Jewish United Fund (JUF)’s investment of $80,000 into the Chicagoland Jewish teen community has transformed what is possible for engagement, leadership development, and immersive education across the Chicago area. Through three major funding streams: the $50,000 allocation for the CHUSY Community Director, the $20,000 Israel Engagement Grant supporting a part-time Israel Engagement Specialist, and the $10,000 Innovation Grant for ShabbabaFest, JUF has enabled the expansion of a vibrant, interconnected ecosystem that reaches hundreds of teens and pre-teens each year.
The $50,000 in annual funding for the CHUSY Community Director (CD) has been the backbone of this success. This support allows CHUSY to employ a full-time professional dedicated entirely to youth engagement, relationship-building, and community collaboration. As a result, CHUSY now has the highest level of total and unique engagement across any community in North America, reaching approximately 800 unique participants each year. The Community Director has deepened partnerships with synagogues, pushed into religious school classrooms to deliver hands-on learning, and served in leadership roles such as on the board of the Chicagoland Jewish Educators Assembly (JEA). These connections have opened doors for widespread collaborative programming, cross-institutional initiatives, and increased visibility for Jewish teen life across the Chicagoland area. CHUSY’s success demonstrates the incredible impact a full-time youth professional can have when supported by strong communal investment.
The $20,000 Israel Engagement Grant, also funded by JUF, made it possible to hire a part-time Israel Engagement Specialist, Max Pivo. Max has significantly strengthened Israel education throughout the region by visiting synagogue schools, training CHUSY’s Regional Executive Board to serve as Israel Ambassadors, supporting teens through challenging Israel conversations, and launching new initiatives such as an Israel Speaker Series, an Israel-themed undernighter, and leading a teen trip to the Nova Exhibit in Chicago. Max’s presence has already expanded capacity for meaningful, age-appropriate Israel engagement at a time when families are seeking trusted, expert-led conversations.
Finally, the $10,000 Innovation Grant from JUF Springboard ensured that ShabbabaFest, a brand-new immersive Shabbat experience developed in partnership with multiple Chicagoland synagogues was able to happen. By combining “Shabbat” with the Hebrew slang “sababa,” educators designed a weekend that felt both meaningful and “cool” to 5th–7th graders. Thanks to JUF’s support, along with supplementary funding from the CHUSY Michael Hoffman Fund and JEA, the nearly $300-per-participant experience was offered to families for only $99, making it accessible to those who otherwise could not afford an overnight Jewish program. ShabbabaFest is now becoming an annual communal tradition.
In total, JUF’s $80,000 investment has strengthened staffing, expanded teen leadership, fostered inter-synagogue collaboration, and created new immersive touchpoints for hundreds of young Jews throughout Chicagoland. JUF’s investment has allowed CHUSY to thrive.
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