Philadelphia:

Democracy is a Verb

Hands-on democracy for your teens and for our country

Your middle schoolers and teens will bring their education and their ideals to life with us in Philadelphia. We delve into history to transform the future as much as to understand the past. Tivnu’s Democracy is a Verb puts our trusted expertise in thoughtful Jewish programming, uplifting activism, and inclusive vision into action for an experience that will be transformative for your teens and, we hope, for our country.

Tivnu is clearly passionate about educating students, and it does so with a sense of greater purpose. I’ve been in education for 17 years now, and I’ve interacted with over a hundred organizations that work with young people, and Tivnu is the most organized, most committed to its mission, and most importantly, most committed to the students. Their efforts with our kids have already been a catalyst for significant growth, and I recommend them without reservation.

— David Kerber

Dean of Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School, Irvine, CA

Hosting Your Group

We'll work with your synagogue, school, camp, or youth group to open up a world of engaging projects in the cradle of American democracy. We'll delve into contemporary challenges of justice and true representation. And together, we'll learn from the people who don’t just talk about inequality, but work to fix it every day.

All of our three- to five-day programs include a customized schedule of hands-on learning with leaders and communities, exploring possibilities for engagement and action. Oh — and we’ll have a lot of fun. We want your teens to match their feelings of real engagement and accomplishment with the treasures of one of our greatest cities, exploring the cultural and historical riches of this great, vibrant, 21st-century city.

Tivnu: Building Justice is a unique resource for innovative, pluralistic programs that engage the hands, head, and heart. We live at the intersection of participatory democracy, community building, and putting Jewish and universal values into action. As one of our participants reflected, “I learned the meaning, context, knowledge, and relevance of the issues. That gave this experience a more unique and meaningful feel.” Youth director Adam Bender from New York told us, “Tivnu blew away my expectations. My teens had the absolute time of a lifetime. Tivnu helped to provide an all-encompassing experience that allowed my teens to see the world through a clearer lens.”

To talk with us about creating a program for your synagogue, school, camp, or other organization, please contact Steve@tivnu.org