JTCares about stamping out hunger

GREATER HARTFORD>>It takes 26 teens + hard work + lots of ingredients = 86 apple and pumpkin pies donated to Hands on Hartford for Thanksgiving meals. Teens met at Temple Beth Hillel in South Windsor on Nov. 24 to learn about the issue of hunger in our community and to do something to help out. 

Mitzi Young, JTConnect faculty member, helped the teens look at the new faces of hunger and together, they discovered that those faces are all around them. Teens understood that, as they baked the pies, they fulfilled the Jewish obligation to feed the hungry and helped those who live in our community who might struggle with food insecurity. At the end of the program, the teens created a human Hanukkah Menorah and lit one candle for each of 8 myths about hunger. 

Give Back to the Community! Make a Difference in the World! These are the cornerstones of Jewish Teen Learning Connection's (JTConnect) monthly JTCares program.  Teens in grades 8 through 12 meet on selected Sunday afternoons from 1 – 4 p.m. for "lunch and learn" followed by a social action project.  Community service certificates are issued at the end of each program. The cost is $36 per session.  JTCares is supported by a grant from the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford.

JTConnect is a learning and social community that offers a rich experience for teens, enhancing their connection to Jewish heritage, traditions and values. The program is designed for students in 6^th through 12^th grades. Synagogue membership is not required.