How long have you been implementing the program? 

The Weber School has been implementing the JYP program for four years!

Why did you start to implement the Promise in your school/organization? In other words, what led to the decision to incorporate JYP into your programming? 

Service is a central value at The Weber School, given that it is a central value of Judaism and education in Jewish settings. I have long felt that Jewish schools must do more to put real muscle behind our rhetoric. Too often, it shows up only in a mission statement or collateral, without being lived out in practice. Even with the “head, heart, and hand” framework, commonly promoted in Jewish day schools, we are always concerned that Weber makes service a true pillar of our identity.

That is why the Jewish Youth Promise is so compelling and such a meaningful contribution to the broader Jewish communal conversation regarding how we cultivate the commitment of young people to long-term service and philanthropy. The JYP challenges us to ensure that our personal commitments are concrete, not merely in the abstract. In learning about the JYP from Mike Leven and the professional team, this method immediately struck me as brilliant, as it engages students who are tangible and accountable.

I had never seen another organization frame the discussion so effectively, nor create a mechanism for schools to help students take ownership of their role in Jewish continuity. By tying the project to both well-known and less prominent names in the Jewish community, the initiative has gained credibility, prestige, and cachet that motivates our students at Weber to take the pledge with seriousness and reverence.  As we have seen, accountability has inspired them towards their highest aspirations and to carry the weight of their commitment forward.

How do you use the Promise in your school/organization?

At Weber’s Senior class retreat, held at the start of the academic year, students plan for the future. Over the course of two days, students balance practical preparation, including academic and college planning, with reflection and goal setting individually and as a class. In that context, the Jewish Youth Promise fits seamlessly.  As one is thinking about their coming year and beyond, it is all the more timely and appropriate to reflect on five or ten years down the line, as well as one’s lifelong commitments to the Jewish people, Israel, and one’s broader community.

This is what excites me about the Jewish Youth Promise: it is an essential way that we place muscle behind our school’s rhetoric. As students enter their senior year, they’re asked not only to focus on their personal achievements but to think about how those achievements will ultimately serve causes greater than their own self-interest. The Promise frames tzedakah in the fullest, most ambitious Jewish context – not merely as small, episodic acts of charity, which aligns with how too many of us understand the concept as children – but as a deeply rooted and core value in Jewish tradition. Looking back to the Talmud 2000 years ago and articulated so clearly by Maimonides in the 11th century, success and even wealth are seen as virtues when they are placed in the service of something larger: caring first for yourself and your family, then your community, and ultimately in the service of the Jewish people and improving our world.

What makes me proud is that at Weber, our students can now participate in the Jewish Future Promise movement directly.  This is not theoretical – they are making commitments, holding themselves accountable, and joining an international effort. That kind of participation deeply impacts our school culture, showing students that Jewish values are not abstract ideals but living commitments that matter here and now, and that will continue to matter in the decades ahead.

What part of the JYP experience is most impactful for your students?

My best understanding of the impact comes less from what students say directly and more from what I observe, since teenagers often keep experiences like this private. And that is precisely what I love about the JYP —it is designed to be a deeply personal process. When I frame the Promise for students, I remind them: The commitment that you are about to make is something that tens of thousands of Jews around the world, of all ages and in all life stages, have made over the past five years. Your individual statement is part of a global, communal project – yet. ultimately, it is your letter to write and your commitment to make.

I explain to students that this is between “you and you.” Of course, someone at the Jewish Youth Promise team will handle their statements for logistical reasons, but there is no judgment or editorial oversight of their words —our goal is to ensure that in five or ten years, they will receive their own words, written as Seniors in high school, to review and reflect upon at a later time.  That realization always sparks a powerful reaction. Students are struck by the idea that they will hear from their younger selves in the future. One student expressed anticipation with a sense of wonder: “What am I going to sound like to me in five or ten years?” That thought can feel strange, even a little anxiety-inducing, but it also offers the exercise a sense of weight and meaning.

Most of the students do not share what they have written – not out of embarrassment, but out of a sense that they feel the experience to be sacred. When I check in privately afterward, almost all confirm they did write a note—our participation rate has averaged 90-95%, demonstrating the meaning and importance of the JYP to our students. remarkable. The feedback I receive usually reflects a mix of seriousness, curiosity, and the recognition that this commitment matters.

How had JYP opened doors for the next steps beyond just receiving the letter itself? 

After four years, and especially with my most recent experiences, I can say with absolute certainty that the Jewish Youth Future Promise has enhanced our ability to take a value concept, one deeply rooted in Jewish identity, and move it from aspiration into action. Too often, values remain verbal or written expressions. This program makes these commitments real.

The language of “head, heart, and hand” is ubiquitous in Jewish education. Sometimes, it feels overused—but there is a reason that so many educators all return to it. These pillars reflect the very core of Jewish life and tradition, going back 2,000 years. The real challenge, however, is not naming the values but consistently and effectively putting them into practice. Too often, Jewish schools frame service only as momentary projects rather than as part of a long-term framework.

That’s where the Promise distinguishes itself. It asks students not just to engage in community service, but to think ahead—philanthropically and personally—about their future selves. I’ll never forget one student who reflected with some trepidation, “Will this commitment still feel meaningful to me in five or ten years?” That kind of self-reflection is exactly what the program inspires. It transforms values from slogans into living commitments, shaping how students see their role in Jewish life today and in the future.

If you were to recommend the Promise to another school or organization, what would you say? 

Students are making a commitment that they know they will need to fulfill in five years. That self-accountability is remarkably powerful and unique to the experience of the JYP.

Even more striking, though, is the reverence that students show toward the Promise. It is not that they take the task “seriously”—that word doesn’t do it justice. They approach it with deep respect and as a sacred act, for ultimately, it is not about them. They were making a commitment to the Jewish people and to a mission greater than themselves. October 7 and its aftermath have only deepened that reverence and seriousness.

What makes the JYP so unique is that it does not rely on adults or institutions enforcing it. It taps into something internal— our students’ own sense of responsibility to their future selves and to their community. That’s the “secret sauce.” After nearly 30 years in the field of Jewish education, I have experienced countless virtuous efforts and attempts in service and philanthropy education, with ups and downs, moments of success, and moments of failure. The positive intent was always there, but the implementation often fell short. The Jewish Youth Promise, however, provides a clear framework and a built-in accountability mechanism that is unprecedented. And that mechanism—students holding themselves accountable—is visionary and uniquely effective.