Kadimah girls start school scout troop
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

Brownies Hannah Stern, left, and Gabriella Mutka, both second-graders, work on a craft with Junior Girl Scouts Alyssa Schwartz, second from right, and Peninah Pechenik, both fifth-graders, during a meeting of the Kadimah School's Girl Scout troop. The girls meet monthly and make decisions about their activities and community service. Photo by John Rusac Purchase color photos at www. BeeNews. com

The 21,000 Girl Scouts in Western New York were recently increased by the September addition of a new troop at the Kadimah School of Buffalo.

Kadimah's Troop 628 is part of the Eggertsville Snyder Unit and has the distinction of being the only completely Jewish Girl Scout troop in Western New York.

"A lot of that has to do with the demographics," said troop leader Amelida Ortiz Weinmann. "It's done through the school and it's a Jewish school."

Weinmann, along with fellow troop leaders Becky Stern, Hailey Brownstein and Dana Kurtzman, meet with the girls during the school's recess time so the students will not miss out on instruction time.

"This is the time that worked best," Weinmann said. "Next year it might be after school or on Sunday."

The troop is multilevel, incorporating 15 Brownies and four Junior Girl Scouts.

While the troop is still very new, the response from both students and parents has been strong, Weinmann said. The troop is at capacity at 19 but is still looking to include as many girls as possible.

"It's open to everyone," she said. "If a child is home-schooled, she could still participate."

Anyone interested in learning more about the Girl Scouts, becoming a Scout or volunteering with the Scouts should call the Girl Scout Council at 837-6400.

To date, the troop has been active, participating in the cookie drive and in the community.

"They sang during Hanukkah at the Amherst Senior Center and the S.J. Jewish Senior Apartment with the Kadimah choir," Weinmann said. "It worked out because all of the girls in the troop are in the choir at Kadimah, too."

The troop sent Girl Scout cookies to Jewish troops serving in Iraq as well as cards they had made for Hanukkah. They also lit the menorah at the Amherst Senior Center and have participated in flag ceremonies in the community.

The girls choose most of their activities, whether it be hiking trips or arts and crafts. They also choose the kinds of community service in which they want to participate.

"We give them choices of what they want to do," Weinmann said. "It's girl-led, so they learn to empower themselves. We give them the tools to be more confident, more independent."