(Courtesy of Shalom Task Force) Following the success of the pilot year of the Purple Fellowship, Shalom Task Force (STF) is excited to announce the launch of the STF Young Leadership Board and Ambassador Program. “When our first cohort of the Purple Fellowship was wrapping up, we knew we did not want these students’ involvement with STF to end there. This new initiative allows for our future leaders to grow the skills they excelled in during the fellowship while deepening their connection with the work of STF,” said Jeffrey Younger, director of communications and program operations.
What started as an idea to recruit a committee of six students grew to a program involving 31 students from 18 schools across the U.S. and Canada. These ambassadors will continue their work with STF to enhance the leadership skills they learned during the initial fellowship. From this group of highly qualified students, 12 were selected to form the inaugural young leadership board.
Ambassadors are divided into three committees (education, outreach and fundraising), allowing them to further develop skills in areas they excelled in during their time in the fellowship. The education committee is in charge of creating relatable and digestible educational resources to teach teens about healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationships. “It’s so important for teens to learn about domestic abuse because prevention starts with education and education starts with us. I feel so lucky to be in a position to learn about this and help teach other teens about these issues so we can really make a change,” said Hannah Amar, young leadership board co-president.
The fundraising committee is responsible for engaging teens early on in supporting STF. “The mission of the fundraising committee is not to raise any specific amount for STF,” said Younger. “Our goal is to show the importance of supporting community-based agencies, no matter the amount.”
The outreach committee oversees engaging teens in the work of STF and recruiting new students for The Purple Fellowship. The committee hopes that through their marketing efforts, the fellowship will allow for more open conversations on the topic. Tamar Weiss, Young Leadership Board co-president, said, “Having these conversations can potentially prevent teens from being in unhealthy relationships. By being able to recognize and identify red flags and signs of abusive behavior early on, teens can prevent themselves and others from being in harmful relationships.”
“We have seen a trend where the earlier one is involved with a cause or organization, the stronger their involvement is as they grow older. It is amazing to have a dedicated group of young leaders start their involvement with STF at such an early age,” said Dr. Shoshannah Frydman, executive director.
Overall, Shalom Task Force’s education department has seen record numbers during the 20-21 academic year. The Purple Fellows successfully planned Go Purple Days for over 7,600 students across the U.S. and Canada. In total, the STF education department has reached over 11,000 community members this year through its education awareness workshop, including over 6,000 yeshiva high school students.
Please join Shalom Task Force on July 6 for the Spin to Win Ping Pong Tournament and Barbecue in Woodmere, New York. To register, please visit shalomtaskforce.org/spin-to-win.
If you or your loved one has questions or concerns about relationships, or are currently in an unhealthy or abusive relationship—please call, text or WhatsApp the confidential Shalom Task Force Hotline at 888-883-2323 or chat with a live advocate at www.shalomtaskforce.org.
