Our Movement
NFTY is a movement that builds strong, welcoming, inspired communities through teen-powered engagement. Together, we pursue tikkun olam, personal growth, youth empowerment, and deep connections, all rooted in Reform Judaism.
For over eighty years, NFTY – The Reform Jewish Youth Movement, has offered thousands of young people the opportunity to explore and live Reform Judaism through teen-powered weekends and engaging social justice ventures.
Stemming from a historic tradition of both Jewish and non-Jewish European youth movements, NFTY is the Reform Jewish youth movement that fosters leadership at the North American, regional and congregational level. Today, hundreds of Reform congregations throughout North America sponsor Temple Youth Groups, bringing the NFTY experience to thousands of teens. Through opportunities offered by congregations in the 19 NFTY regions, and on the North American level, NFTYites strive to forge an identity in consonance with the goals and values of Reform Judaism.
NFTY is advised in partnership between teen leaders and adult Jewish youth professionals. NFTY also functions as a youth organization, a program of the Union for Reform Judaism, a ‘snif‘ (branch) of Netzer Olami, the international Reform Zionist youth organization, as well as a partner in the URJ Campaign for Youth Engagement.
Whether functioning as an organization, program, or youth movement, NFTY is a Reform Jewish community for all high school students who are interested in connecting to their Judaism. Teens forge and build friendships, lifelong Reform Jewish identities, and leadership skills through community building, worship, social action, and experiential youth-led Jewish educational programming. Many NFTYites serve as NFTY leaders on the local, TYG, regional, and even North American levels. Many NFTY Leaders continue on to become both lay and professional leaders of the Reform Jewish Movement.
NFTY is Supported by a number of generous organizations and donors
NFTY is able to achieve incredible things thanks to the financial contributions of…
WRJ: Women of Reform Judaism
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago – JUF
Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
…and hundreds of individual donors
Thank you
Our history
NFTY was founded in 1939 as the youth arm of the Union for Reform Judaism. It was created at the urging of the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods in order to provide an outlet for young people to engage in the life of their synagogues.
Today, NFTY boasts hundreds of Temple Youth Groupss in 19 NFTY Regions throughout the United States and Canada, has both NFTY regional events and NFTYx events run by synagogues and supported by NFTY, and has sent tens of thousands of young people to Israel. In the more than eighty years of its existence, NFTY has touched the lives of literally thousands of young American Jews through the programs it runs and the relationships it fosters.
Take a moment to read about NFTY’s full and robust history.
Our Values in Practice
As a part of the Reform Jewish Youth movement, NFTY strives to provide meaningful and engaging experiences. These experiences are inspired by 13 values-based principles, ensuring that our movement’s mission and journey are based on our shared values. Together, these 13 Principles guide us as we create a holistic Jewish environment, allowing NFTY to continuously evolve, and remain a dynamic Jewish Reform Youth movement for years to come.
As a movement, we do our best to welcome participants into the community we shape as teens for teens. We seek to prioritize inclusion in the experiences we offer, upheld by the agreements we make in our shared community covenant – NFTY’s Brit Kehillah.
Listening, acting, and responding are central to our attitude in promoting the wellbeing of fellow teens. While we aim to make our teen spaces one of trust and safety, we will always acknowledge incidents that may make teens feel unsafe or unwelcome. If a teen feels this way at an event, NFTY’s Misconduct Reporting Form is always accessible by a QR code in bathroom stalls and with the link below.
As teens and adults, we understand it is our responsibility to uphold our Brit Kehillah and model exemplary leadership.
OUR PEOPLE – PROFESSIONAL STAFF
Rabbi Esther Lederman
Vice President – Leaders in Action
Rabbi Esther L. Lederman (she/hers) is the Vice President of Leaders in Action at the Union for Reform Judaism, overseeing the strategic leadership of NFTY in addition to fundraising for teen engagement. Previously, she was the Director of Congregational Innovation & Leadership for nine years and served as Associate Rabbi at Temple Micah in Washington, DC. Ordained in 2008 from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, she holds a B.A. in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies from McGill University (1996).
Rabbi Lederman is on several boards, including T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, the Habonim Dror Foundation, Ameinu, the Advisory Council of Avodah in Washington, DC, and the Federation of Greater Washington. A proud alumna of Habonim Dror, she believes in the power of youth to transform our world and communities.
Logan Zinman Gerber
Director, NFTY Development & Growth
Logan Zinman Gerber (she/hers), the Director of NFTY Development & Growth for Leaders In Action, is a community organizer and Jewish educator whose Judaism is rooted in social justice.
Logan worked for seven years as the NFTY Chicago Director, partnering with student leaders to create programs and experiential learning for hundreds of high schoolers. As National Campaign Organizer for the Religious Action Center for the past four years, Logan taught high schoolers, college students, and young adults how to be community organizers and use their skills and stories to mobilize their communities to make change. Logan loves learning almost as much as creating educational experiences for others. She holds a BA in Jewish Studies and Sociology from the University of Wisconsin, masters in Social Administration and Social Work from the University of Chicago.
You can find Logan running by the lake in Chicago with her dogs, searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, and singing a lot of Shabbat songs with her partner, Ben, and her small humans, Judah and Pearl. She is humbled to get to wake up every day and support our youth leaders in the development of their youth movement and pursuit of justice.
Rachel Margolis, RJE
Director, NFTY Experiences & Strategy
Rachel Margolis, RJE (she/her) is the Director, NFTY Experiences & Strategy at the Union for Reform Judaism. She works to identify and activate leaders around the URJ so they can mobilize and organize others in action. Rachel is a graduate of Cornell University and has a joint masters in Jewish Education and Jewish Non-Profit Management from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. After serving as Director of Education for a congregation in Los Angeles, Rachel helped write curriculum and re-envisioned youth engagement and teen learning for family schools, Religious Schools, synagogue day camps, retreats at synagogues and community programs around the country.
Rachel is past chair of the HUC-JIR Alumni Leadership Council, serves on the HUC-JIR Board of Governors Executive Committee, and was co-chair of HUC’s Teshuvah Working Group. In her free time, you can find Rachel knitting, braiding challah, or exploring local parks. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, Rabbi Ari Margolis, their three daughters, and their very-beloved pandemic puppy.
Dori Singer Zoot
Program & Events Manager – NFTY
Dori Singer Zoot (she/her) is thrilled to have come home to NFTY as the Program & Events Manager. In this role, she gets to lead impactful initiatives to strengthen teen leadership and engagement across the URJ.
Over the last 18 years, Dori has traveled the country enjoying 18 summers at 5 Jewish camps and attending 66 NFTY events (and counting!). Receiving degrees in Nonprofit Management and Youth Service Leadership from Arizona State and Gratz College, Dori has committed her career to studying and practicing how to build intentional communities where Jewish youth get to grow, laugh, and belong. Since starting at the URJ in 2017 as the NFTY Ohio Valley Regional Director, Dori has deepened her knowledge in the field and loved working with youth, families, congregations, and community partners to make Reform Judaism accessible and meaningful. After living one version of her dream job as an Assistant Director at URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute for five years, she is excited to live a different dream and return to the program that introduced her to her love of working with teens, and looks forward to working with the team and teens to create what comes next.
Dori and her NFTY/camp best friend (now husband), Austin, live together in Cincinnati with their daughter, Sophie. Aside from her love of Jewish youth engagement, Dori also loves all things Disney, baking challah, and going on adventures in her Chacos!
Rabbi Isaama Goldstein-Stoll
NFTY Program & Operations Director
Rabbi Isaama Goldstein-Stoll (she/her) is the new NFTY Program & Operations Director. A product of the Reform Movement, Rabbi Isaama grew up in NFTY and at URJ Camp Harlam, and is an ordinee of HUC-JIR (Cincinnati).
She brings an expertise in building Jewish community, a passion for life-long Jewish learning, and a commitment to affirming and celebrating Jewish diversity. After serving as the Senior Jewish Educator at the Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale University, and as a Religious Life Consultant at Be’chol Lashon, Rabbi Isaama is glad to return “home” to the Reform Movement.
Rabbi Orli Moss
Director - Heller High
Rabbi Orli Moss (she/her) has dedicated her career to working with individuals and communities working on Israel education, Jewish peoplehood, value clarification and experiential and creative Judaism. In July 2023, Orli joined the URJ as Director of Heller High and is delighted to work with teens, empowering them to create a vibrant and intentional Reform community. Allowing teens to explore aspects of Reform life, including ritual, spiritual, and social justice, while fostering a unique and distinct identity for Heller High students who come to Israel for a semester-long, identity-forming, and life-changing experience. With strong local ties, Orli is committed to connecting students to Israelis and Israeli society in an authentic way.
A product of the Conservative movement and ordained at HUC-JIR Jerusalem, Orli is dedicated to building a strong liberal Jewish voice in Israel. Having grown up in a youth movement and worked with gap year programs in the past, Orli believes in empowering youth through experiential learning. Rabbi Orli Moss searches for new sustainable ways to encourage Jewish pluralism in both informal and formal settings. In 2015, she returned home to Israel with her family after three years of Shlichut (emissary for the Jewish Agency) in NYC, where she established and ran the Israel Engagement Department at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation
Orli holds an MA in Jewish Pluralist Education and a BA in Sociology & Anthropology from Hebrew University, Jerusalem. In 2021, she was ordained at the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute for Religion, Jerusalem. She lives in Kfar Saba with her husband Jonathan and their children Nomi, Tomer, and Poppy.
Julie Lambert, RJE
NFTY Program & Operations Director
Julie Lambert, RJE (she/her) is the Director of Program Integration and Business Management for Leaders in Action of the URJ. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and Hebrew Union College-JIR with a Join Masters Degree in Jewish Educational and Jewish Non Profit Management. In 2022 Julie received her Honorary Doctorate from Hebrew Union College in Jewish Education.
Julie facilitates collaboration and integration with other URJ teams to ensure the successful implementation of strategic initiatives across the organization and aligns with URJ annual targets for measuring impact with a particular focus on mobilizing leaders across the system. Julie brings over 25 years in Jewish professional leadership with experience in congregational leadership, educational leadership, and program design, implementation, and evaluation. A proud NFTY Alum, NFTY parent, Camp Jenny supporter, URJ Camp Coleman parent, and URJ OSRUI alum, she is thrilled to be a part of the team imagining, building, and strengthening the Reform Jewish Youth movement. In addition, Julie is an adjunct professor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in the School of Education teaching professional learning to current executive masters students. Julie works from her Miami home office with her 3 canine associates, Clyde, Charley, and Lou Lou. When not working Julie loves to bake, read and travel with her husband Lawrence, and two daughters Abbie and Sydney.
Emma Jaszczak Maszi
Program & Operations Associate
Emma Jaszczak Maszi (she/her) serves as the Program & Operations Associate for the Leaders in Action flagship of the URJ, working to implement systems and strategies across the URJ’s Leaders in Action programs. A proud autistic woman, she believes her neurodivergence is her greatest professional asset.
She is an alum of NFTY-STR and the URJ Kutz Camp, as well as a staffing alum of NFTY in Israel, URJ Camp Newman, and URJ 6 Points West. In addition to the URJ, Emma has worked at organizations such as BimBam and Tkiya Music, and is a curriculum consultant in the intersectional field of Jewish civic engagement. A passionate Jewish and arts educator, she holds master’s degrees in Arts Education from The Florida State University and in Jewish Education from the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles, as well as a master’s concentration in Israel Education from the iCenter.
She lives in Cleveland, OH with her wife, Emily, their daughter, Ruth, and their two dogs, Aggie and Franklin, In her free time she enjoys spending time with family, watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, and laying in her hammock.
Shoshana Maniscalco
Teen Justice Fellowship Organizer
Shoshana Maniscalco (she/her) is thrilled to be joining the Youth Organizing Team as the Teen Justice Fellowship Organizer! She previously worked at Jews United for Justice as a community organizer focusing on labor and housing justice at the county and state level in Maryland. Originally from Western Massachusetts, Shoshana attended Ithaca College where she studied sociology and counseling. She also spent 15 summers attending and working at URJ Eisner Camp.
OUR PEOPLE – North American Teen Leaders
Benji Rosenblum (He/Him)
NFTY President
Hi, I’m Benji Rosenblum! I’m 18 years old, from Phoenix, Arizona. I’ve been involved in NFTY since 7th grade, with my most recent projects being helping to plan the Collab 2023, and working on the movement-wide campaign. I’m a huge nerd when it comes to just about everything, and I regularly do deep dives into whatever special interest I have at the time. When I’m not working on NFTY projects or hanging out with other NFTY-ites, you can find me practicing cardistry, backpacking, belting out musical theater songs, and conducting blind taste tests to find out which type of flour makes the best pizza dough. I love cooking for my family and friends, and there’s nothing that brings me more joy than seeing people I care about come together over good food. If you need a recipe or suggestion for what to cook, I’ve got you covered.
Frogby Sachs (They/Them)
Programming VP
Hi NFTY! I’m Frogby (they/them), and I’m a senior from Austin, TX. I’ve served two years as the Programming Vice President for NFTY-TOR (Texas-Oklahoma Region), and I’m one of the original members of the Collab Core Team. I love planning fun and meaningful opportunities for NFTYites, and I love nothing more than to bring the NFTY experience to the Reform Jewish teens who I know would love it. I keep myself pretty busy, but in my free time you’ll find me thrifting with friends, folding obscene quantities of origami, or at a coffee shop with my sister. Please please please reach out to me- I’m always looking to improve my Jewish Geography game, and I promise I don’t bite.
Shayna Levy (She/Her)
Social Action VP
Hi!!! My name is Shayna (she/her), and I am from Austin, Tx! I was the NFTY-TOR Regional President from 2023-2024, and the year before that I served as TOR Social Action Vice President. I have also helped plan the Collab both in 2022 and in 2023, and I have done the RAC Teen Justice Fellowship twice! I am passionate about social action, especially through a Jewish lens, and I study political science at Tufts University in Boston! When I am not doing NFTY things, I love trying new coffee shops, hanging out with my friends, going to concerts, and finding the best bagel spot in town!
Madeline Barenboim (She/Her)
Religious & Cultural VP
I am going to be a senior from Boca Raton FL (STR). I have been on leadership teams helping plan events like Camp Jenny, The Collab, NFTY-STR regional events, and TYG Events, and I am incredibly grateful and proud of what I have been able to do and all of the incredible connections, relationships, and opportunities that NFTY has given me. I also attend URJ Camp Coleman and I am passionate about music and social justice.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends, playing guitar, and surfing. I am looking forward to this next year helping NFTY and NALT grow as a movement.
Zoe Babione (She/Her)
Fellowships & Immersives VP
Hello! My name is Zoe Babione and I’m a rising high school senior from Lititz, Pennsylvania. I served as the NFTY-PAR President for the 2023-24 school year and as PAR’s SAVP prior to that. Additionally, I have participated in the RAC Teen Justice Fellowship, Yallah! Israel summer program, Teen Israel Organizing Immersive, RAC-PA Leadership Team, and I am co-heading the Israel team on the Movement Wide Campaign. For the past nine years, I’ve spent my summers at URJ Camp Harlam. Outside of the URJ, I’m an active member of my high school’s performing arts department (doing shows, choir, and band), National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, and the International Baccalaureate Program. I am so thankful for this opportunity and I can’t wait to continue to foster this incredible NFTY community as a member of NAB!
Mali Cooper (She/Her)
Engagement & Inclusion VP
Mali Cooper from Long Island, NY is an active member at Temple Beth El of Great Neck, and a junior at Great Neck North High School. I attended my first NFTY event in 2019 and has attended Eisner Camp since I was 7 years old. I have served as Membership VP and Programming VP of NFTY-NAR. I also attended Yallah! Israel, participated in the Teen Israel Organizing Immersive and Fellowship, and worked behind the scenes for NFTY by fundraising and programming/group leading for Collab 2023. I am determined to accomplish anything I set my mind to while smiling. I also competitively swim and dive. I also took on the task of learning to speak, read, and write Mandarin Chinese from the age of 7 to the present day. I am extremely excited to work as a Junior Counselor at Eisner Camp this summer, and meet many more reform Jews.
NETZER OLAMI
Netzer stands for Noar Tzioni Reformi (meaning ‘Reform Zionist Youth’) and is the International Reform Zionist youth movement, home to thousands of young people in a range of countries spread over four continents. Netzer Olami (meaning ‘Worldwide Netzer’) is based in Jerusalem and serves as the headquarters for all of Netzer’s sniffim (branches) around the world.
NFTY is Netzer’s snif in North America. We share common values, and both work to advance Progressive Judaism in our respective areas. Every year, our leadership joins together at Netzer Veida, a leadership summit in Israel. Netzer even runs a gap year program open to NFTYites called Shnat Netzer!
Both NFTY and Netzer believe in youth empowerment and in young people running things for themselves. A central feature of Netzer snifim is that young people organize and run the activities, as well as taking responsibility for the major decisions affecting the movement.
While Netzer’s most recently updated platform contains 14 operatives, the ideology is set forth in three main pillars that help guide chapter programs, including NFTY events.
- Progressive Zionism
We are a Reform Zionist Youth movement, who encourage our members to develop a personal relationship with Israel. - Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World)
We strive to be active in our commitment to Tikkun Olam (Repair of the World) on all levels, from self (Tikkun Atzmi) to social action on a range of communal and global issues. - Youth Empowerment
Youth Empowerment is fundamental to the running of our Youth Movement. Camps and programs are organized and run by youth members, for youth members.