‘Always looked out for the little guy,’ friends say of Omer Neutra The 22-year-old Israeli-American, whose death on Oct. 7 was recently confirmed by Israel, “was a good neshama,” or “soul,” said Michelle Rich, who leads teen travel programs of the Conservative Judaism youth movement. Izzy Salant Dec. 2, 2024
Study finds Jewish teens flourish socially, emotionally and spiritually when connected to youth groups According to researcher David Bryfman, “the study sends a clear message that Jewish engagement doesn’t have to end at bar or bat mitzvah if you provide young people with programming they see as meaningful. If the Jewish youth organizations can provide that, the teens will be there.” Deborah Fineblum June 6, 2019
Conservative movement severs ties with former youth director over alleged sexual abuse The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism has severed ties with the longtime director of United Synagogue Youth (USY) after receiving “multiple testimonies” that corroborated an allegation of sexual abuse. Allegations about Jules Gutin, who in 2011 completed his tenure as international director of USY and since 2012 had conducted tours of Poland for the Conservative movement’s youth arm, first came to light through a Facebook post by a man who claimed that someone who worked with thousands of teens had abused him in the 1980s. JNS communicated with that man as well as several others who alleged that they were underage victims of unwanted sexual touch by Gutin during the same decade. Elizabeth Kratz Dec. 15, 2017
