DENVER – World Jewish Congress (WJC) NextGen brought together 44 high-school students from 25 countries for the second in-person and fourth annual Jewish Youth Assembly (JYA), held on the sidelines of BBYO’s International Convention from February 12-15 in Denver, Colorado. During the four-day program, JYA delegates heard from expert speakers and engaged in meaningful discussions on the most pressing issues facing world Jewry, while taking part in the largest gathering of teens worldwide. The assembly culminated in the adoption of this year’s JYA resolution, drafted entirely by the delegates, entitled Tackling the Spheres of Extremism and Polarization.
Welcoming participants, WJC NextGen Director Yoni Hammerman delivered opening remarks, sharing how the work that the JYA delegates are embarking on is crucial for our Jewish future – that the discussions they have and the words they will write in drafting this resolution would not stay within the walls of the convention, but will be spread far and right in the push to build a stronger future for Jewish people everywhere.
Before jumping into their strategic discussions, delegates had a session on the basic principles of conflict resolution, and how to reconcile the extreme sides of society in today’s climate. Following the opening remarks JYA delegates were divided into four subcommittees, with NextGen staff facilitating the discussion, each one tailored to addressing extremism and polarization in the classroom, online, in society, and within the collective Jewish community.
The subcommittees met consistently over the course of the four-day program, refining their thoughts and ideas ahead of a final presentation to the entire group, which was then followed by a collective vote on the resolution. Ahead of the vote to adopt the resolution, JYA delegates heard from experts and NextGen members, who all provided insight into leadership, conflict resolution, and Jewish leadership from high school, university, and beyond.
On Friday, Executive Director of the Israel Institute, Ariel Roth, spoke about different types of leadership, as well how to identify a challenge, diagnose a solution, and mobilize those people in society. Following that was WJC’s Director of Visual Arts, Shahar Azran, who shared his experiences as a renowned photographer to highlight how the worlds of diplomacy and photography interact.
The next day, WJC brought in numerous NextGen members to speak on their different experiences with Jewish leadership through the resources provided by various NextGen initiatives. Current Lauder Fellows Ryan Kassanoff (USA, American University) and Abigail Scholnik (Uruguay, University of Miami), who spoke about their personalized joint Fellowship workplan, which they are in the process of developing. Their project aims at providing high-level support to Jewish teens who are at the precipice of making the transition from high school to university. Together, they have built a guidebook that showcases the ways Jewish students can get involved in Jewish life on campus and beyond. During the session, Ryan and Abigail each elaborated on the unique challenges of being leaders on campus, and how their experiences inspired them to create their projects.
Current Jewish Diplomatic Academy (JDA) members Emma Zentner and Daniel Alpert, both BBYO alumni, had a fireside chat with the JYA delegates on their journeys to Jewish leadership. Emma shared how she became a Jewish leader as a teenager, serving as international President of BBYO, offering valuable insights on the importance of leadership within Jewish communities worldwide. Daniel, a WJC Executive Committee member, contributed his perspective, enriching the discussion with his experiences. “Seeing JYA in person is an inspiring sight to see — young teens from around the globe are engaging in diplomacy training and are being recognized at the largest annual Jewish teen event in the world,” he shared. “Not only that, these teens are being engaged in the WJC pipeline of future leadership and now have the ability to stay connected to WJC NextGen to further the skills they learned in a great new network of young Jewish leaders.”
The program culminated on Saturday evening, when two JYA delegates presented the adopted resolution on stage during the BBYO IC plenary session, which was attended by over 3,000 teen IC participants, as well as hundreds of BBYO staff, partners, and donors. WJC will use this resolution as a tool to ensure a stronger and brighter future for these delegates and young Jewish people everywhere.
During the presentation, Daniella Lerner (Spain) and Musa Suriel (United States) stated, “Today, we are not merely participants in the conversation. We are at the forefront, reshaping the dialogue and leading the charge. Together with our partners at the World Jewish Congress and their affiliated communities in over 100 countries, BBYO is poised to help implement this pioneering resolution. This acknowledges the real threat posed by rising extremism and polarization and calls for immediate action both within and outside of the Jewish community to make change.”
Watch the Presentation of the 2025 JYA Resolution at the BBYOIC Closing Plenary
Modeled after the World Jewish Congress, JYA gives students firsthand insight into WJC operations and problem-solving developments. To stay updated on the latest news and developments at WJC NextGen, click here.
