Another incredible L'Taken season has come to a conclusion! Over the 2023-2024 season, we brought Jewish high schoolers from across North America to join us in Washington, D.C. over our four weekends. They visited the sites, met other Reform teens from all parts of North America, learned about social justice and advocacy, and made their voices heard.
Read about our season highlights of the 2023-2024 season of the Bernard and Audre Rappaport L'Taken Social Justice Seminar and then register to join us for the 2024-2025 season!
1. L'TAKEN BY THE NUMBERS
See some of our statistics for the year below:
- Our largest weekend was February 10-13, 2023 with almost 450 people in attendance.
- We scheduled 316 meetings with congressional offices, representing the Senate and House offices of our attendees.
- 11 brand new delegations attended L'Taken for the very first time this year!
- We had 34 states represented (36 including Washington, DC, and Ontario, Canada!), encompassing all 155 delegations in attendance across the four weekends.
- The state with the most delegations in attendance was California, with a total of 21 groups.
- Tied for second-most were New Jersey and New York, with 16 groups each.
2. AFFINITY GROUPS
We had several communities gather at different points during each L'Taken seminar. Our Jews of Color Affinity space gathered over lunch on Saturday afternoon, and our LGTBQ+ Affinity group gathered over snack on Saturday night. Each affinity group was guided by a member of the RAC staff to facilitate community, safe space, and meaningful discussion. We can't wait to continue these in the future and add more affinity space into our program!
3. SUPER BOWL LVIII
Our February 9-12, 2024, weekend had the unique experience of being a Super Bowl L'Taken! Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs was streamed during our Sunday lobby prep time so everyone could watch. With fans rooting for both teams (and some Swifties rooting for Kansas City!), there was a fun competitive spirit! And of course, we had to pause to watch the awesome Usher halftime show!
4. OUR REVITALIZED DISABILITY RIGHTS PROGRAM
This year, we launched an incredible and revitalized elective around Disability Rights in the US. The program covered a simulation on the experiences of those with disabilities, the current status of disability rights in schools in the US, and reflection on making change in our current experience. It was a popular program, and we're excited for teens to learn more in future seasons.
5. SNOW!
Our January 19-22, 2024, weekend saw snow! While it didn't stick or last for very long, it was a memorable experience, particularly for our participants from warmer climates that had never seen snow before! Some of our teens from Miami, FL had an awesome snowball fight - a first for many of them!
6. RETURNING STUDENTS PROGRAM!
After many years without returning students, the program returned in full swing! We had 109 students across 36 congregations that were back at L'Taken for a second year. They had some specialized programming to frame the weekend, selected new elective programs, and lead our community during services and Friday night blessings. They also got a special ribbon on their nametags to identify them as returning students! Most importantly, the returning students had a special opportunity to have lunch with our Eisendrath Legislative Assistants to talk about their jobs at the RAC, how they got there, and what motivates them to do the work. There are certainly some future Legislative Assistants among this group of students!
7. SOCIAL MEDIA
When we use our collective power to advocate for change and lobby on Capitol Hill, members of Congress listen!
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L'Taken 23-24 was an incredible season of coming together, community-building, and growing our power today. We love seeing a wave of inspiration in the next generation of Jewish social justice advocates.
We're already planning for the 2024-2025 season. Registration has already begun. Join us before space runs out!
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