Each year, the Religious Action Center’s L’Taken Social Justice Seminars give thousands of Jewish teens the opportunity to impact our political process and share their views on social justice topics with decision-makers on Capitol Hill. These weekend-long seminars are designed to expose participants to a variety of public policy issues and to explore the Jewish values that inform the Reform Movement’s advocacy around these issues.
The trajectory of the programming goes from broad to narrow – first, educating participants about a range of topics and eventually encouraging them to focus on a single, specific issue about which they are particularly passionate, and write a speech to deliver on Capitol Hill on Monday to their Senator or Representative. Lobbying a Member of Congress is a unique experience that very few Americans take advantage of and one that can have a significant impact on the course of legislation.
After meeting with L’Taken participants, Members of Congress have chosen to co-sponsor, offer amendments to and vote for pieces of legislation that participants discussed.