UJIA has an office and professional team based in Glasgow, and we work to support Jewish organisations across Scotland, including synagogues, youth groups and schools.
Through our UJIA JAMS programme we work with a variety of non-Jewish primary and secondary schools across Glasgow to provide Jewish lunch clubs, classroom engagement sessions, and assemblies bringing Jewish and Israel engagement to the wider school populations. We also work with Scotland’s only Jewish school, Calderwood Lodge Primary, running engagement sessions about Israel, supporting existing Jewish programming, running the P7 Yom HaShoah Art Project programme, and supporting the P7 trip to Amsterdam.
The fun continues after school through our own UJIA Glasgow youth group, as well as with support for other Jewish youth groups including Glasgow JLGB, the 5th Giffnock Guides, our other youth movements, and youth provision in Edinburgh. We also provide support to synagogues across Scotland in youth programming, education and Israel engagement.
During lockdown, we have been one of the key partners providing Jewish engagement opportunities for young people. The Kayitz summer camp brought together 90 campers for online sessions and do-at-home activities, while The Matana Club delivers monthly free surprise boxes and online sessions to over 110 children all across Scotland. Through our partnerships with other communal organisations, we’re able to create opportunities for connection and Jewish engagement across cities, denominations and ages.
Connections to Israel are key to our work, as we create meaningful opportunities to bring our community to Israel, as well as to help frame and prepare them for their experiences. Through the Israel Bar/Bat Mitzvah Programme participants about to celebrate their Bnei Mitzvah meet monthly to learn about Ethiopian Israeli culture and Jewish peoplehood. Every summer we send participants to Israel on Israel Tour, Masa Programmes and Taglit- Birthright Israel, as well as helping prepare them for their journeys through programmes such as Countdown to Tour. Students in S5 and S6 also travel to Poland on our UJIA Scotland Poland Trip.
For more information, please contact Sydney Switzer, Scotland Youth Programmes Coordinator, at glasgow.youthworker@ujia.org..
