Four Tracks of Post B’nei Mitzvah Engagement
Announcing Four Tracks of Post B’nei Mitzvah Engagement:
1. Madrichim Teen Teaching Program - Weekly
2. Monday Evening Teen Educational Program - Bimonthly
3. Monday Evening Social Program (NEW!) - Monthly
4. Teen Travel Opportunities – Annually
Our teens are invited to participate in as many tracks as they like!
Click here to view the Teen Program Calendar
1. Madrichim Teen Teaching Program
We welcome all post B’nei Mitzvah students to serve as teen teachers on Sunday mornings or Monday, Tuesday or Thursday afternoons. Teen teachers are empowered to work directly with teachers and serve as role models and run activities for our K-7 students. All madrichim are given a staff hoodie sweatshirt and provided a $180 annual teaching stipend at the end of the year. Recently, we have welcomed over 70 teens annually as madrichim and together they have transformed our Religious School experience. Teen teaching is also well suited for listing on college resumes!
2. Monday Evening Teen Education Program
Our education program seeks to build upon the pre-b’nei mitzvah experience by exploring Judaism on a more mature and nuanced level. 8th-12th grade students will join twice a month in our core education program on Monday evenings from 6:15-8:15 pm. Dinner is included. Each student will attend two classes nightly —one core class taught by a member of our clergy and an elective course such as cooking, modern Hebrew, krav maga, etc. Our core classes are structured as:
- 8th Grade: Jewish Theology and Contemporary Jewish Issues - with Rabbi Jaffe
- 9th Grade: Israel and Comparative Religions - with Rabbi Linzer
- 10th Grade: Judaism and Public Policy – Including Confirmation – with Rabbi Jaffe
- 11-12th Grade: Preparing Your Jewish Toolkit for College (monthly) – with all clergy
Participation in the 10th grade Monday Evening Education Program is a prerequisite for participating in Confirmation
3. Monday Evening Social Program (NEW!)
We realize that some of our teens may not have the time for a weekly education program but want to remain connected to their Beth El friends and community. Our monthly social program will provide opportunities for engagement through volunteerism and purely social programming, similar to a Jewish youth group. The program will be built into the Monday evening calendar so that those participating in our education program can also participate. The social program will also include events outside the synagogue, such as visits to Rock n Jump, Grand Prix, 914 Cares, etc.
4. Teen Travel Opportunities
We love the experience of traveling with our teens and learning on the go! Our trips are structured as follows:
- 8th-9th grades: Overnight trip in NYC - March 9-10
- 10th-12th grades: Three year rotation:
o Civil Rights Trip to Alabama and Georgia (2023-24) - 2023 Trip Dates: Nov. 9-12
o Jewish West Coast Los Angeles Trip (2024-25)
o Washington DC Social Policy Trip (2025-26)
Participation in other teen engagement tracks is not a prerequisite towards teen travel opportunities.
