Join us as we give a warm welcome to Or Caduri, 4Front’s new Relational Engagement Senior Associate. As the Baltimore Jewish community’s comprehensive teen initiative, 4Front serves as a hub for Jewish teens to explore their Jewish identity guided by the program’s four pillars–advocate, innovate, educate, and collaborate. Or will be running four teen programs: Peer Leadership Fellows, Social Innovation Fellowship, Teen Board Observers and J Camps CIT. Originally from Israel, his interests have enabled him to visit and live in various countries before moving to the U.S. in 2018. When he was in North Carolina Or led youth programs and sites in public schools. Currently, he resides...
JCC Blog
JCC Blog
Tag: Teens


While you might expect teens to be moody, would you know when mood swings, irritability or fears signal something far more serious? Once dismissed as growing pains, problems such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders affect significantly more teenagers than in previous generations. About 20% of American teens live with a mental health condition, reports the National Institute of Mental Health. Half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14 and 75% begin by the mid-20s. Tragically, the suicide rate for 18- to 19-year-olds climbed 56% from 2008 to 2017. As teen mental health issues become more prevalent, the need for education grows.
That’s why 4Front, a teen-focused initiative directed by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore and supported...
Maccabi Basketball Coach Has High Hopes for Baltimore Delegation
If Danny Hoffman has his way, Baltimore’s JCC Maccabi Games basketball team will one day become a national powerhouse, on par with some of the biggest teams in Atlanta, Miami, and Philadelphia. Until then, believes Hoffman, Baltimore is primed to continue growing its reputation and standings in the sport.
Entering his third year as a Baltimore JCC Maccabi Games coach, Hoffman brings serious basketball pedigree to his ambitious goals. As a teenager, Hoffman, a Pittsburgh native, competed in basketball at the JCC Maccabi Games as a member of team Pittsburgh. “The Pittsburgh Maccabi team had the best Jewish athletes. I was thrilled to get the call that I made it,”...

TNT Camper 2018 & 2019
How did you learn about the TNT program at the JCC?
We learned about TNT through friends in the community and then we explored the website. The JCC’s website was user friendly and provided great information about the TNT program. Additionally, the parent information session was very informative and organized.
You did two years with TNT? Why did you decide to return? What did you gain from the program?
We did two years of TNT because it was a wonderful opportunity for my daughter to make new friends of diverse backgrounds and provide service to others. TNT at the JCC is a well-run program with dedicated staff members and caring adults...

4Front Hits the Forefront
“4Front has given me the confidence to engage in community activities that make a difference.” Says Ethan Silverstein, an 11th grader at Franklin High School. 4Front Baltimore is a community-wide initiative aimed at engaging Jewish teens.
Housed at the JCC, 4Front’s mission is to support teens as they explore life and personal growth, develop as young leaders, and discover what it means to be Jewish. Now through April 28th the 4 Front team is seeking applicants for its six Signature Programs: Diller Teen Fellows, the Social Innovation Fellowship, STAC, FUN(d): A Teen Giving Circle, Teen Service Council, and Peer Leadership Fellows.
These programs create fun, immersive Jewish experiences in which teens may explore who they are and what they care about. From political advocacy, to social entrepreneurship...

One of the big questions Jewish parents face is how to keep teens engaged in immersive Jewish experiences following the B’nai Mitzvah.
Participation in the JCC Maccabi Games have long provided Jewish parents a terrific athletic option - if your teens enjoy competitive sports, they can play baseball, volleyball, run track, you name it, against a host of other JCC’s.
But, what if your teen has interests other than sports? Is there a Maccabi-like experience in which they can still converge and establish friendships among upwards of 2000 Jewish teens in a single summer, teens who come from across the country to share similar pursuits?
The answer is “yes,” and it’s called JCC...

Celebrating 36 Years of JCC Maccabi
“Friends and brothers – wake and arise!....Get organized!....Train not your spirit alone, but your muscles as well. Stand strong and upright and study diligently and enthusiastically. We will have need of your strength and knowledge…” - Theodor Herzl
“A mind which wishes to be brave, healthy, and noble, had better be in a sound, fit, and upright body.” - Henrietta Szold
Planning is now underway for the 2018 JCC Maccabi Games® and JCC Maccabi ArtsFest®, which will be held in California. The Merage JCC in Orange County will be hosting athletics and the Alpert...

Parents are you looking for a change of “screenery” for your teens? Introduce your ambitious, budding young adults to 4Front, the Baltimore Jewish community’s most comprehensive teen initiative to date. 4Front lies at the forefront of progress and change, encouraging collaboration, education, innovation, and advocacy among Jewish teens.
Featuring a signature Social Innovation Fellowship, leadership programs, and social opportunities, 4Front encourages teens to explore their Judaism in ways that are meaningful to them.
Directed by the Jewish Community Center of Baltimore, 4Front is supported by The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore and the Jim Joseph Foundation. The Associated received...