Young Judaea Alumni Newsletter
December 2007/Tevet 5768

The Crossroads center is often associated with the more intense parts of life, however; through our comedy shows, we connect ourselves to the most important type of medicine- laughter. When people think of Crossroads it puts a smile on their faces. -Caryn Green (TY ‘84-’88, YC ‘88-’89), Founder & Director

Every year, hundreds of English-speaking youth in Israel end up on the streets. The Crossroads Center, founded by Young Judaea alum Caryn Green, is located in the heart of downtown Jerusalem and is the sole intervention program targeting at-risk Anglo teens. The Crossroads staff of social workers and volunteers helps roughly 700 teens in Israel each year through a variety of services, including active outreach, psychological therapy, rehabilitative social activity, educational enrichment, and emotional support. These teens are offered an alternative to the drugs and violence of street life, the support they need to start over, and the services that will help get their lives back on track.

Caryn Green grew up in Tyler, TX. She attended Camp Young Judaea Texas for many years, Camp Tel Yehudah, Year Course, and was the Regional Director of T.O.L. - Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. In 1997 after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Texas and completing a master’s degree in social work from Yeshiva University, she made aliyah and lived at Merkaz Hamagshimim. In 2001, she founded the Crossroads Center and has been dedicated to its growth and development ever since.

For the past three years Crossroads has been working with Young Judaea alum and comedian Avi Liberman (Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Comedy Central’s Premium Blend) to put on stand up comedy shows in which all of the proceeds go toward the Center. This year the shows have grown from three performances in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Ra’anana to shows in six different cities around the country. Green says, “The first shows did not make any money, but it did get the word out about what we do. This past June we made about $10,000 and we are still spreading the word and hope to grow even more.” Liberman has managed to bring in renowned comedians. This December’s show will feature Mark Schiff, who has appeared in Mad About You, Roseanne, and was an opening act for Jerry Seinfeld, John Mulrooney, Reggie McFadden and Liberman himself. Green and Liberman went to camp together as children. “It is fun to have a childhood friend invested in the project that I founded. We both get a lot out of putting together the shows,” Green shared.

Green believes that the reason all of the proceeds are able to go towards the Center is because of the generous people behind the project. However, much more is still needed in order to keep the shows operating at such a high level. Visit the website to find out more about Crossroads and upcoming comedy tours.

“When talking with other YJ friends, one of the things that always comes up is the fact that YJ taught us to lead, speak in front of groups, and move the world around us. I am sure that the foundation that I built from my experiences in YJ, helped me to envision and reach toward the creation of Crossroads. Ani v’atah neshaneh et haolam!”
– Caryn Green, Founder & Director, Crossroads Center