The Iris Teen Tzedakah program

Each month, more than 30 teenagers from a dozen high schools across the MetroWest community take time from their frantic schedules of sports, homework, and after-school clubs to get together to discuss giving away money.

These teenagers, all part of the Iris Teen Tzedakah Program, each donate $200 of his or her own money toward a joint fund, which is then matched, dollar for dollar, by the Herb Iris Youth and Family Philanthropy Endowment of the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) of MetroWest. They also raise funds themselves, and did so with great success this year at a “Club J” event attended by more than 100 of their friends and classmates from various high schools. For more information, please download the Iris Teen Tzedakah program brochure.

The teens spend the year learning to be active, informed members of the Jewish community and thoughtful philanthropists. They oversee a grant-making process, issuing requests for proposals, studying and discussing the Jewish tradition of charity, meeting with leading local and national philanthropists, and getting a first-hand view of the ways in which MetroWest community agencies support a myriad of needs.

By spring, it is decision-time, and these young people must pore through a stack of grant proposals to decide which of many worthy projects will receive their support. Over the last two years, the group has funded more than $22,000 in projects, including scholarships for a Head Start program for Ethiopian immigrant children in Israel, equipment for a clubhouse for Israeli soldiers, a kosher nutrition program for the elderly in the MetroWest community , and programs for teens with social issues.

The highly successful and popular Iris Teen program, now entering its third year, is a collaborative effort of the JCC MetroWest, the Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life, and JCF. Through special multi-generational sessions, the program engages parents in their children’s philanthropy as well.

The Iris Teen Tzedakah Program is named in memory of Herb Iris, one of the MetroWest community’s most beloved leaders. A long-time member of the JCF Board of Trustees, among many other roles, Herb believed deeply in working to build new generations of knowledgeable and committed leaders who will help steer the Jewish community into the future.

For more information, please download the Iris Teen Tzedakah program brochure or contact the Jewish Community Foundation at . To learn more about UJC Leadership Development opportunities, call (973) 929-3027 or e-mail .

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