EXIT or ENTER? How Do We Bring Teens In?

Everywhere you go, there's a red EXIT sign. But where's the green sign that says ENTER? 🚪

We spend so much energy telling teenagers where they shouldn't go, and far less making clear where they are wanted. A young person doesn't stay in a place because it's forbidden to leave. They stay because they feel welcome there.

So what helps a young person truly feel welcome? It is worth asking ourselves, as parents, teachers and a community: what is our green ENTER sign?

Rabbi Yoni Don-Yechiya
Rabbi of a Moshav community in the Galilee | Author & Speaker on Faith, Marriage & Parenting