Why Teens? Why Now? Kol Ami Temple Youth/KATY Is Back!
- Congregation Kol Ami
- Aug 5
- 7 min read
There is something powerful about watching teenagers discover that Judaism belongs to them.
Not only as something they inherited from their parents or celebrated at their B’nai mitzvah, but as a living community they can shape, lead, question, celebrate, and carry forward.
That is why we are excited to announce the relaunch of KATY—Kol Ami Temple Youth.
KATY has been part of Kol Ami before, but like many youth programs across the country, it lost momentum during the pandemic. The world changed. Teens changed. Families changed.
Rather than simply trying to recreate what existed before, we are rethinking how we do teen programming and rebuilding it around what Jewish teens need now:
relationships, leadership, belonging, service, Jewish identity, and connection to the wider Jewish world.
Jewish Teen Programs Make Their Jewish World Bigger
One of the greatest gifts of Jewish youth programs is that they expand a young person’s world.
Instead of knowing only the teens in one congregation, young people begin meeting Jewish peers from across the Eastside, Seattle, the region, and eventually across North America and beyond.
They discover that they are part of something much larger than themselves.
They find people who understand their experiences, share their questions, celebrate the same holidays, and care about the future of Jewish life.
Those friendships can become lifelong relationships.
My Own Story
My own journey into Jewish leadership began as a teenager through Young Judaea, where I served in local and regional leadership roles.
Those experiences changed my life.
I learned how to organize programs, work with peers, speak in front of groups, solve problems, and take responsibility for a community. More importantly, I discovered that young people could make a real difference in Jewish life.
Those experiences planted some of the seeds that eventually led me to the rabbinate.
Every Jewish leader has a first opportunity to step forward.
For me, it was youth group.
For today’s teens, I hope KATY can become one of those places where they discover their own voices and leadership.
Why Teens?
The years after B’nai mitzvah are among the most important years for Jewish identity development.
Young people are asking serious questions:
Who am I?
Where do I belong?
What do I believe?
What kind of person do I want to become?
How can I make a difference?
What does being Jewish mean when I am making more of my own choices?
Teen programs give young people a place to explore those questions alongside peers and trusted Jewish adults.
They also create something teens urgently need: a community where they are known, welcomed, challenged, and trusted with meaningful responsibility.
Why Now?
Too often, Jewish communal involvement slows dramatically after B’nai mitzvah.
School becomes busier. Sports intensify. Jobs begin. Social lives change. Families are balancing more than ever.
If Jewish community does not continue to offer meaningful relationships and real opportunities for belonging, it becomes easy for teens to drift away.
We do not believe the answer is simply asking teens to attend another class.
The answer is to give them ownership.
KATY will be created with teens, not only for teens.
Our teens are not merely the Jewish leaders of tomorrow.
They are Jewish leaders now.
What Is KATY?
KATY—Kol Ami Temple Youth—is open to students in grades 7–12 who are post-B’nai mitzvah.
Teens do not need to be Kol Ami members to participate.
KATY is intended as a service to the wider Jewish community. We warmly welcome teens who belong to another congregation, come from interfaith families, are unaffiliated, recently moved to the area, celebrated B’nai mitzvah somewhere else, or are simply looking for Jewish friendship and community.
Our first gathering will be:
Friday, October 16, 2026
6:00 PM
KATY will continue on the third Friday of each month at 6:00 PM.
Each gathering will include:
Dinner
Friendship and social time
A fun activity
Leadership development
Jewish learning and identity exploration
Community service and tikkun olam
A camp-vibe Kabbalat Shabbat service
The annual registration fee is $18.
What Will Our Teens Do?
KATY will combine friendship, fun, leadership, learning, worship, and service.
Build Jewish Friendships
KATY will create a regular place for teens to eat together, laugh, talk, welcome friends, and build relationships that can continue through high school and beyond.
Strengthen Jewish Identity
We will explore Judaism in ways that connect with teens’ real lives.
Topics may include:
Values and ethical choices
Belonging
Israel
Antisemitism
Justice
Spirituality
Relationships
Community responsibility
Identity in a diverse world
The goal is not to give teens easy answers. It is to give them a place to ask honest questions and discover that Judaism has something meaningful to say about the lives they are living now.
Serve Kol Ami and the Wider Community
KATY participants will become visible leaders within Kol Ami.
Opportunities may include:
Helping with younger students
Supporting holiday and family programs
Greeting and welcoming guests
Assisting with food drives and community projects
Leading readings, music, or portions of worship
Serving as Madrichim or teen volunteers
Helping create a more inclusive congregation
Practice Tikkun Olam
Repairing the world will be central to KATY.
Our teens will help identify issues that matter to them and develop projects grounded in Jewish values.
These may include:
Hunger and homelessness
Refugee support
Environmental responsibility
Disability inclusion
Elder care
Racial justice
Peace-building
Supporting vulnerable members of the Jewish community
The goal is not simply to accumulate volunteer hours. It is to help teens understand service, justice, and civic responsibility as integral parts of Jewish life.
Lead
We are also forming a Founding KATY Leadership Circle.
These teens will help shape the program from the beginning.
Leadership Circle members will:
Help plan programs
Welcome new teens
Recruit friends
Choose service projects
Help lead gatherings
Bring teen ideas and concerns forward
Connect KATY with NFTY and BBYO
Develop communication, teamwork, planning, and organizing skills
This is genuine leadership experience that can be valuable for future jobs, résumés, scholarships, and college applications.
Most importantly, teens will learn that leadership begins with service.
Connecting With NFTY
KATY will help interested teens connect with NFTY, the Reform Jewish youth movement.
NFTY offers regional and national opportunities focused on:
Teen leadership
Jewish community
Worship
Social justice
Retreats and conventions
Personal growth
Building friendships across congregations
For some teens, NFTY may offer their first experience of a larger Reform Jewish community.
KATY can serve as their local home base while opening the door to those broader opportunities.
Connecting With BBYO
We also plan to connect teens with BBYO, a pluralistic Jewish teen movement with local, regional, national, and international programs.
BBYO opportunities may include:
Local social programs
Chapter leadership
Community service
Regional conventions
International gatherings
Travel
Summer programs
A global network of Jewish friends
KATY will not ask teens to choose between Kol Ami, NFTY, or BBYO.
We want to help each young person find the combination of Jewish experiences that helps them flourish.
Program Leadership
KATY will be led by Becca Flora, Kol Ami’s Youth and Family Coordinator, and Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg.
Becca brings warmth, creativity, energy, and a strong commitment to helping young people build friendships, take ownership, and find a meaningful place within Jewish community. In her work at Kol Ami, she supports children, teens, families, teachers, and volunteers in creating welcoming programs where young people can participate and lead.
Rabbi Yohanna brings more than two decades of experience in Jewish education, congregational leadership, youth engagement, worship, social justice, and community-building. Her own path into Jewish leadership began as a teenager through Young Judaea.
Together, Becca and Rabbi Yohanna will mentor the KATY Leadership Circle, support teen-led planning, connect participants with NFTY and BBYO, and help teens turn their ideas into meaningful programs, service projects, and Jewish experiences.
How Can Adults Help?
A strong teen program requires the support of the entire community.
You can help by:
Telling Jewish teens and families about KATY
Sharing the flyer and registration link
Personally inviting a teen
Encouraging your teen to bring a friend
Sponsoring a dinner
Donating supplies or swag
Helping with transportation
Connecting us with service organizations
Sharing professional skills with teens
Supporting scholarships for regional programs or travel
Serving as an occasional adult volunteer
Most importantly, adults can help by listening.
Teen programs succeed when adults provide safety, encouragement, resources, and mentorship without controlling every decision.
How Can My Teen Get Involved?
Your teen can begin by registering for KATY and joining us on October 16.
They may participate simply as a member, bring a friend, volunteer for a small role, or become involved in the Leadership Circle.
Teens may join immediately after their B’nai mitzvah.
KATY at a Glance
Who: Grades 7–12, post-B’nai mitzvah
Membership: Open to Kol Ami members and nonmembers
When: Third Fridays at 6:00 PM
Launch: Friday, October 16, 2026
What: Dinner, activities, friendship, service, leadership, Jewish learning, and camp-vibe Shabbat
Annual fee: $18
Leaders: Becca Flora and Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg
Questions or More Information
Please contact:
Becca Flora
Youth and Family Coordinator
Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg
Kol Ami website: kolaminw.org
Building KATY Back Up
Jewish communities do not become stronger by accident.
They become stronger when we invest in young people, trust them with meaningful responsibility, and create spaces where they can belong.
We are relaunching KATY because our teens deserve a vibrant Jewish community that grows with them.
The pandemic interrupted important momentum. Now we have an opportunity not merely to return to what was, but to rethink, rebuild, and create something even stronger.
If you are a teen, we hope you will join us.
If you are a parent, encourage your teen to come.
If you are part of the wider Jewish community, help us spread the word.
Together, let us build a teen community where every young person knows:
You belong. Your voice matters. Your Jewish world can be bigger. And you have the power to make a difference.I
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