I’m in a Jewish youth group called USY (United Synagogue Youth). I love it, and it’s a really big part of my life. I was just wondering if anyone else on the boards is or was in USY, or knows anything about it. I wanna share experiences. I just love it so much, I can’t believe i have less than 2 years left.
Yup, was in it for 4 years, chapter board, did Wheels, Poland/Israel, a whole bunch of HaNegev Regional Conventions, and one International Convention. It’s sort of a family tradition, my parents met on Wheels when they were 16! Let me tell you, there was no pressure at all going on that trip. :rolleyes:
Did I enjoy it? At times. There was a lot of really neat stuff going on, and some nice people, but in I frankly found alot of the people fairly repulsive. Why did I keep going back? Some parental pressure, and I truly did enjoy alot of the experiences. Wheels was a great experience to see the country, but alot of the people on my bus treated me like dirt. Israel was much better, but I had to fly home for emergency surgery after the first shabbat in Yerushalayim. Much better people, though. I wish I had more time with them.
Still, the amount of ruach at the conventions and summer trips I find amazing. I didn’t always have the best time, but I don’t fault the program for that.
BTW, is Jules Guten still the National Director? Neat guy.
I was a BBYO guy. Good times.
Masafer
By the time I’m done I wil have been in it for 4 years. Haven’t been on board yet, but I chaired some events. I’m hopefully going on High School in Israel this summer, and I’m going to International Convention in Boston in December.
The people in USY that I have found are great. I don’t think anyone is really popular or unpopular. Everyone has their own little groups that they fit into best but everyone still interacts.
And the ruach is great. I go to LTI (encampment) for one week every summer and I always come back with no voice.
We have a Turkey Trot dance tonight and I still don’t know what to wear. Narf!
Ender
USY is better! Although I have a lot of friends in BBYO and they are still cool. NFTY is what really sucks (I had a bad experience there).
Sorry, I don’t remember, but I doubt it. How long ago were you in it? And that story about your parents on Wheels is really cute.
I was only in it 4 years ago, so not that long ago. I went to International Convention '97 in Orlando. If you ever go on Wheels, they usually tell the story of my parent’s bus, because there were actually two couples on it that got married. Incidentally, the leader of that bus was Jerome Epstein, who’s now Executive Director of United Synagogue.
Don’t get me wrong, I think USY’s a great organiztion. My personal experiences were largely due to a bunch of guys on my Wheels bus who decided that they were “popular” and I was “unpopular”. You don’t realize how miserable you can be until you are forced to spend 6 weeks on a bus with people who hate your guts. This was a small group though. Largely, the people were really cool. I wish I still kept in touch with some of them.
BBYO was the big dog when I grew up. Somebody tried to get a USY chapter going but it never caught on.