The Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation’s $350,000 multi-year investment in LMUSY has helped transform Jewish teen engagement across the Lower Mainland in British Columbia, Canada. Through the Lower Mainland Community Director Initiative—made possible through early support from the Jewish Community Foundation, the partnership of the three local Conservative congregations—Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Beth Tikvah, and Congregation Har El—and the broader USY network, the community has built a stronger, more connected ecosystem for Jewish teens and pre-teens across the region.
The initiative was first launched through a local investment from the Jewish Community Foundation and the three congregations, together with USY, and was later expanded through the Roadburg Foundation’s major multi-year grant. This funding established dedicated professional leadership to strengthen USY youth programming and collaboration among synagogues, schools, and communal partners. Under the leadership of Community Director Shayla Brewer and Advisor Aleeza Berger, and in partnership with the newly established Lower Mainland USY Teen Board, the program delivered more than 30 programs in the first five months of the school year, creating new opportunities for teens to connect with Jewish life.
The impact has been immediate. By January 2026, more than 170 teens had already participated in LMUSY programming—surpassing the initiative’s original three-year growth target in less than half the anticipated time. Among these participants were over 70 brand-new teens and more than 20 previously unaffiliated youth, demonstrating the initiative’s success in reaching young people who were not previously connected to Jewish communal life.
The initiative has also strengthened the long-term leadership pipeline by launching a new cohort for 4th and 5th graders, which has already engaged more than 30 younger participants and introduced them to Jewish youth leadership. At the same time, local teens are increasingly connecting to the broader USY movement, with members serving on the International USY Teen Leadership Council and many participants returning for repeated engagement and deeper leadership roles.
Momentum continues to grow as teens prepare to join peers from across the West Coast at the upcoming California Convention, further strengthening regional connections and Jewish identity.
In total, the partnership between USY, the Roadburg Foundation, the Jewish Community Foundation, and the three local congregations has strengthened professional staffing, expanded youth engagement, and created new pathways for leadership and connection. Together, these efforts are helping usher in a vibrant new era of Jewish teen life in the Lower Mainland—moving youth from the margins to the center of community life.
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