I was the only CTeener from my small border town on the way to the CTeen International Shabbaton. I was nervous and didn’t know anyone. But CTeen welcomed me like family—and that weekend in 2013 changed my life. CTeen showed me that being a proud Jewish teen was possible—even in a place where there weren’t many Jews my age. After attending four Shabbatons, I went on the CTeen Heritage Quest to Israel and Poland. I’ll never forget walking out of a concentration camp with my fr

A friend once asked me, “What does being Jewish mean to you?” I thought for a moment. To me, being Jewish is the most extraordinary journey—full of history, purpose, and unity. Whether lighting candles with my mom or celebrating Shabbat with CTeeners from around the world, Judaism gives my life meaning. CTeen leadership has strengthened my connection to G-d and empowered me to help others find theirs. But empowerment starts within. You can’t inspire others unless you’re conne

I’m French and Nigerian, and I grew up in northern France. I didn’t even know I was Jewish—it felt like a choice. That changed when we moved to Nigeria and met Rabbi Israel Uzan. At 14, I learned I was Jewish through my mother. I started learning at CTeen gatherings, doing fun activities, eating kosher food, and reconnecting with my soul. Separated from my parents, I felt enslaved by social media and loneliness. My first Shabbat at CTeen changed everything. No pressure—just g

Sugar Land, Texas doesn’t have many Jews. I’m one of just seven Jewish students at my school, most of whom aren’t religious. I was raised Reform, but after my Bat Mitzvah, I lost touch with Jewish life—until last year. My dad saw an ad on Facebook for a local CTeenU course. I signed up. I went to the first class, attended an event, and suddenly I was part of something bigger. In just one year, our chapter grew from 4–6 teens to 15+ at some events. I’ve made my best friends he

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once said, “For Jews, education is not just what we know. It’s who we are.” That quote perfectly reflects my experience with the CTeenU course. Over the past few months, I’ve deepened not only my Torah knowledge, but my understanding of how Jewish history and law shape who we are today. More than anything, CTeenU taught me how to live with meaning and intention. Every detail we learned connected to real life. Instead of Torah feeling separate from the mod

I was in my sophomore year of high school, just a typical student living a normal life. I was studying hard, volunteering with different organizations, and pursuing my passion for photography. Everything felt steady—until it didn’t. It started with terrible headaches. My vision became blurry. After a series of checkups, they scheduled an MRI for a Monday afternoon. That’s when everything changed. The doctors found a brain tumor. A few hours later, they found three more tumors

What’s the first word you think of when you hear “Judaism”? For me, it’s community. I grew up religious in a small beach town. Our weekly temple was full of friends and neighbors—until my parents divorced. We lost our friends, stopped keeping kosher, stopped keeping Shabbat. Then, at 13, I prepared for my Bar Mitzvah with the Chabad rabbi of Mill Basin. I decided: I would be religious, no matter what. I stayed observant all through public high school. But when senior year sta

In 12 years of school, I’ve gone to 9 different ones. Moving so often made it hard to express myself. I settled for doing the bare minimum—but deep down, I knew I was betraying myself. My soul was yearning. So I took action. I reconnected with my rabbi. Together, we slowly launched a CTeen chapter. CTeen became my anchor. It gave me direction, goals, and motivation. Planning events, fundraising, calling teens—it fueled growth in other parts of my life too. I started learning

I remember feeling different. On weekends, my friends hung out—but I had Hebrew School. I felt forced and frustrated. Then my parents saw an ad for Heritage Quest on Instagram. “Do you want to go?” they asked. I wasn’t so sure, but I said yes. At first, I was shy. But by the second week, something clicked: I realized I needed to choose to be proud of being Jewish. At the Kotel, I felt something powerful. As I placed my note in the wall, I knew my prayers would be heard. On th

Growing up in a mostly Christian public school made it hard to feel connected to Judaism. Until this past year, I didn’t feel much of a connection at all. But this summer, I decided to join the CTeen board—and to make Judaism a priority in my life. I had been involved in CTeen before, but this year the connection felt much deeper. I went to two Shabbatons: a regional one in Wisconsin and the international one in New York. I was hesitant, but I ended up loving every minute of

My parents were desperate for a miracle. For three years, they had tried to have a child, but nothing worked. Urged by their rabbi, they booked the expensive flight from Paris to New York to visit the Rebbe for a blessing. It was a Sunday—the day the Rebbe would spend hours giving out dollar bills to every single visitor. Each dollar was for charity, but it was also a personal moment, filled with meaning. He never tired. He never rushed. Every person who passed by was like a

Three years ago, I was a shy freshman who didn’t show much Jewish pride. That changed with CTeen. I started attending local events, then went to the Shabbaton, and most recently joined the Heritage Quest. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. CTeen gave me pride, confidence, and amazing friends. It gave me so much—I had to give back. I became a chapter leader and later joined the CTeen Connection editorial board. Now, I’m helping other teens explore their ide

For most teens, fitting in and finding your crowd feels like a matter of survival in middle school. Just as I was about to start fifth grade, my mom was incarcerated. I had to move to a completely new area to live with my grandmother, and I was eager—desperate, really—to make new friends. I tried striking up conversations. I invited classmates over for sleepovers. All I got in return were stares, laughter, or worse—silence. School milestones that should have been moments of p

I grew up celebrating both winter holidays. I never gave it much thought—if anything, the double presents felt like a bonus. My dad’s family is Hispanic and Catholic. But as I got older, it was my Jewish grandmother who made sure we stayed connected to Jewish traditions. She’s the one who introduced me to Camp Gan Israel—and to CTeen of El Paso. Like a real Jewish bubbie, she somehow convinced me to join the CTeen U course: Israel and Me. Before that course, I didn’t know muc

I never imagined that one decision would change my life—but that’s exactly what happened when I finally agreed to attend the CTeen International Shabbaton. My family began going to Chabad about eight years ago. Coming from a conservative background, I didn’t know what to make of it at first. My rabbi told me about the CTeen Shabbaton, but I wasn’t interested. I figured it was just another weekend program like the ones I had gone to before. But my mom kept nudging me to try it