Today’s high school students are tomorrow’s Jewish leaders. Leaders for Tomorrow (LFT), American Jewish Committee's education and advocacy program for teens, empowers young Jews to speak up for Israel and the Jewish people.
LFT helps high school students develop a strong Jewish identity and trains them as advocates for Israel, and to be voices against antisemitism. LFT gives students the tools to talk about the issues impacting world Jewry today, and the confidence to stand up for these issues in college and throughout their lives, no matter how difficult the situation.
Our work has demonstrated that the best way to inspire young Jews is to prepare them with information, tools, and skills before they start college. Once Jewish students go off to college, they have greater demands on their time and often find themselves on the defensive when it comes to many of these subjects, especially Israel. LFT proactively equips them to meet these challenges.
Past LFT alumni have gone on to use their advocacy skills in meetings with leaders from all over the world, including ambassadors from Europe and Asia, and even the Prime Minister of Israel.
LFT alumni interview Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem in May 2017.
To date, the LFT program has reached over 1000 students. During the 2021-2022 school year, LFT will be in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New England (Boston), New Jersey (state-wide), Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Westchester/Fairfield, and New York through the Sophie and Bernard Gould Leaders for Tomorrow Program in New York City.
