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Our Programs
PANIM educates, inspires, and empowers Jewish youth to a lifetime of activism, leadership, and service on behalf of the Jewish people and society at large through the integration of Jewish values, learning, and social responsibility.
In the 20 years since its founding, PANIM has acquired a reputation for being one of the most innovative, successful educational organizations on the American Jewish scene. PANIM’s unique approach to Jewish education reinforces Jewish identity and inspires a commitment to become agents for positive social change in the world. PANIM is training the next generation of Jewish leaders through advocacy training, community-service, leadership training and social entrepreneurship. PANIM offers professional development through conferences, training, conference calls, and one-on-one technical assistance. PANIM is committed to helping the Jewish community realize its historic legacy to advance tzedek and shalom (justice and peace) in the world.
Our programs:
- Inspire Jewish teenagers and young adults by exposing them to Jewish values and helping them see the connection between those values and political activism and civic engagement;
- Strengthen Jewish leaders by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills to apply their Judaic legacy of learning, service, and tikkun olam (repair of the world) in communal and civic contexts;
- Give form and meaning to a positive Jewish identity integrating Torah (Jewish learning), avodah (spiritual grounding), and gemilut chasadim (acts of social responsibility).
Since PANIM was founded in 1988 by Rabbi Sid Schwarz, more than 30,000 Jewish teens have experienced PANIM programs, with over half traveling to Washington, DC, for intensive multi-day leadership seminars and the rest having been impacted by PANIM programs in their home communities. PANIM’s major programs include:
- Panim el Panim: On PANIM’s flagship four-day seminars in Washington, DC, Jewish teens from around the country explore public policy and social activism through a Jewish lens. About 1,000 participants each year meet with members of Congress and their staffs, hear from policy experts, enjoy Washington's historic tourist sites and return home knowing that they have the power to make a difference.
- Jewish Civics Initiative: A year-long service-learning program built around a PANIM curriculum. During the Jewish Civics Initiative (JCI) program, teens create their own service projects in their home communities, study how Jewish values relate to that service, and consider the root causes of, and solutions to, the problems being addressed. More than 30 communities participate in JCI each year, most of whom bring a student delegation to Washington, DC, on a Panim el Panimseminar.
- Summer JAM (Judaism, Activism and Mitzvah work): A month-long summer program on the campus of The George Washington University that provides leadership training for teens passionate about politics, community service, and Judaism. JAM’s 60 participants come from across the country and from diverse Jewish backgrounds.
- PanimWorks: PANIM’s newest program sends delegations of Jewish teens to a Southwestern Native American reservation for service to a community in need, cross-cultural learning and exploration of their Jewish identity. Participants learn about leadership and responsibility, explore the great outdoors and are challenged to build an intentional community.
- J-Serve: A national day of community service for Jewish teens. PANIM serves as the Jewish community’s link to the National Day of Youth Service sponsored by Youth Service America. J-Serve 2008 expects to draw more than 10,000 participants nationwide.
- PANIM Fellowship Program
A year-long fellowship for five outstanding college graduates each year, offering Jewish learning, professional mentoring, and an opportunity to experience working on the staff of PANIM.
- PANIM Professional Development: PANIM has long offered a series of professional development opportunities. Currently, PANIM runs an annual two-day J-Serve conference (attended this year by 70 program coordinators, both adults and teens) and two intensive, five-day National Educators’ Institutes for Jewish Service-Learning
In addition to our major programs, PANIM offers a variety of special services and events, including:
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