Providing mentorship for at-risk teens through Youth Futures

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When Maya met Yael, Yael needed help.

Yael was fourteen and her parents had just gotten divorced. Her anxiety was intense. She felt too overwhelmed to be in public, and her self esteem was at rock bottom.

Maya hoped she could help. As a Youth Futures mentor, she had been assigned to Yael through the teen’s school. But their relationship gradually moved into one of trust and mentorship—especially important as Yael’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, and the pandemic upended normal life.

“As time passed, Yael’s trust in me grew,” says Maya. “She opened up and shared more about herself, allowing me to better equip her with the tools she was lacking in everyday life.” Maya helped deepen Yael’s tenuous connection with her father, reporting that their relationship “blossomed.”

And when the family’s computer stopped working, Youth Futures supplied Yael with a new one so she could continue her school work and Zoom meetings with her newfound motivation.

“Youth Futures has become an anchor for our family and a source of strength and stability,” says Yael’s mom.

Youth Futures mentors work with their mentees for three years; this year is Maya and Yael’s last one paired together. Across Israel, mentors are forming these crucial relationships with teens thanks in part to your gift to Minneapolis Jewish Federation.

Youth Futures is a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel

The past few days have been extraordinarily difficult. Tragedies in our backyard and halfway across the globe have been widely reported and are at the forefront of our minds. Please consider a donation to have an immediate impact. 100 percent of the proceeds will go directly to Rehovot to a variety of organizations who will use it well, including JAFI’s Fund for Victims of Terror, United Hatzalah, JDC, and the Municipality itself. We know there will be long-term needs, and we will continue to address them.