Shorashim Teens
Over the course of two very productive and fun meetings, over twenty teens gathered and, facilitated by Hazzan Harold, Rabbi David, Cantor Jenn, and Sara Chernov (our madrichim coordinator) brainstormed and dreamed up a program they would actually attend. We are pleased to present the details of our teen program for the 2023-2024 school year below.
Learning
One Sunday a month (from 4-6pm, including dinner) will be dedicated to informal learning. These sessions will be taught by some combination of Rabbi David, Hazzan Harold, Cantor Jenn, and our Teen Advisor. Special guest will also be invited to lead these sessions. Topics for this year include a deep dive on Israel and shaping one’s Jewish identity. Note: Unlike in past years, Rabbi David will not be offering a separate 10th Grade learning, but rather, we are inviting all our teens grades 8-12 to come out on Sunday.
Doing
One Sunday a month will be an opportunity for ‘doing’, getting out in the community in a variety of ways. The teens are interested in involvement with our Jewish Youth Climate Movement (JYCM), working at a soup kitchen, baking for those in need, working to help the environment in different ways, and looking for interfaith connections with other teens. The exact time of each event will be determined by the nature of the event itself.
Gathering
Time to hang out and socialize, bond, connect, have fun. The teens who helped shape our program also want time to just have fun together. They came up with at least two years’ worth of fun stuff, and this year we will likely have three or four events such as an escape room and go carts on Saturday nights. In addition, a day-long trip to NYC is planned. Exact date for the trip and itinerary TBD.
Teaching
Be a leader and teacher for our younger students during our Thursday and Shabbat Shorashim sessions by participating in our madrichim/leadership-teacher training program. Attend trainings on Sundays to learn skills necessary to be an effective teacher. Sign up for a season (fall, winter, spring) or the whole year.
Marni Loffman – Teen Advisor and Artist/Educator-in-Residence at BAI
My name is Marni (they/them) and I will be the teen advisor for this coming year. When I was a teen, I was struggling with some of my biggest questions around my own Jewish identity.
Why be Jewish? Why does the Torah have so many moments that are hard for me to understand? How can I both search for meaning that makes sense to me personally while also staying connected and loyal to the Jewish people? Is asking questions betrayal, is it wrong? What kind of Jew do I want to be? Is my Judaism connected to my politics and my social actions and the justice work I do, or are they two totally different things?
The questions went on and on — about God, belief, what I wanted to do with my life and what role Judaism played in the entirety of who I was. And they shaped my own windy path to being a musician and Jewish educator. These days I love making music with people, spending time in nature, going for long city adventures, learning about politics and history, running, biking and hiking and expanding my sense of truth by meeting people who have experiences different than my own.
Maybe you have some of these questions yourself. Or questions that are different than my own. Maybe you are trying to figure out your passions and next steps and how you want to spend this time during high school. Maybe you are working on environmental and social justice causes and are looking for a teen space to have your spiritual and learning needs met to keep fueling your work. Or maybe you just want a space to socialize and make new friends. Over the next 8 months, we will have 8 sessions inspired by the planning conversations the teens had last year. These hands-on-activities will deal with identity, social issues, interfaith learning and be a space to eat food and make friends.