By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer
Scott Segalewitz estimates that 80 percent of participants at the Dayton Jewish Committee on Scouting Annual Scout Shabbat aren’t Jewish. And that’s a good thing.

One of the main goals of Scout Shabbat — which was held this year on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Temple Israel — is to educate non-Jewish Scouts and leaders about Judaism.

Segalewitz chairs the Dayton Jewish Committee on Scouting; he is also religious emblems coordinator for the Miami Valley Council of Boy Scouts and is a member of the council’s interfaith committee.

“My Josh’s troop is a small troop of about maybe 20, 30 boys,” Segalewitz says. “For Chanukah, we’ll bring in latkes and do the education thing. For Passover, we’ll bring matzah in. We try to do something special for each of the holidays at his troop to educate the boys and adults there.”

Boy and Girl Scouts of all levels and faiths and their leaders attended the service; each Scout received a Scout Shabbat patch.

During this year’s Scout Shabbat, the Jewish Committee on Scouting presented the Maccabee Emblem to Cub Scout Zach Kurland of Piqua, and the Bat Or Award to Junior Girl Scout Adina Weiss of Kettering.

Josh Self, son of Dayton Jewish Committee on Scouting Treasurer Craig Self, has received numerous Jewish Scouting emblems over the years. He also redesigned the garden in the courtyard at Temple Beth Or for his Eagle Scout Project.

“I got some friends, some other Scouts helped, came and chopped up a lot of the dead plants, replaced everything,” he says. “We put some benches out and made it look nice in general. During my Eagle review, they asked, ‘What do you do to be reverent?’ My project tied into that completely.”

A dozen years ago, Temple Beth Or congregant David Miller built the temple’s outdoor sanctuary for his Eagle Scout project.

“One of the tenets of Scouting is that you have to believe in God,” says Josh’s father, Craig Self. “Our troop has Muslims, Jews, Christians.”

“I like having Scout Shabbat and advertising it to all Girl Scouts because we not only make the non-Jewish girls aware that these things exist, but the Jewish girls who aren’t aware of it,” says Girl Scout volunteer Caryn Shalita, who is also a member of the Dayton Jewish Committee on Scouting.

Shalita and her husband — who serves in the Air Force — moved here 2 1/2 years ago. She’s been involved with Girl Scouting since her daughters were old enough to join.

“I was a volunteer all through when they graduated high school,” Shalita says. “And being military, that’s been a kind of continuity amid the chaos of moving. Every place we’ve moved they’d join a troop and they’d have Girl Scouts.”

She is a member of the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio Faith-Based Committee and the Gold Award Committee.

Boy and Girl Scouting offer Jewish emblems and awards for Scouts at all age levels. In addition, Shalita says the Girl Scouts have introduced a new religious award called My Promise, My Faith.

“This is a faith-based award but it’s very generic, so any girl can earn them in whatever faith they are,” she says. “And there’s a different one for each year. In Girl Scouts, we have God in our promise. God is open to the interpretation of the girl. It gets them more involved in their faith as they want to be.”

National Jewish Committee on Girl Scouting awards

For details, go to njgsc.org

Lehavah Award for Girl Scouts Grades 2-3
The Brownie Girl Scout learns about herself, her family and her religion. She will be asked to have others help her and to help others too.

Bat Or Award for Junior Girl Scouts Grades 4-6
The Girl Scout will learn about Jewish holidays and festivals, the Torah, the synagogue, Israel and how history and heritage relate to Girl Scouting.

Menorah Award for Girl Scouts Grades 7-9
The Cadette Girl Scout will complete meaningful activities which increase her knowledge and experience within the context of Jewish living.

Or Emunah Award for Girl Scouts Grades 10-12
This program is value centered. The activities increase knowledge and experience within the context of Jewish living.

National Jewish Committee on Scouting awards & emblems

For details, go to jewishscouting.org

Maccabee for Tiger Cubs
To help a Tiger Cub or Cub Scout who is Jewish learn more about Judaism.

Aleph for Cub Scouts 
To help Jewish boys who are Cub Scouts advance in the knowledge and practice of Jewish religious living. The Aleph program also provides a basis for a positive and close relationship between a Cub Scout and his religious school teacher, who serves as counselor.

Ner Tamid for Scouts and Venturers 
To aid Scouts to practice duty to God, to be reverent, and to be faithful in their religious duties.

Etz Chaim for older Scouts and Venturers
To encourage the young adults to explore adult Jewish roles in the context of family, community, and Jewish people.