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    Our Teen Program

    Our teen program invites Muslim and Jewish girls to foster strong friendships that inspire a commitment to standing up for one another and fighting bias and hate in their own communities. Teens participate in national, online programming and local service and social events. The program creates long-lasting friendships between teens of all ages and from many different places. 

    About Sisterhood Teen Chapters

    Teen chapters, which are teen-led and supported by regular check-ins with staff and peers, offer girls opportunities to create bonds and serve local communities in various ways. Examples of past service activities include creating lesson plans on difference and identity for schools, designing an outdoor classroom for a local elementary school, and organizing donation drives and fundraisers to support refugees, survivors of domestic violence, and other at-risk communities. Chapters hold discussions on religious traditions, similarities and differences between the two faiths, and other issues of shared interest, celebrate one another’s holidays together, and participate in social activities, like movie nights and ice skating.

    We also have a National Teen Leadership Board, which brings together a select group of teens to collaborate with peer leaders from across the country to design and implement programs and receive training from experts in leadership development and cross-cultural communication skills.

    If you would like to get involved, please email [email protected]!

    Testimonials

    "My Sisterhood experience has encouraged me to continue to get to know people personally, hear their stories, and understand their journeys."

    "As a Muslim girl, it has always been harder to fit in and fully embrace my religion in a town where I am a minority. As a member of the Sisterhood for more than two years, I’ve embraced my religion more than ever. With great role models and close friends of both faiths in SOSS, I am more than happy to share my beliefs. I can now say that I am confident and proud of my religion and what I stand for because of my supportive sisters. They have helped me grow and learn to stand up for injustice against those of any faith."

    "The Sisterhood helps a girl, Jewish or Muslim, feel respected, appreciated, and welcomed. The members of a chapter help one connect with one’s religion in an open, relaxed environment. These women have displayed strength, confidence, and acceptance in so many ways that I admire."

    "​​Joining the sisterhood was a monumental occasion in my journey as a Muslim-American. Before my sophomore year of high school, I had never heard of the organization and I was weary of its perspective and message. Growing up, especially as a Palestinian, I had felt consistently isolated by other communities and groups…Learning of the Sisterhood and its mission reignited a sense of passion and belonging in me."

    "​​The Sisterhood’s message of unconditional acceptance and love in both the Muslim and Jewish communities shocked and amazed me. I could never have imagined such an organization could not only exist, but thrive. The continuous expansion and growth of this organization inspires me to take real action in my community and in the world. I now have a responsibility to myself - and to others like me - to take a stand against the common injustices that plague Jews and Muslims alike."

    "​​Being in the Sisterhood has truly solidified my confidence in my faith and in my continuous mission to bridge gaps and cross boundaries when it comes to social action and awareness. Taking part in the Sisterhood is so much more than a few meetings tied with a label - it is a national stance taken by each and every member to never stop striving for equality and justice for all."

    "​​It is so essential for me to have a pathway towards social action and discussion in my life. I could not imagine my life without the Sisterhood and all the ways it has shifted and advanced my social and political mindset. In today’s political climate, it is more important than ever to stay open-minded and willing to hear different perspectives; for me, the Sisterhood did just that. SOSS is the tool I will continue to use in order to grow, learn, share, and fight; the uphill battle in front of me will be waiting. "

    National Teen Leadership Board

    In the spring of 2021, the Sisterhood convened its inaugural cohort of the National Teen Leadership Board. Each year, a select group of teens is invited to collaborate with peer leaders from across the country to design and implement programs where fellow Jewish and Muslim girls can come together, learn about one another, and explore the intersections of their identities across faith, ethnicity, race, nationality, and other lines of difference.

    National Teen Board members receive training from experts in various fields within the nonprofit sector and cultivate leadership and cross-cultural communications skills. They gain valuable insight into the workings of a women-led organization and spearhead teen-designed and teen-led projects that contribute substantially to the future of the teen Sisterhood program. Ultimately, their work will craft pathways for themselves and other young leaders to build bridges of interfaith understanding and use those relationships as a foundation upon which they can work collaboratively toward the establishment of more inclusive, peaceful communities.

    Teen girl with red hijab and green and black jacket standing before budding tree
    Madi Borer
    Elianna Calicchio
    Feride Cosar
    Delia Erb Wagner
    Sarah Feinberg
    Rena Hammerman
    Lila Handelman
    Rachel Katzke
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    Taban Malihi
    Elayna Stein
    Julianna Stein

    Sub-Committees of the National Teen Leadership Board

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    The education committee manages the Instagram account of the Siserhood’s teen program and creates content for its viewers. Committee members post a variety of content, including different traditions, observances, and information about Judaism and Islam, fun activities, like mini-quizzes and polls, to engage viewers, and chapter and programmatic news and events.

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    The goals of the outreach committee are to raise awareness of Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom teen events, increase participation in teen programming, and reach new members. 

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    The partnerships committee identifies opportunities for collaboration with individuals and organizations involved in interfaith youth programming and works to develop programming with these program partners.

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    The programming committee generates ideas for and develops events to connect teens across our network. Events unite teens in a supportive, interfaith environment to learn, socialize, and support peace building efforts together. The programming committee works to foster interconnectedness and create opportunities for direct conversations between teen members.

    Past Events

    Moses Moments NewGround Flyer
    Teen Stranger_Sister Sneak Peek
    Black Women's Voice Teen Panel
    PCFF Teen Event
    Teen Identity Workshop
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