engaging our youth: teens: how do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect...

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Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav March 15, 2011 - 8:00 p.m.-9:15 p.m. PEARL: Providing Education and Resources for Leadership Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Transformative Judaism for the 21st Century 101 Greenwood Avenue Beit Devora, Suite 430 Jenkintown, PA 19046 215.885.5601 / fax: 215.885.5603 www.jrf.org

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Page 1: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our

communities connect to our teens?

Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel ZaslavMarch 15, 2011 - 8:00 p.m.-9:15 p.m.

PEARL: Providing Education and Resources for Leadership

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Transformative Judaism for the 21st Century 101 Greenwood Avenue Beit Devora, Suite 430 Jenkintown, PA 19046 215.885.5601 / fax: 215.885.5603www.jrf.org

Page 2: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

NO’AR HADASH VISIONFebruary 2005

With the rapid growth of the No’ar Hadash and Camp JRF programs over the past three years, congregations have begun to recognize the use of our services and demand for our support has therefore increased greatly. With the current structure and limited staff time, however, response to these demands has been insufficient. The needs to better respond to our communities and to provide a model for self-sustained growth within the congregation are the catalysts for a new model for No’ar Hadash.

Page 3: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

No’ar Hadash Regional Advisors:Four RRC students or talented college graduates will serve as Regional Advisors for No’ar Hadash.

Based in Philadelphia, the Advisors will have a number of specific responsibilities:

• Congregational Visits: Within a given region, visit one congregation a month for 3 months (Oct, Nov, Dec). Run youth programs, lead youth/education committee discussion, meet with key leadership, and determine teen leadership potential. While working to build the congregational youth programs, look for one or two teens from each congregation who will serve as part of the No’ar Hadash Teen Leadership Va’ad.

• Regional Kallah: With help from local teen Va’ad members as well as congregational professional and lay leadership, plan and implement a weekend program for regional youth (Feb).

• Program Team: Serve as part of the Youth and Camping Program Team. Meet monthly to develop congregational and regional program plans. Help to plan and staff the NH North American Teen Kallah.

• Consult: As needed, consult to three regional congregations.

Page 4: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

The goal of this model is to empower the congregations not only to start (and grow) their own youth programs, but also to work together to truly build a strong regional program. Although the

NH Regional Advisor will still be primarily responsible for the regional program, the ideal situation would be one in which the

Va’ad leadership teens from the congregations would play a central role in programming and the professional and lay leadership would be equally involved in the logistics and

planning.

Page 5: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

Teen Leadership Va’ad

Whereas this group has previously been selected on the North American level, the intention is to grow the leadership of the movement from within the congregations. Regional Advisors will choose one or two teens from each congregation they visit to serve on the Va’ad. These regional leaders will work together to plan their regional program and will then work as a larger group to plan the NH North American Teen Kallah.

Page 6: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

Director of No’ar Hadash

The Director of No’ar Hadash will be responsible for overseeing this new model. This includes ongoing training and supervision of Regional Advisors, creating an updated No’ar Hadash Manual, developing new policies and programs, engagement of lay and rabbinic leadership, marketing No’ar Hadash to the community, consulting to congregations on issues of youth programming, designing and implementing training opportunities for congregational youth advisors, and primary responsibility for the NH North American Teen Kallah (including, possibly, a concurrent youth advisor training workshop). The Director will be responsible for all details of No’ar Hadash and will work closely with the JRF Director of Youth and Camping on issues of values, growth, and vision.

Isaac Saposnik will serve as the Director of No’ar Hadash.

Page 7: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

JRF Director of Youth and Camping

As Director of Youth and Camping, Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat will continue to serve in the visionary role of building and expanding the youth programs of JRF.

Program Team The No’ar Hadash program staff (Director of Youth and

Camping, Director of No’ar Hadash, and Regional Advisors) will meet monthly to create model programs for congregational use, develop congregational visits, and plan regional programs.

Page 8: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

Budget

• No’ar Hadash Director $10,000• 10 hours per week• • Regional Advisors $10,000• Four Advisors at $500 per weekend (for five weekends)• Based on RRC salary guidelines for student rabbis• • Expenses $10,000• Conference calls, office supplies, postage, website • maintenance, travel• • Revenue ($3,000)

• Regional congregations pay $250 for Advisor visit• • Total $27,000

Page 9: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

NO’AR HADASH TIMELINEFebruary 2005

• JRF Youth and Camping Commission established under Education Committee. Co-chairs Betsy Teutsch and Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat.

• January-North American Teen Kallah: Weekend program at Ramat Shalom (Plantation, FL). Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ben Schein. First event of its kind in 8 years. 55 participants.

• Summer-Teen Encampment at Camp Henry Horner: 5 days prior to the opening of Camp JRF. Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, Rabbi Ruth Smith, Ben Schein, Rabbi Jeffrey Schein, Jenny Goldfried (RRC student). 25 participants.

2000 – 2001

Page 10: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

2001 – 2002• February• North American Teen Kallah: Weekend program at

Ramat Shalom (Plantation, FL). Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Talya Weisbard (RRC student). 62 participants.

• May• Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat becomes JRF Director of Youth

and Camping. • July• Teen Encampment at Camp JRF: Weekend program as

part of first summer of Camp JRF. Jenny Goldfried (RRC student) and Ben Schein. 25 participants.

Page 11: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

2002 – 2003• Sam Kelman Co-Chair, JRF Youth and Camping Committee• Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow Co-Chair, JRF Youth and Camping Committee• Deborah Newberger Co-Chair, No’ar Hadash / Youth Subcommittee• Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz Co-Chair, No’ar Hadash / Youth Subcommittee• Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat JRF Director of Youth and Camping• Amanda Lurer (RRC student) Youth and Camping Fellow• Isaac Saposnik (RRC student) Youth and Camping Fellow• Ben Schein No’ar Hadash Intern• November• Launch of No’ar Hadash (NH) at JRF Convention: Teens, professionals, and lay leaders from “Charter Members” – 9 congregations and

1 region – spend the weekend working together to start a new youth movement. No’ar Hadash officially begins. First edition of NH Manual distributed.

• January• -NH Midwest Youth Kallah: Weekend program at Camp Henry Horner (Ingleside, IL). Isaac Saposnik with leadership from Shir Hadash

(Northbrook, IL), JRC (Evanston, IL) and Beth Shalom (Naperville, IL). 80+ participants, 4 congregations.• February• NH New York Kick-Off Event: Day program of volunteering and discussion in New York City. Amanda Lurer, Isaac Saposnik, Melanie

Schneider. 27 participants, 6 congregations.• March• NH Delaware Valley Purim Party: Day program at Or Hadash (Ft. Washington, PA). Amanda Lurer, Isaac Saposnik, Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat.

30 participants, 5 congregations.• NH North American Teen Kallah: Weekend program hosted by Kehillat Israel (Pacific Palisades, CA). Ben Schein, Isaac Saposnik,

Amanda Lurer, and Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat. 70+ participants, 16 congregations. • April• New York / Israel Teen Mifgash: Week-long visit of 10 Israeli teens to New York City and area congregations. Funded by a major grant

from UJA – New York Federation. Amanda Lurer, Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, Isaac Saposnik. 25 participants, 3 congregations. • NH West Coast Event: Concurrent with JRF West Coast Regional Kallah. Ben Schein, Devorah Servi. 15 participants.

Page 12: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

2003 – 2004• Sam Kelman Co-Chair, JRF Youth and Camping Committee• Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow Co-Chair, JRF Youth and Camping Committee• Deborah Newberger Co-Chair, No’ar Hadash / Youth Subcommittee • Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz Co-Chair, No’ar Hadash / Youth Subcommittee• Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat JRF Director of Youth and Camping.• David Katz (RRC student) No’ar Hadash Coordinator• Amanda Lurer (RRC student) No’ar Hadash Intern• Isaac Saposnik (RRC student) Youth and Camping Fellow• Ben Schein No’ar Hadash Intern• November-• NH Mid-Atlantic Teen Kallah: Weekend program at Mishkan Shalom (Philadelphia, PA) and Or Hadash (Ft. Washington,

PA). Subsidized by a grant from Philadelphia Federation. Isaac Saposnik and Amanda Lurer. 8 participants, 3 congregations.

• NH New York Youth Kallah: Concurrent with JRF NY Regional Kallah. Amanda Lurer, Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat. 11 participants.

• January• NH Chesapeake Teen Kallah: Concurrent with JRF Chesapeake Regional Kallah. Ben Schein and Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat. 12

participants, 4 congregations.• NH Midwest Youth Kallah: Weekend program at Camp Henry Horner (Ingleside, IL). Isaac Saposnik with leadership

from Shir Hadash (Northbrook, IL), JRC (Evanston, IL) and Beth Shalom (Naperville, IL). 70+ participants, 6 congregations.

• February• NH Florida Teen Kallah: Weekend program at Ramat Shalom (Plantation, FL). Amanda Lurer with leadership from

Ramat Shalom. 30 participants, 2 congregations.• March• NH North American Teen Kallah: Weekend program hosted by Bet Am Shalom (held in Warwick, NY). David Katz, Isaac

Saposnik, Amanda Lurer, Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat. 50+ participants, 17 congregations.• April• NH New England Youth Kallah: Concurrent with JRF New England Regional Kallah. Amanda Lurer and Rabbi Jeff

Eisenstat. 20 participants.• May• NH Mid-Atlantic Teen Program: Day program at Hershey Park Amusement Park. Isaac Saposnik and Amanda Lurer,

with leadership from Or Hadash. Subsidized by a grant from Philadelphia Federation. 30 participants, 3 congregations.

Page 13: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

2004 – 2005• Sam Kelman Co-Chair, JRF Youth and Camping Committee• Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow Co-Chair, JRF Youth and Camping Committee• Deborah Newberger Co-Chair, No’ar Hadash / Youth Subcommittee• Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz Co-Chair, No’ar Hadash / Youth Subcommittee• Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat JRF Director of Youth and Camping.• Megan Doherty (RRC student) No’ar Hadash Coordinator• Isaac Saposnik (RRC student) Youth and Camping Fellow• September• Panim Teen Leadership Summit: Weekend event for teen leadership from all Jewish youth

movements (Washington, DC). Megan Doherty. 5 participants, 5 congregations.• Southern New Jersey Teen Program: Ongoing program run by String of Pearls (Princeton, NJ), the

JCC of Belle Meade (NJ), and Temple B’nai Abraham (Bordentown, NJ).• November• NH North American Teen Kallah and Teen Leadership Program: Concurrent with JRF Convention.

Megan Doherty, Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, Aaron Saposnik. 50+ participants.• January NH Midwest Youth Kallah and Camp JRF Teen Reunion: Weekend program at Camp Henry Horner

(Ingleside, IL). Megan Doherty with leadership from Shir Hadash (Northbrook, IL), JRC (Evanston, IL) and Beth Shalom (Naperville, IL), Aaron Saposnik. 85 participants.

• February• Southeast Region Teen Kallah: Hosted and planned by Ramat Shalom (Plantation, FL).• April• NH Mid-Atlantic Youth Shabbaton: Weekend program hosted by Or Hadash (Ft. Washington, PA).

Megan Doherty with Or Hadash leadership.• Chesapeake Region Teen Program: Hosted and planned by Chesapeake Region congregations.

Page 14: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

2005 – 2006 (PROPOSED)• Sam Kelman Co-Chair, JRF Youth and Camping Committee• Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow Co-Chair, JRF Youth and Camping Committee• Deborah Newberger Co-Chair, No’ar Hadash / Youth Subcommittee• Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz Co-Chair, No’ar Hadash / Youth Subcommittee• Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat JRF Director of Youth and Camping.• Isaac Saposnik (RRC student) Director of No’ar Hadash• • 4 No’ar Hadash Regional Advisors• • September• Panim Teen Leadership Summit: Weekend event for teen leadership from all Jewish youth movements (Washington, DC). Isaac

Saposnik.• • October• Congregational Visits: NH Regional Advisors visit first regional congregation. Run youth program, lead youth/education

committee discussion, meet with key leadership, determine teen leadership potential.• • November• Congregational Visits: NH Regional Advisors visit second regional congregation. • • December• Congregational Visits: NH Regional Advisors visit third regional congregation. • • February• NH Regional Youth Kallot: Weekend programs in regions. NH Regional Advisors with teen and congregational leadership.• • May• NH North American Teen Kallah: Weekend program at Camp JRF (South Sterling, PA). Isaac Saposnik, Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat, NH

Regional Advisors with teen leadership. Possible inclusion of a concurrent youth advisor training workshop.

Page 15: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

TEL: Teens, Experience and Learning

The TEL program was launched in the fall of 2009 in the northeast/midatlantic regions. Tel is the Hebrew word for an archeological hill, and JRF is using the word as an acronym for Teens: Experience and Learning. JRF seeks to create a true tel experience for our teens based on the opportunity to dig through first-hand “life-centered” experiences and sift out new, meaningful educational gleanings that are personally relevant to their lives.

Page 16: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

TEL• This program is framed and

anchored by two kallot (retreats) at Camp JRF. The first will take place around Sukkot and the second after Pesah. They will be similar to the successful No’ar Hadash kallot, and suitable for those who have and have not participated in them. Hanihim (youth) across the continent will stay connected to one another throughout the year with a TEL Facebook Page.

• In between the kallot, eight two hour havayot (experiential learning opportunities) will be held in each community. These will be based on the effective havaya model of Camp JRF. If you wish to supplement the eight havayot with more frequent programming (such as bi-weekly or even weekly gatherings), JRF will be interested in how your community is doing that and will connect you to other congregations and havurot with the same

Page 17: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

TEL• The curriculum of the TEL

Program is based on the Values of Spiritual Peoplehood, one of the key approaches to Reconstructionist education and the basis of the Camp JRF curriculum. Although we are capitalizing on lessons and successes of Camp JRF, this program will be equally comfortable for campers and non-campers alike. Each year will have a theme. The first year’s theme will be Tikkun Olam (Social Justice/Repair of the world). The second year will be Hiddur Mitzvah.

• The havayot will generally be structured according to the following arc: two sessions actively learning about the topic or value in greater depth, two preparing for activities related to that value that the hanihim design (on their own or from a menu created by the curriculum writer, the madrih/a and the education director), two sessions devoted to doing the activity or action, one planning how to share their experience with their larger community and the final session creatively communicating their experiences to their community.

Page 18: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

Jewish Community of Amherst (Amherst Massachusetts)

• Rosh Chodesh – It’s a Girl Thing! – Monthly girls group for 6/7 and 8/9 grades

JCAT (Jewish Community of Amherst Teen Group)- The goals of thisprogram are to increase teens’ individual and group Jewish identity,allow for easy access for young teens to programming at the JCA, andto increase knowledge and affiliation to Reconstructionist Judaism.

• Camp Shemesh Counselors and CITS: The JCA houses a summer day camp for6-11 year olds. Teens hold positions as CITs (12-15), JuniorCounselors (15-17) and Senior Counselors (18+).

• Teaching Assistants: Each year the JCA School hires teachingassistants in grades 8-12 to help in the office or classrooms onWednesdays and Sundays. In the past two years, the Director of TeenProgramming has augmented the teaching assistants’ learning withquarterly trainings to help them be better assistants in theclassroom. We have approximately 8-15 teaching assistants each year.

• Kehila Program: Started in 2008, this “less” formal continuing education program is for 8th-12th graders. In its first year, 18 teensparticipated. The teens meet twice per month, have dinner together and attend a core curriculum class and electives. We were not able to offer this program in 2009-10 due to JCA students choosing JTOVactivities over our own site offerings, and the limitations imposed by the JCA rabbi transition and sabbatical, and fiscal realities.

• JCA Confirmation Class: Confirmation is offered for 10th-12th graders every other year. Confirmation includes a class taught by the Rabbi, elective courses, a class trip to Panim el Panim in Washington, D.C., and a culminating service led by the class. In the 2007-08 class, we had 22 teens enrolled. There was supposed to be a class in 2009-10, but due to the above-mentioned Rabbinical transitions and fiscal realities, most of the activities were put on hold for a year until anew rabbi is hired.

Page 19: Engaging our Youth: Teens: How do they connect to our communities and how do our communities connect to our teens? Rabbi Jeff Eisenstat and Ariel Zaslav

Mishkan Shalom (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

• Mishkan hosts the following youth programs: At Mishkan Shalom, teenagers are empowered to make choices about how to continue their Jewish education post-B’nai Mitzvah. Currently, over 50 Mishkan teens are part of three dynamic programs: TEL (Teens: Experience & Leadership); Sunday Leadership Seminar; and Food for Thought.

• Sunday Leadership Seminar Study gives teens the opportunity to study with Rabbi Linda and Rabbi Yael, one Sunday/month. Students in “Leadership Seminar” learn skills to help them both inside our community and in their own schools and future work, including team work, building trust, creative thinking and listening skills, all taught through a Jewish lens. Students in Leadership Seminar will have the opportunity to participate in community services and events throughout the year. The Sunday Leadership Seminar leads to a Confirmation ceremony for students in 10th grade.

• Food for Thought students learn about Jewish culture and history through food while creating meals for people in our community who are ill, have experienced a loss, etc. This class is sponsored through JCHS of Gratz College and students receive service learning credits for their participation.