How does it feel to be a Jewish teenage girl in Chicago?

The Jewish United Fund is committed to finding out-by asking local Jewish high school girls to design, implement, and analyze the first research project of its kind in the Midwest exploring exactly what Jewish teenage girls feel about everything from Judaism
to relationships.

The Research Training Internship (RTI), hosted by JUF in partnership with Ma’yan and the DePaul University Beck Research Initiative for Women, Gender, and Community, is being piloted in Chicago with the first cohort set to present their findings in a community forum on Jewish teenage girls on Sunday, Dec. 13, at DePaul University from 3:30-5:30 p.m.

“This is a fantastic, explicitly Jewish feminist program that is completely unique,” said Stephanie Goldfarb, director of Youth Philanthropy & Leadership at JUF.

Trained in feminist research methodology by DePaul University faculty, the teens design their own study, collect data from their peers, analyze the results and then create an action project-a series of short videos-to be shared with the community at large.

“This is about Jewish teen girls living in Chicago so the study is done by them,” continued Goldfarb. “They are experts in their own lives. Adults can come in and do all the research, but they’ll never get the inside scoop on what the experiences are really like because they are outsiders.”

For Simone Wallk, 16, a junior at Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago, RTI has been an invaluable experience.

“RTI gave me an opportunity to be with likeminded Jewish women and to think about issues in a frank and a very socially conscious way,” she said. “It was an empowering experience that gives Jewish girls a voice in our community and recognizes that our point of view is valued.”

The experience has sharpened her critical thinking skills, schooled her in advanced academic research tools, and left her with new insight into the diversity of the Chicago Jewish Community, she added.

After receiving a crash course in feminism, social justice and feminist research, the interns-who come from throughout the Chicagoland area and represent a wide range of Jewish backgrounds-developed their own research questions covering everything from anti-Semitism, relationships, mental health, and substance abuse to gender and sexuality.

“We were figuring out how we could marry looking at privilege and access and power-and thinking about how this applies to adolescent Jewish girls,” said Wallk.

The survey yielded some surprising results, such as a large percentage of respondents admitting to having experienced anxiety or depression, but not being aware of available resources. “This is an important concern for the Jewish community,” said Wallk..

Also disconcerting is the high percentage of local Jewish teens who reported either knowing someone in an abusive romantic relationship or having been in one themselves. “These are staggering, shocking statistics. This is not what we think about when we think about Jewish teens,” said Goldfarb.

The report also shares anecdotal responses of teens sharing their feelings about the pressure they face to marry someone Jewish. “Our teens are facing a lot of pressure. These Jewish teens have a lot to contend with and the expectations on them are astronomically high with many feeling their parents don’t understand what it means to be teen today,” said Goldfarb.

The RTI community forum on Jewish teenage girls is a chance for the current cohort of interns to present their findings and share their recommendations with the community at large.

“Everyone in the community is invited to this program,” said Goldfarb. “People who have any stake in the lives Jewish teens regardless of gender. It’s not just to learn from them, but also to celebrate their incredible contribution to
our community.”

The forum also gives invested community members the chance to engage directly with the interns and hear more about their findings, Goldfarb added.

The RTI community forum is open to the public. Kosher refreshments will be served. To RSVP, visit http://tinyurl.com/qeoce5q .

RTI is generously supported by the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, the Ellie Fund of the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, the JUF, the Beck Research Initiative for Women, Gender, and Community, and DePaul University.

Abigail Pickus is a writer and editor living in Evanston.