Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

(JNS) — Chabad’s CTeen International conducted a conference in Barcelona, Spain, that brought together Jewish youth from across Europe.

Some 300 Jewish teenagers gathered from Nov. 24-26 for “Shabbat Across Europe,” which Chabad described as “a weekend of togetherness, belonging and Jewish pride.”

Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, chairman of CTeen International and vice chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch—the educational arm of the Chabad-Lubatich movement—said the event “gave teens a space where it’s safe to express your Judaism fully.”

And he reminded them “that they’re not alone. We’re already seeing teens who gained the confidence to be proud advocates for the Jewish people back home.”

Alfie Joseph from Manchester, England, said hearing from other teens’ experiences made him feel like part of “one big family,” and celebrating Jewish pride together “had a massive impact on me.”

Sonja Stupnikova of Berlin said she learned from the event that “it’s about facing the world with confidence, knowing that your heritage is rich and valuable.”

There was no advertising of the event ahead of time out of safety concerns.

To view the video, go to  https://youtu.be/UQJugI8EGbQ.