Hundreds of teens take part in Day of Jewish Youth Service in Thornhill

YorkRegion.com
April 7, 2017
Simone Joseph  

Five hundred teens from Toronto and York Region, along with teens from 20 different countries, participated in a day of community service and improvement projects on April 2.

The teens were taking part in J-Serve, the International Day of Jewish Youth Service, held at Thornhill’s Schwartz/Reisman Centre on UJA Federation’s Lebovic Jewish Community Campus.

The event was  hosted by BBYO Ontario with funding from the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. Teens chose from eleven service projects such as assembling craft kits for children in hospitals, celebrating Passover alongside young adults with physical or cognitive disabilities, among other projects.

Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua addressed the teens via video, saying, “You have embarked on a journey to serve at a young age and made a commitment to champion a significant cause ... All of you are role models who are setting the bar high and providing a great example for others to follow.”

The next event will take place April 15, 2018.

For more information about BBYO Ontario, visit bbyo.ca or contact Kevin Goodman, BBYO Ontario executive director, at kgoodman@bbyo.ca or 416-398-2004.   

BBYO is a Jewish teen movement aspiring to involve more Jewish teens in more meaningful Jewish experiences.