Naomi Benenson displays the app she developed and launched, explaining that she drew inspiration from the knowledge she gained at Chabad Hebrew school.

14-Year-Old Develops CTeen App

The start of the school year is a busy time for any high-schooler. Packed with new classes, electives, clubs, teachers and friends, most students don’t seek out extra projects in their “spare” time.

Unless, that is, you’re Naomi Benenson.

A freshman at Voorhees High School in New Jersey, she is also the newly appointed social-media director for Chabad of Hunterdon County’s CTeen chapter. Yet serving as a youth leader in her community is only the latest of challenges the 14-year-old has recently undertaken.

A member of the Art of Dance Performing Company since she was 7, Benenson spends up to 25 hours each week practicing for national dance competitions. In 2012, she performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York. A voracious reader and pianist, she has also developed and launched an app of her own. (To do so, she rose daily at 5 a.m. to Skype with her global development team and work on the project.)

The final result—recently launched on iOS and Android—is “Wish2Wish”, a real-time opinion app that “can turn the usual ballyhoo into a ballot.” In essence, it gives users the ability to ask important questions, and receive votes and feedback from a global audience.

Rabbi Eli Kornfeld, co-director of Chabad of Hunterdon County in Clinton, N.J., with his wife, Rachel, views Benenson as an ideal leader in the Jewish community.

“Ever since Naomi went to the Chabad Hebrew school, we’ve been so impressed by her tenacity and abilities,” says the rabbi. “She’s brilliant—a very high achiever and a force of positive change in the community.”

Benenson views her new position at CTeen as a logical extension of her previous experience at Chabad. A Hebrew-school student from the age of 7 until she matriculated to middle school, she credits her experience there in helping to form her Jewish identity.

In fact, she took what she learned, and led the Jewish cast and crew at the Radio City dance show in which she appeared in kindling the Chanukah menorah.

Attracting More Young People

With “Wish2Wish” as well, Benenson credits her relationship with Chabad in driving some of the vision towards the app’s evolvement.

“Initially, my idea was to create a virtual ballot,” explains Benenson. “However, as development progressed, I drew inspiration from the knowledge I gained at Hebrew school, realizing that ‘Wish2Wish’ could be used to spread tikkun olamin local communities and the world at large.”

The idea that words (and wishes) can heal is especially relevant at this time of year, with the start of Rosh Hashanah on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 13.

Lest anyone think that the app formation came easily, Benenson acknowledges that “there were many days when I faced insurmountable challenges and felt completely alone while trying to overcome them.” She says Rabbi Kornfeld’s “words of wisdom” helped keep her spirits up.

Meanwhile, Benenson hopes to use social media to attract new teenagers to Chabad—especially as CTeen activities pick up again for the school year—reaching out to her peers on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and through her own platform, “Wish2Wish.”

Rabbi Shloime Greene, director of CTeen for Chabad of Hunterdon County, views Benenson’s vision as ideally suited for CTeen’s mission.

“We want to include social interaction, humanitarian initiatives and educational workshops in our programing,” he says, adding that they have received funding from the Meromim foundation through the Merkos 302 global Jewish youth initiative to move ahead with some of their work this year. “Naomi’s use of social media dovetails perfectly with our mission to give a voice and to empower every last Jewish teen in Hunterdon County.”

Members of the CTeen chapter of Chabad of Hunterdon County, N.J., co-directed by Rabbi Eli and Rachel Kornfeld, gather in front of the Chabad House after a field trip. Benenson is in the first row, second from right.
Members of the CTeen chapter of Chabad of Hunterdon County, N.J., co-directed by Rabbi Eli and Rachel Kornfeld, gather in front of the Chabad House after a field trip. Benenson is in the first row, second from right.
As part of a fundraiser, Hunterdon County CTeens painted bowls at an arts shop and then filled them with food for Purim packages, which were donated to the Flemington Food Pantry in New Jersey.
As part of a fundraiser, Hunterdon County CTeens painted bowls at an arts shop and then filled them with food for Purim packages, which were donated to the Flemington Food Pantry in New Jersey.

One Comment

  • Job well done

    Really great app. Exactly what this world needs!!! Well done young lady, well done!!!!
    The only constructive criticism I have for you, take it as you will, is the “fingers crossed” theme. Have you researched its history? Many seemingly innocuous things are deeply rooted in xtianity. Another example would be to “knock on wood”.
    Nevertheless, the app is a well intentioned contribution to society. Thank you