Emily Messinger is the inaugural director of The Northeast Teen Collective, which is an ambitious initiative to increase the number of teens participating in Jewish life in the Northeast. The Collective empowers highly-engaged teens to use their individual passions as inspiration to create meaningful Jewish experiences that capture the interest of their less involved friends.

Through Machon Summer Leadership Institute at URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps, the Dana Gershon and Rabbi Jonah Pesner Northeast Leadership Summit, and ongoing Pop-up Events—all powered by the Union for Reform Judaism in partnership with Combined Jewish Philanthropies and the Jim Joseph Foundation—the Collective inspires teens to be change agents and embrace Judaism as a path to meaning, purpose, and joy.

As a passionate Jewish educator and youth worker with 15+ years of experience, Emily is deeply committed to helping Jewish teens develop a stronger sense of self and feel a sense of pride about being Jewish; experience learning that challenges them, has value, and enables them to be more active participants in Jewish communities; establish strong friendships and develop significant relationships with mentors, role models, and educators; express their values and ethics in relation to Jewish principles and wisdom; develop the desire and commitment to be part of the Jewish people now and in the future; and make a positive difference in various communities and world in which they live.

Previously, Emily served as the Director of Teen Engagement at Temple Isaiah in Lexington, MA. Emily holds an executive masters in Jewish Educational Leadership from HUC-JIR. Emily has two daughters and resides in Greater Boston. Emily and her daughters love spending their summers in western Massachusetts at URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps.

Please contact Emily at emessinger@urj.org with any questions or ideas.