This Women’s History Month, we are spotlighting the unique and longstanding history between Girl Scouts and Jewish women and girls.

Thursday, March 12, marked National Girl Scout Day, which recognized the first convening of what would later become the Girl Scouts of the USA. Read more about the Jewish history behind this special day here.

Locally, Western New York Jewish families have strong involvement. From hosting annual Scout Shabbats, to Jewish troop leaders, to a nearly all-Jewish troop, you can find Western New York Jewish female leaders making their mark.

To elaborate on one such example, get to know local Girl Scout Troop 30023 through the lens of Kristen Coakley Ashare.

“After two years at the JCC Early Childhood Center with our daughter, I realized that the wonderful Pre-K girls and families we’d met would soon scatter to elementary schools across the area. Kindergarten was the natural next step, but I was sad that this sense of community might disappear.

So I approached JCC CEO Patty Simonson with an idea: start a Girl Scout troop and hold meetings at the JCC Benderson building. She suggested a perfect partnership – we could volunteer in the JCC Community Garden during the spring and summer in exchange for indoor meeting space during the school year. It was an ideal alignment of needs. The girls now lovingly maintain their ‘fairy garden,’ constantly imagining new additions.

As a parent, I was nervous about asking other families to commit to one more activity. But I’m so glad I did. Our troop parents are what make this experience possible. While I plan and lead our biweekly meetings, they show up ready to help with anything. Nikki Balsom is our Chief Snack Officer, Carly Smith is often the first to volunteer as a chaperone, and Alyssa Strang expertly manages our Cookie Chaos each season. The parents’ enthusiasm matters, not just for logistics, but because the girls see their families supporting what they care about.

Although founding a specifically Jewish troop wasn’t my intention, our membership has been about 50–70% Jewish over the past two years. Being connected to the Jewish community has been incredibly uplifting. Leaders at Buffalo Hillel, the Buffalo JCC, and the Tikkun Olam committee at Congregation Shir Shalom have generously provided space for hosting cookie booths and they helo spread the word about service projects like our pet supply drive. Even more meaningful has been the community’s response when people show up with support and donations.

Girl Scouts is a ‘girl-led’ program, which means the girls decide what we do. That’s not always easy when they’re in kindergarten and first grade, but they’ve already done so much: engineering projects, a trip to the planetarium, delivering supplies to the Erie County SPCA, camping at the Bisons stadium, learning knife skills and fire building at Camp Seven Hills, and trying curling during the Olympics.

This year, we’ve framed decisions about our cookie earnings around three ‘buckets:’ Needs, Wants, and Service. While the girls understand we need to buy markers and they want to earn their Healthy Snacks badge, they return repeatedly to the same idea: “We should give the money to people who don’t have enough.” That instinct comes from being supported within their community and realizing that cookie sales give them something most 6-year-olds don’t have: the ability to give back.

If you’d like to support our troop by purchasing Girl Scout cookies, Troop 30023’s link is active until March 28, 2026. Cookies can be delivered within 10 miles of the JCC Benderson Building. If you’re further away, please choose shipping or consider supporting a troop closer to you.”

There are many other young Jewish girl scouts working hard at becoming responsible community stewards. Enjoy photos of just some of Jewish Buffalo’s future leaders!