All of us deserve a life with dignity, respect, and safety.
Two Sundays ago, JUFJ’s second Youth Justice Shabbat and Solidarity Week came to a close. Ten congregations and organizations across Maryland took action during the week of January 24 – February 2, 2025, engaging in conversation about how Jewish values, texts, and traditions are connected to youth justice. Hundreds of Marylanders attended events, services, and panels focused on youth justice topics such as automatically ending the process of charging kids as adults and how to safeguard youth justice legislation we’ve passed in previous years.
Midway through the week, JUFJ leaders made their voices heard on youth justice during the week with hosts on “Midday” on WYPR, sharing their concerns about charging kids as adults, and having their questions read by the hosts. JUFJers like Anita Lampel brought up how charging kids as adults leads to rates of recidivism, and JUFJer Toby Ditz brought up the issue of kids being placed in adult jails before they are even convicted.
Youth Justice Shabbat and Solidarity Week is part of a Jewish response to Maryland’s outdated youth justice laws. Maryland currently sends children as young as fourteen to adult detention facilities. This not only affects the mental and physical health of children, some of whom are put in solitary confinement as a result of their adult charges, but it also increases the rate of recidivism. The current system leaves kids no chance to learn and grow, which is why JUFJ and our partners are working hard to pass legislation that will give kids the resources they need to develop into upstanding citizens, rather than be discarded and punished.
In addition to learning about youth justice, during the week people of all ages learned how to build movement and momentum through community and conversation. Our leaders were excited to hear about how they could take action to help pass bills and advocate for youth justice. “It was wonderful to hear how much the youth justice Zoom presentation was resonating with people; how outraged so many people were by how Maryland has been treating its young people in conflict with the law,” said JUFJ leader Melissa Goemann.
Thank you to everyone who took action for youth justice with JUFJ! Did you miss Youth Justice Shabbat and Solidarity Week, but want to get involved? RSVP for our 2025 Day of Action:
