By Rabbi Ilan Schwartz
Last weekend, over 80 USY leaders from all over North America gathered at Camp Ramah in New England in Palmer, MA for USY’s annual Leadership Training Institute (LTI). The goal of the weekend was to build community among USY’s leaders and send them home with practical skills they can use in their chapters and communities. USY leaders left refreshed, full of new ideas, and ready to start the year.
The leadership education elements of LTI focused on practical skills. USY leaders chose between three different tracks: Building Successful Programs, Leadership 101, and Relational Engagement (powered in partnership with Assembly). Each track focused on skills that current leaders and staff felt needed the most attention and were most relevant to the needs of leaders on the ground. Through three sessions, participants in each track took a deep dive into their topic and left with resources they could put into action on day 1.
In addition to intense leadership training sessions, LTI was a long awaited opportunity for USY leaders to celebrate Shabbat together. Through spirited tefillot, programs led by the International Executive Board, and plenty of ruach, USYers uplifted each other and were reminded of why they serve as leaders.
A special thanks goes to the USY professional team for their hard work preparing and organizing the weekend, which was blessed with outstanding weather and excellent airport luck.
Did you have a teen leader who went to LTI? Be sure to ask them about what they learned and support them in implementing their skills into their work as chapter and community leaders.
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