money that blindly goes into the bureaucracy, and we don’t show up in these other countries and act like we know what’s best for them. Additionally, it isn’t just money that we’re contributing. Our advocacy is just as much about influencing legislation, raising awareness to shape future bills that encourage our government to take responsibility for helping refugees. TAP can empower you and everyone in your circle to improve your own lives and repair the world.”
The JWW Teen Ambassador Program is part of the L.A. Jewish Teen Initiative, co-funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the Jim Joseph Foundation with seed funding provided by the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles. Program partners include UpStart, Etzah, an initiative of the AJU Graduate Center for Education, and BJE Impact.
For more information about TAP, click here:
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