Providing mentorship for at-risk teens through Youth Futures

When Maya met Yael, Yael needed help.

Yael was fourteen and her parents had just gotten divorced. Her anxiety was intense. She felt too overwhelmed to be in public, and her self esteem was at rock bottom.

Maya hoped she could help. As a Youth Futures mentor, she had been assigned to Yael through the teen's school. But their relationship gradually moved into one of trust and mentorship—especially important as Yael's mother was diagnosed with cancer, and the pandemic upended normal life.

“As time passed, Yael’s trust in me grew," says Maya. "She opened up and shared more about herself, allowing me to better equip her with the tools she was lacking in everyday life.” Maya helped deepen Yael’s tenuous connection with her father, reporting that their relationship “blossomed.”

And when the family’s computer stopped working, Youth Futures supplied Yael with a new one so she could continue her school work and Zoom meetings with her newfound motivation.

"Youth Futures has become an anchor for our family and a source of strength and stability,” says Yael’s mom.

Youth Futures mentors work with their mentees for three years; this year is Maya and Yael’s last one paired together. Across Israel, mentors are forming these crucial relationships with teens thanks in part to your gift to Minneapolis Jewish Federation.

Youth Futures is a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel