(Courtesy of JCRC) The Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey held its first iCAN Teen Task Force meeting of the season on October 17. The Federation’s iCAN program meets twice a month preparing an elite leadership group of high school students with the knowledge and confidence to tackle anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment in the world today.

The teens came to the first of 10 meetings at the Jewish Federation in Paramus. There were more than 50 teens in attendance from 15 area high schools—both private Jewish days schools and public schools.

After a pizza/sushi dinner and an ice-breaker activity the teens discussed current events and what interests attracted them to the program. There was a discussion of current events during which the group related and listened to instances of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias close to home. The highlighted feature of the evening was a presentation of two young, recently discharged Israeli soldiers who spoke about their experiences in the IDF and their lives since. The soldiers shared stories about the IDF and humanitarian efforts during their service that enriched the lives of non-Israelis—stories that don’t often make the news.

To learn more and to reserve your spot for our next iCAN Teen Task Force meeting on November 14, please contact JCRC Director Ariella Noveck at [email protected].