Dana Gershon and Rabbi Jonah Pesner Northeast Leadership Summit 2018

A Learning and Innovation Lab for Jewish Teen Leaders

September 28-30, 2018 at URJ Eisner Camp

Jewish teen leaders in grades 10-12 (during the 2018-2019 school year) from New York, New Jersey, and New England come together for this annual leadership experience with a unique focus on Jewish Justice, Social Advocacy, and Entrepreneurship. New and returning participants are welcome!

The Summit is designed to empower teens to become change agents. Participants come together as a diverse community of Jewish teen leaders, clarify their passions and inspirations, learn, shape, and pitch an idea, and ultimately, produce meaningful impact.

The Summit provides real-life skill building with a focus on entrepreneurship, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and risk taking. At the end of the Summit, participants pitch their ideas in a "Shark-Tank" style program (#SharkTankMuseum). Judges invest real dollars in the most compelling pitches and participants go home inspired and excited about the potential of their own ideas. This is a great event for those looking to create real positive change and add substance to their resumes.

Check out our Blog to learn more about past Summits. Questions? Contact Emily Messinger at emessinger@urj.org.

Interested in serving as a faculty member at the 3rd Annual Northeast Leadership Summit? Please complete this Faculty Interest form.

  • All teens - returning and new participants - must be nominated by a lay leader or Jewish professional (clergy, educator, youth worker) in their local Jewish community. 
  • All URJ congregations, Jewish organizations, and camps in NY, NJ, and New England are welcome to nominate up to five teens. We encourage congregations to consider nominating current and potential teen leaders.
  • Teens who hold regional leadership positions in NFTY-NE, NFTY-NAR, and NFTY-GER may be nominated by their respective Regional Directors.
  • URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camp Olim Graduates (2016-2018) will be nominated by their respective Camp Directors.
  • Nomination Deadline: September 5
  • Event is open to new and returning participants - All participants must be nominated and in grades 10-12 during the 2018-2019 school year.
  • #SharkTankMuseum winners will be expected to participant in post-event meetings and/or workshops
  • Registration is in the URJ NFTY database. When registering for this event, select the “2019 season” and enter your grade for the 2018-2019 school year. When choosing your event, select “show events” under Northeast Teen Collective and select “The Dana Gershon and Rabbi Jonah Pesner Northeast Leadership Summit.”
  • Cost: $255 per person including transportation (need-based scholarships are available upon request)
  • Registration Deadline: September 7

At the Summit, we offer a variety of exciting and intellectually challenging workshops. Review the workshop options and sign-up online for your preferred workshops.

Contact Emily Messinger (emessinger@urj.org) with questions.

Northeast Leadership Summit Faculty and Staff 2018

Bus Schedule to the Summit on Friday 

Bus 1 - MA

Stop 1: 1:00 pm at Riverside Station, 333 Grove St Newton, MA 02460

Stop 2: 1:45 pm at TJ Maxx Plaza, 711 Southbridge St., Auburn, MA 01501

Stop 3: 2:30 pm at Plantation Inn of New England, 295 Burnett Rd, Chicopee, MA 01020

Bus 2 - New York

Stop 1: 11 :00 am at Temple Sinai, 425 Roslyn Rd Roslyn Heights, NY 11577

Stop 2: 12:00 pm at Shaaray Tefilla, 250 E. 79th St New York, NY 10075

Stop 3: 1:00 pm at Temple Israel of New Rochelle, 1000 Pinebrook Boulevard, New Rochelle, NY 10804

Bus 3 - New Jersey, Westchester, & CT

Stop 1: 11:30 am at Temple Sholom, 1925 Lake Ave Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

Stop 2: 12:30 pm at Temple Avodat Shalom, 385 Howland Ave, River Edge, NJ 07661 

Stop 3: 1:30 pm at Temple Shaaray Tefila, 89 Baldwin Rd. Bedford Corners, NY 10549

Stop 4: 2:15 pm at United Jewish Center, 141 Deer Hill Ave, Danbury, CT 06810

Bus Schedule Home on Sunday 

Bus 1 - MA 

Stop 1: 2:30pm at Plantation Inn of New England, 295 Burnett Rd, Chicopee, MA 01020

Stop 2: 3:15 pm at TJ Maxx Plaza, 711 Southbridge St., Auburn, MA 01501

Stop 3: 4:00 pm Riverside Station, 333 Grove St Newton, MA 02460 

Bus 2 - New York

Stop 1: 3:30 pm at Temple Israel of New Rochelle, 1000 Pinebrook Boulevard, New Rochelle, NY 10804

Stop 2: 4:30 pm at Shaaray Tefilla, 250 E. 79th St New York, NY 10075

Stop 3: 5:30 pm at Temple Sinai, 425 Roslyn Rd Roslyn Heights, NY 11577

Bus 3 - New Jersey, Westchester, CT

Stop 1: 2:30 pm at United Jewish Center, 141 Deer Hill Ave, Danbury, CT 06810

Stop 2: 3:00 pm at Temple Shaaray Tefila, 89 Baldwin Rd. Bedford Corners, NY 10549

Stop 3: 4:00 pm at Temple Avodat Shalom, 385 Howland Ave, River Edge, NJ 07661 

Stop 4: 5:00 am at Temple Sholom, 1925 Lake Ave Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

Refund of Payment Policies:

All cancellations must be in writing. We will accept cancellations by email to nftyregistrar@urj.org. Refunds will be processed and returned within six weeks after the conclusion of the event.

Refunds will be given based on the following schedule

  • A 90% refund will be given 21 days prior to event date.
  • A 75% refund will be given 14 days prior to event date.
  • A 50% refund will be given 8 days prior to event date.
  • No refunds will be given 7 or fewer days prior to event date with exception of a documented medical emergency in which case a 75% refund will be granted.