JFEC’s youth associations are designed to bring Jewish youth together in age-appropriate groups to build on existing friendships, to create new and enduring friendships in relaxed social settings either in-person or via zoom where being Jewish is celebrated in a variety of inviting ways.
Junior Youth Group
The Junior Youth Group connects Jewish youth in grades 5-8 to maintain friendships and make new Jewish friends. Meeting monthly at a fun location, they now make weekly zoom calls that allow the group to interact, play games, and hang out. Junior Youth Group is a progression into the Senior Youth Group/Yachad BBYO Chapter and Jewish Community High School.
Yachad is the eastern Connecticut chapter of BBYO, an international, teen-led Jewish youth movement. We run monthly social events to encourage bonding and Jewish identity in local 8th through 12th graders. All our events are planned and run by an elected board of local teens under the supervision of BBYO advisors.
The mission of Yachad BBYO is to help all Jewish youth develop their Jewish identity and leadership skills through meaningful Jewish learning and an inclusive social environment. We are sponsored by and partnered with the Jewish Federation of Eastern CT.
Jewish Community High School (JCHS) provides education for students in grades 9-12 following their bar/bat mitzvahs and allows teens in Eastern CT the opportunity to socialize with one another while furthering their commitment to Judaism and their Jewish education.
Activities bring students together once a week to socialize, enjoy a meal together, and extend their Jewish knowledge through a variety of courses offered by the congregational rabbis and occasional guest speakers. Meetings are now virtual.
For nearly a century, Hillel’s network of dedicated student leaders, professionals and volunteers have encouraged generations of young adults to celebrate Jewish learning and living, pursue social justice and connect to their peers and the global Jewish people. Hillel engages with and inspires the leadership of more Jewish college students than all other endeavors combined.
