The powerful buzz of tens of languages harmonizing together reverberated throughout the decorated walls of the Oholei Torah Ballroom as thousands of Jewish teens from 30 different countries joined together for dinner and the commencement of the 15th annual CTeen Shabbaton.
Many of the 3,000 teens attending hail from locations with a small Jewish population, some of them being the only Jewish teen in their school. The Shabbaton is an opportunity to make new friends and see themselves as part of the diverse global Jewish community.
“I am still shocked by all these young people of my age. Same traditions! Different countries! Different Continents!” exclaimed Boaz Cohen, a 9th grader from Abuja, Nigeria, home to one of the 70 new CTeen Chapters launched throughout the past year, “I’m proud of my people and proud of my youth,” he added enthusiastically.
