Every new school year begins with questions. Parents wonder whether their children will find their place. Teachers wonder how the class will come together. Organizations like ours prepare programs, train teams and set goals for the year ahead.

But this year, at Krembo Wings, we are also carrying another question: Will we have the resources to keep every branch active and give every child a place where they can belong?

When I visited the Krembo Wings branch in Ramat Aviv at the beginning of the year, I was reminded why the answer matters so urgently.

It is a particularly joyful branch. Its young leadership team seemed unable to stop smiling. By the end of the evening, my cheeks actually hurt because their smiles had become contagious. But underneath all that lightness was something serious and deeply impressive.

I watched the opening session of a leadership course for the branch’s older teenagers. They were asked to describe the ideal youth counselor: What kind of person should a counselor be? Which values should guide them? What responsibility do they carry toward the group and toward each participant?

Their conversation was thoughtful, demanding and honest. They spoke about patience, attentiveness, responsibility and the ability to see each person as they are. They were not repeating slogans adults had taught them. They were examining the kind of leaders they wanted to become.

These........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)