Blog with Springboard

The Springboard blog highlights the experiences of Jewish teens and Jewish teen professionals participating in community programs across Chicagoland and beyond. Dive into blogs about different Jewish teen events, leadership programs, trip opportunities, and more! Join us in celebrating the unique perspectives and contributions of Jewish teens and professionals in the Jewish community. To post a blog, please email danielleburstyn@juf.org.


Springboard Blog

Springboard Blog

Use your voice to demand climate action by Eliana Bernat

(Social Action) Permanent link

Skimming the latest headlines, the devastating effects of climate change seem endless. Record-breaking heat in the U.S. Northwest and Canada; deadly flooding in Germany; extreme droughts in much of the U.S. West; fires raging across Turkey. It’s painfully clear that the climate crisis is no longer a problem solely for the future— its effects are already here and are impacting marginalized communities the worst. 

Reading these stories, I feel a sense of fear for the people affected and my future. But as much as climate change is a most horrific crisis, addressing it is the opportunity of a generation to transform society for the better. Especially as the world is also recovering from the economic impacts of COVID-19, we have the chance to put millions of people to work in dignified jobs that also help the planet. Green jobs like upgrading our infrastructure to be resilient to climate disasters, building clean and affordable public transit, expanding renewable energy, retrofitting buildings to be energy efficient, and restoring ecosystems could all help communities who have been historically excluded from economic opportunity. Not only would all of these solutions reduce our emissions and lessen climate change, but they would create the just and equitable future us youth deserve. 

Green New Deal


Through Congress’ upcoming infrastructure package, we have the chance to make this dream a reality. As young people, our voices hold power on this issue especially, and our Members of Congress need to hear from us. You can join the Illinois Green New Deal Coalition and Clean Power Lake County in urging your legislators to demand that Congress include bold climate action in their infrastructure package by going to bit.ly/ILGreenNewDeal.

Eliana Bernat

About the Author: Eliana Bernat belongs to Or Shalom and is an incoming senior at Vernon Hills High School. She is part of her school’s environmental club, participated in JUF’s Research Training Internship (RTI) last year, and this summer was an intern with Clean Power Lake County (CPLC).

How Baking Challah Changed Shabbat for Me By Ellie Prober

(Holidays, Jewish Journey) Permanent link

Although I have always been Jewish, I think I'm the type of person that many would consider "Jew-ish." While I observed major Jewish holidays, Shabbat never seemed feasible or valuable in my life. Everything was too hectic in high school to sit down for a spiritual meal with family. If you found me in the kitchen while I was in high school, you would see me eat something quickly before running out of the house for dance, marching band practice, or whatever other activity I needed to attend.

However, I've recently discovered a new love for Shabbat, or at least some components of it. As a college student, a day of rest sounds like a dream come true. After a long week of lectures, writing papers, and reading books, I love ending my week with the beauty and sweetness of Shabbat.

This year, I was lucky enough to avoid Friday classes. Instead of going to lectures on Fridays, I woke up to prepare fresh challah. There are so many fantastic challah recipes online, and I love experimenting with them to find new favorites or making changes to improve the ones I already love. I love the feeling of kneading the dough by hand, pressing my stress and negativity from the week out of my system and turning it into a delicious bread full of love. After kneading the dough and letting it rise, I embraced the imagination that comes with braiding. There are so many creative ways to braid challah, and I embraced the challenge of learning new ones. I tried out a circular braid for the first time during this past Rosh Hashanah, and I've experimented with YouTube tutorials for braids with greater than three strands.

After baking the challah comes the best part – eating it. While the pandemic prevented me from sharing an in-person meal with friends, I enjoyed offering some bread to my friends (Jews and non-Jews alike) and walking around my University to bring them a delicious treat. The joy of sharing my creation with friends, coupled with the enjoyment on their faces, was my favorite way to end the week. While my Shabbat dinner was generally followed by mountains of homework, the short period of rest and relief that I got while baking challah, giving some to friends, and eating a meal without distractions makes it worthwhile. Through the craziness of the pandemic and college life, I find solace and relaxation in the practice of baking challah, and I feel like I have reconnected to some of my love for Jewish practice. And, of course, the challah French toast that I make the following morning is just as delicious as the Shabbos challah.

Ellie Prober

About the Author: Ellie Prober is a junior at the University of Virginia (UVA), studying women, gender, and sexuality studies (WGS) and government, with a minor in French. Ellie is passionate about feminism, justice, and creating a better world for everyone. At UVA, Ellie is involved with the color guard, the Cavalier Daily newspaper, and Gamma Phi Beta. After completing her undergraduate career, she wants to continue her studies by attending graduate school for a master's degree in public policy. This summer, Ellie was a Lewis Summer Intern in the JUF Legacies and Endowments department. 

A Letter To My High School Self By Madi Lebovitz

(Jewish Journey) Permanent link

Dear Madi,

It's me, we made it to twenty one! Be proud of how far we've come, and let me tell you this: you are in for the ride of a lifetime pal. There are going to be a lot of times when you really just want to get off the ride, because it's scary and no one seems to be able to tell you when you will reach the end. But the thing about life is that it demands to be experienced, and no matter how comfortable it feels to stand still and watch from the parking lot, true joy is borne of risk. Whatever pain you are hiding from is inextricably combined with equally powerful love and compassion and genuine connection. I guess what I'm trying to say is, just get on, and feel it. There isn't a final destination really, the point of the ride is the excitement of the unknown. That feeling in the pit of your stomach right before a drop is not something to fear.

Just go with it.

Madi Lebovitz

About the Author: Madi Lebovitz is an incoming senior at UIUC studying political science with a concentration on law and power, a minor in legal studies, and a certificate of Biohumanities. Madi has recently become more connected to her Jewish identity and heritage, and plans to move to Israel upon graduating in May 2022. She is still figuring things out.