18 Under 18
A celebration of Jewish teens
18 Under 18 is a leadership award that celebrates exceptional teen leaders in the Chicagoland Jewish community.
Each year, Honorees are featured in Jewish Chicago magazine, highlighted across JUF Teens social media channels, and invited to share their leadership journey at the annual Teen Community Celebration.
Eligibility Criteria
- Junior or senior in high school
- Live in Cook, Will, Lake, DuPage, or McHenry counties, Illinois
- Have demonstrated leadership within a Jewish organization
- Made a meaningful impact through their leadership
How to become an Honoree
Step 1: Nomination
To be considered for the award, a teen must first be nominated by someone who has witnessed their leadership in action. Nominators may include peers, advisors, teachers, rabbis, synagogue professionals or other community members. Direct family members are not eligible to submit nominations.
Step 2: Application
After being nominated, teens will be invited to apply for the award. The application helps the selection committee learn more about the nominee’s leadership experiences, accomplishments and impact on the Jewish community.
Step 3: Committee Review
JUF Teens selects Honorees through a comprehensive review process conducted by a committee of synagogue professionals, teen-serving professionals, lay leaders and other community members from across the Chicagoland area. Committee evaluations are used to determine the final group of eighteen honorees.
Honoree Commitment
Selected Honorees must attend both the Honoree Workshop and the Teen Community Celebration to receive the award and be recognized. For 2027, the Honoree Workshop is February 28th in the early afternoon and the Teen Community Celebration is April 4th in the afternoon.
If you know a teen who may be a good fit for one of these recognitions, please contact [email protected].
FAQs
Nominations open each fall.
Nominators will receive an email confirming that their nomination was submitted successfully. Nominees will receive an email within the same week notifying them that they have been nominated and providing information about the application process and next steps.
We encourage nominators to let their nominee know they have been nominated so they can keep an eye out for our email.
Yes. There is no limit to the number of teens you can nominate.
Applicants are notified of their selection status in early February.
Absolutely. We encourage nominations for any eligible teen who demonstrates strong leadership and meaningful impact in the Jewish community.
In addition, all nominated teens are invited to an exclusive celebration in early January recognizing their leadership, commitment and contributions to the Chicagoland Jewish community.
Because nominators should have firsthand knowledge of a teen’s leadership, we recommend speaking with the teen directly and helping them identify an eligible nominator who has worked with or observed them in a leadership capacity.
You can also support the teen by reviewing their application before submission.
No. 18 Under 18 recognizes individual leadership and impact, so applications are evaluated on an individual basis.
If multiple teens share a leadership role or serve as co-chairs, each teen should be nominated separately and will be evaluated based on their own contributions and impact.
Yes. JUF Teens also recognizes Changemakers and Community Builders at the Teen Community Celebration.
Changemakers are teens who lead their own organizations, initiatives, or social impact projects. Their work does not need to be Jewish-focused.
Community Builders are teens who plan and lead programs for their peers with support from JUF Teens.