I grew up in Oklahoma, which for the record, is not included in the NFTY SOCAL region.
I was the only Jew in my school, Hanukkah wasn’t a thing, and the nearest deli was two states
over. Nevertheless, I had a surprisingly strong Jewish identity. One thing that my Oklahoma life
and its small Jewish community taught me was Southern Hospitality.
Six years ago, I moved to California. There were more Jews than I had ever imagined,
Hanukkah was most definitely a thing, and there was a legendary deli on every corner. Yet, my
Jewish identity was diminished. I missed my small community, the tight-knit group of people I
grew up with in Oklahoma. California seemed the opposite—a place where you didn’t know your
neighbors, everyone was always in a rush, and people didn’t care about one another. Southern
Hospitality was not the priority.
Shortly after the move, my mom registered me for my first NFTY event. I showed up to
this thing called NFTY SOCAL, but strangely enough, it felt like I was in Oklahoma. NFTY
SOCAL had its own form of hospitality, founded on love, support and inclusion. The two
communities couldn’t have looked more different, but they were deeply connected, through
Southern (California) Hospitality; and ever since, that theme has defined my Jewish identity.
My name is Lindsay Kaitcer, and I am running for NFTY Membership Vice
President. Southern Hospitality is in my blood, and my platform is based in community,
connection and alumni engagement.
Membership isn’t centered solely on numbers. Membership is a balance between
recruitment, engagement and community-building. It’s about developing each region, while
creating the best possible experience. I want to focus on each region individually, rather than
compare them on a wider scale. Some regions have created amazing, tight-knit communities.
Others have created fantastic, large-scale experiences. If we create a pairing system between
regions with similar attributes and goals, we are able to then focus on holistic development. It’s
not about who has the biggest event, it’s about providing the most lasting experience.
I value the importance of the regional community, and we need a similar emphasis on
NFTY’s North American community. As the upcoming year isn’t a NFTY Convention year, it is
crucial that we come together as all 19 regions. I will create a URJ Biennial committee to
promote and engage the experience within NFTY, bridging the adult and teen leaders of the
Reform Movement. I attended the Biennial in San Diego, and observed that it wasn’t that
different from a NFTY event. URJ Leadership and NFTYites have the same goal—to engage
the youth of the Reform Movement, and to build our future with intention and meaning. We
should get involved, and make our voices heard.
Speaking of bridges, the alumni network can and should have the ability to keep their
connection to NFTY strong well after graduation. Although their four years of high school are
over, their commitment to the movement doesn’t just disappear. It is important to make sure our
successors are able to forge their own paths, but NFTY alumni need more opportunities to get
involved. I want to create more alumni opportunities based on what this group wants and needs,
including regional events for college students, alternative Winter Break and Spring Break
programs, and a NFTY alumni delegation at Biennial.
I have been impacted by two Jewish communities that I love wholeheartedly. The two
always seemed so different, but as I look back, they’re almost identical. Both have given me a
safe environment in which I was encouraged to grow as a person, both have given me lasting,
meaningful experiences, and both have given me opportunities for growth and leadership.
Southern Hospitality is about welcoming and caring for others, and I would love to bring that
Southern (California) Hospitality to the NFTY movement.