This past Sunday, Cteen chapters throughout South Florida came together for a South Florida Kickoff Event at Strike 10 Bowling. The event, hosted by the Chabad of Golden Beach Cteen chapter, was composed of teens from Boca Raton all the way to Kendall.

Cteen describes itself as “the fastest growing network of Jewish teens.” It boasts, “…over 650 chapters in 48 countries and 6 continents.” Cteen’s slogans promote both “the next generation of Jewish leaders” and the “power of youth.”

The bowling event took place from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, hosting around 120 teens. The teens were split into two groups. One group went bowling by the lanes while the other group participated in a “Booth Hop” where each booth presented a different activity. The first booth asked teens to list ten things that they had in common with each other to serve as an ice-breaker between the teens. 

The second activity, titled “Speak Up,” was a card game that helped ask deep and meaningful questions for the teens to ponder – ranging from topics such as social life and family/relationships to spirituality, religion, and our place in it. What does it mean to be brave? What is one Mitzvah that you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? What would you like your Rabbi/Rebbetzin to know about you? These were among the questions asked.

The third booth, “Do you know the Lyrics,” challenged teens to determine the lyrics to popular Jewish songs, while the fourth booth – the Jewish Acronym Challenge – gave acronyms for them to decipher. The fifth and final booth was the “Mitzvah Booth.” There, teens could find a table laden with Shabbat candles, Tefillin, and Tzedakah boxes. 

The entire atmosphere was full to the brim with Jewish pride. To introduce themselves to others, the teens were asked to write down their names on stickers. Underneath, they were asked to write which chapter of Cteen they were a part of, as well as their favorite Mitzvah. Following introductions, the volunteers present helped wrap Tefillin while others sounded the Shofar in preparation for the Rosh Hashanah holiday.

10th-grade student and Cteen leader Sahhar Azulay said, “Cteen is an international Chabad organization that helps bring Jewish teenagers closer to Hashem and connect with their religion. Make sure to check with the Chabad in your area to see if they have a Cteen Chapter!”

The representative of Highland Lake’s Cteen chapter, Motty Sternberg, commented, “The event was amazing, as it was all about showing Jewish pride throughout South Florida. Mitzvot surrounded us while we got to interact and meet teens from all over. It was just amazing.”