By: Jillian Feiger
Director of Jewish Student Connection (JSC) and Joyce Zeff Israel Study Tour (IST)

In this week’s parsha, Miketz, the story popularized by “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” continues. The parsha begins as Joseph’s imprisonment ends. He interprets Pharaoh’s dream, becomes one of his most trusted advisors, and his journey from prison to important leader with a purpose is complete.

While Joseph’s personal journey has been remarkable, the Jewish people will soon struggle with famine and scarcity. The ups and downs of both Jospeh’s life and the people of Israel make for inspiring stories in retrospect but were certainly challenging in their own time.

One could say that today, the Jewish people are also in a place of “scarcity” and this story has not yet been written. It is our job at JEWISHcolorado to do our part in supporting our community about how best to handle these challenging times, much like Joseph did in his time. My role as the Director of IST (Joyce Zeff Israel Study Tour) and JSC (Jewish Student Connection) is to ensure that teens do not lose hope and their connection to Israel and instead, as Joseph did, rise out of the darkness and become leaders who can shape the future. Empowering our next generation of Jewish leaders is critical to the success of our programs and more importantly for the Jewish community. Every day I speak with teens who need advice on antisemitism, anti-Zionism, and endless other challenges. It is my role to demonstrate how to advocate, educate, and how to use this moment to find your voice. I am proud to work with teen leaders who are finding their voice, especially during these difficult times.

Like Joseph, emerging stronger and with more purpose than before, we as a Jewish people can become stronger with more purpose. The purpose and strength of the teen programs that I oversee, JSC and IST, are more apparent than ever before. We provide students and teachers with a safe space to be Jewish and be Jewish allies and to have conversations and build connections. IST has been a staple in the Colorado Jewish community for many years, but the importance of community and Israel education has never been more clear.

Joseph’s journey from the darkness to the light is one of many stories throughout our history of the Jewish people emerging from persecution stronger than ever. Let us turn this opportunity, as we always have, into a moment for the community to come together and meet these challenges with new strength.

Please email Jillian Feiger at jfeiger@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.