On Feb. 28 at Lake Doniphan Retreat Center in Excelsior Springs, Mo. many seventh and eighth grade Jewish teens gathered together for a youth group convention called Kadima Kinnus. Kadima Kinnus is an annual convention put on by the Jewish youth group United Synagogue Youth, or USY. Kadima Kinnus is a national convention that is separated by USY region, Kadima Kinnus at Lake Doniphan was held by Emtza, meaning “Middle” or “Center” in Hebrew.

Kadima Kinnus is always at the end of winter/beginning of spring at Lake Doniphan in the cold weather. The weather this year made the convention a little harder because of the winter snow storm that has been ravaging the country and endangering the East Coast. Due to the impending snow storm, the convention was cut short and the teenagers were sent home in fear of both the children and staff getting stuck at the retreat center. Convention goers were sent home the night of March first at the end of Shabbat. The convention was very short this year not only due to the prematurely ended programs but also because the youth group members showed up at Lake Doniphan late on Friday night.

Sophomore, Adena Goldberg, from Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, helped staff the event and was disappointed at the early end to the convention. “We were basically there for only Shabbat, we got to the retreat center late on Friday and left on Saturday night. It was sad that we had to leave early because we couldn’t do one of the best programs of the convention, the dance! The dance we always have after Havdalah (the end of Shabbat) and it is always so much fun because everyone just goes crazy, dances, and generally has so much fun!” said Goldberg.

One of the teenagers that planned out and worked at the convention was Ariella Schwartz from St. Paul, Minnesota and a member of EMTZA USY. Schwartz was a co-chair for the program. “Getting to co-chair Kadima Kinnus was an experience of a lifetime. Even though we had to leave early, you could tell that the hard work we… put into the convention had payed off.”

Jacob Pellegrino, a senior at HBHA who also helped staff the event, was similarly disappointed in the untimely ending of the convention. “I love USY and being a board member and able to staff this convention was something I was really looking forward to doing. I am really sad that the convention had to end early but the time we had with the middle schoolers was fun anyway. We had Shabbat services and I helped lead programs on Saturday, that itself was awesome but I would have loved to see the convention to the end.” said Pellegrino. “As a senior ‘Kad Kin’ was one of my last opportunities in high school to promote USY to the younger kids, I just want other kids to love USY and Emtza as much as I do! USY has been a huge part of my life and it would just be amazing to pass on my love for socializing with other Jewish teens, meeting new people, and learning what it is to be a Jew, all things you get when you’re in USY.”