Local Girl Scout Determined to Inform Youth About Judaism

Role models are respected in part because they lead by example and Amanda Lev, who turns 18 on Dec. 2, has done just that while using her resources to educate others. The member of in Wantagh and East Meadow resident has been an active girl scout for 14 years and during this time she has been proactive in teaching other girls about Judaism.

Lev's Judaic badge program is what initially earned her the recognition. The East Meadow High School graduate started a class for brownie and junior girl scouts that teaches them about Judaism during three sessions and in turn earns each girl Judaic badges with brownies receiving the Lehavah award and junior girl scouts the Bat Or. She started the program, in which brownies work to receive the Lehavah award and junior girl scouts the Bat Or, six years ago as part of her Girl Scout silver award project and so far 150 girl scouts have earned their badges through her class.

Lev created the curriculum using work books from the National Jewish Committee on Girl Scouting. Lev not only enjoys educating the other girls but believes that it gives them an outlet to connect on a common ground with others. Lev's ongoing work for the Jewish community and her fellow girl scouts was featured recently in the magazine Reform Judaism.  

"I think it is important because it raises awareness of the culture for the girls," said Lev, who graduated East Meadow High School in June and now attends Nassau Community College (NCC) in East Garden City. "They may not be exposed to a temple, they may not be exposed to religious school, and most of the girls are, but this also gives them an opportunity to meet other girls who are Jewish who are there for the same reason they are. I am very much involved in my temple and very much involved in Judaism and I love it and I want them to have the same love."

Lev is currently a freshman at the Honors College at NCC with hopes of becoming an elementary school teacher at the end of her studies. Her desire to educate not only inspired the badge program, but also influenced her to share her knowledge of sign language with others. She is part of the American Sign Language club at NCC and will be taking a class in it as well.

In addition to being a member of the Temple B'nai Torah in Wantagh with her family, Lev is also involved in the Hillel program at Hofstra University. Through her many involvement she has learned that there is a strong desire in the young Jewish community to stay connected and she believes her temple can help accomplish this.

"It is important that the youth becomes involved because you are the next generation," she said. "As you teach the younger generation about Judaism, you teach them the leadership skills too to help be involved in the temple, help run the temple and also just to feel connected and have some sort of involvement with the temple."

Lev was a 2009 Gold Award recipient, which is the highest award a girl scout can earn. She obtained this by forming a program entitled "Women's History Taking Flight". She went to local elementary schools and taught young boys and girls about women in aviation history.

Lev is grateful for her opportunities to educate others and she has continued to stay involved in girl scouts by becoming a co-leader of a daisy troop. She is determined to continue educating others in any way she can and to remain involved in girl scouts and her temple while finishing college.