Celebrating Our Am Yisrael Teens’ Impact and Leadership
JUF’s 18 Under 18 program has been an incredible source of pride for our congregation. This year, Jamie Loewenthal and Nate Szmuilowicz joined the ranks of previous Am Yisrael honorees.
Every single year, we have had one or two teens recognized. The not‑so‑secret sauce behind much of our success in the School of Jewish Studies (SJS) and AMUSY programs is the leadership of our teens. Our honorees and their parents know who they are, and while we could likely recreate the full list, out of an abundance of caution not to leave anyone out from a program spanning more than a decade, we’ll simply say this: watching our dedicated teens receive well‑deserved recognition has been incredibly meaningful.
There have also been teens who went on to do remarkable things without receiving this particular honor, and their impact has been no less significant. The projects created through 18 Under 18 have been inspiring, and I look forward to sharing many of them with you over time along with updates on what our past recipients and SJS alumni are doing today. The nachas experienced from this event is truly off the charts, and for good reason.
Jamie and Nate will be recognized at the Teen Community Celebration on April 26 at Sarabande.
Current AMUSY & CHUSY Programs:
Flyer for this program is directly below:
President: Nate Szmuilowicz
Executive Vice President: Sivan Belkind
Ruach Vice President: Shayna Kamm
Outreach Vice President: Elana Kamm
SATO Vice President: Nina Ravage
Our Am Yisrael Youth Chapter is open to all members of our youth community in the congregation. We hope to provide our children and teens with many fun opportunities to spend time with their Am Yisrael peers beyond the classroom and Sanctuary settings. Youth Programming is available to all ages from 2nd Grade through senior year of High School, as follows:
Our Am Yisrael 2nd-12th Graders can also participate as a part of CHUSY, affiliated with our national movement, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ).
AMUSY (8th-12th Grades) lounge nights are held at the synagogue on Wednesday evenings, immediately following SJS. Lounge nights include a kosher dinner. CHUSY incorporates synagogue youth chapters from Chicagoland, Milwaukee, Madison and Northwest Indiana.
As part of the build toward involvement in AMUSY and CHUSY, we facilitate programs for our Middle School students. There are some times during the year when Gesher is invited to join the 8th-12th grades, which are noted below. Gesher Lounges include a kosher lunch.
For our elementary school students (2nd-4th grades), we offer our Chaverim Group. Three Sundays each school year, Chaverim will take a field trip after SJS, which will include a kosher lunch. Past locations include The Painted Penguin and Nickel City in Northbrook, and bowling in Wilmette and Buffalo Grove.
USY is USCJ’s youth movement for Conservative Jewish teens across North America. For more than 70 years, USY has taught young Jews the values and skills they need to become exceptional leaders in their religious and secular communities. USY empowers youth to develop friendships, leadership skills, a sense of belonging to the Jewish People, and a commitment to inspired Jewish living through meaningful and fun experiences rooted in Conservative Judaism’s approach to learning, spiritual expression, and social responsibility. Through year-round programming and domestic and international travel opportunities, USY inspires in teens a deep sense of pride and love for their Jewish identity. To learn more, visit www.usy.org.
CHUSY covers the Chicago area as well as Milwaukee, Madison and Northwest Indiana. CHUSY programs give Jewish teens a chance to learn and grow as a Jew and most of all to have fun with other Jews. Teens learn about Judaism and Israel, do social action projects, give tzedakah, and enjoy other social programming like bowling or just hanging out.
For more information about our Am Yisrael Youth Chapter (AMUSY, Gesher & Chaverim), please contact:
For more information about CHUSY, please contact:
Updated March 31, 2026 13 Nisan 5786