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Meet HUB member, Danielle Cohen! Danielle loves our HUB teen community, and leads a monthly "Talking and thinking about God" circle for our teens.

Why did you decide to lead the Teen God Circle?

I decided to lead the Teen God Circle because I was very interested in the more spiritual side of Judaism and talking about God and how s/he plays a role in our lives based on what we all believe in. I was interested in talking about this with other teens my age but there weren’t any Jewish youth groups that I saw that were talking about these specific, deeper topics. I talked with Rabbi Brad about this, and he helped me create this circle where we meet Wednesday nights to talk about God.

Since the start of the HUB year, what has the involvement in the God circle looked like for you? 

Similar to everything going on in our world now with COVID, this year has looked very different than last year. Last year we met inside in a space where I felt we were all close and connected. With COVID we weren’t able to do that. We moved our meetings outside or on zoom and it has been a little trickier to have the same vibe and connection we all felt last year. All the teens who I have talked to agree that a huge part of the circle is getting to be close and connected and talk about a topic that most others don’t usually bring up. 

What has been your favorite part about planning and participating in the God Circle?

My favorite part has definitely been meeting new people! Before starting this circle, I didn’t have anyone to talk to about this topic. After starting this circle, I have met so many amazing people who love to talk about the same thing. And all these teens I have met go to different schools so coming to the circle on Wednesday night is a special time where we all get to see each other. I love picking out special texts to talk about that I think are relevant to our world right now and I love hearing other’s opinions. I have enjoyed getting to hear what others have to say and making new friends who are similar to me!

What have you gained from being a part of this Circle?

I have gained a lot from this circle and all the teens who have come. First, I have learned how to be more of a leader in my community. Before every circle I have to find a text that not only speaks to me, but I think will spark a good conversation. Sometimes having a text that I like is good, but other times its more about making sure there is an opportunity to dig deeper in that text and not to pick repetitive ones. I have also learned a lot from the other teens who come. I also get to hear everyone’s opinion on not just the text, but also how they apply it to their lives and how God plays a role in their life. I have learned so much from creating this circle to just sitting down and being a part of it and I’ve loved every second of it!