Teen Journey
INTELLECTUAL • COMMUNAL • TRANSFORMATIVE
Teen Journey is not just another educational program; it’s an immersive journey desgined to empower teens with the knowledge, skills, and spiritual insights they need to navigate the complex world around them. Teen Journey fosters deep connections among participants, creating a supportive community of peers who share similar values and aspirations.
The engaging curriculum and facilitators, which includes Rabbi Alexis Berk, Cantor Tiep, and Terry Wunder, Director of Community Engagement, challenges teens to think critically, ask meaningful questions, and explore their Judaism in a dynamic and thought-provoking way. Teen Journey includes 16 sessions and an additional weekend-long class retreat.
Grades 10 & 11
Facilitated by Rabbi Berk
This year’s study will explore the big questions we have about how to lead our best lives. Some of the most profound and unexpected insights from a very ancient and very relevant text we call Talmud. We will check our default and secular approaches against the wise and powerful voices of our tradition – it is impossible to come away unchanged by them. Warning: these conversations are very intriguing – come ready for it.
Grade 12
Facilitated by Terry, Director of Community Engagement
Spiritual Preparation for Young Adulthood: As we all can remember, the final year of high school marks a significant transition for our teens as they embark on their journey into adulthood. This year’s Teen Journey is designed to provide the group with a supportive environment to explore our spiritual identities, values, and beliefs. Through interactive sessions and thoughtful discussions (plus a trip together – more on that later), students will have the opportunity to delve deeper into their understanding of self, develop emotional and spiritual resilience, and connect the relevant and the sacred as they transition into the next phase of their lives.
Topics Covered
- Navigating Life’s Challenges: Handling stress and uncertainty
- Building Healthy Adult Relationships: Approaching new situations with empathy and confidence
- Cultivating Resilience: Mindfulness techniques and self care tactics
GRADE 7 / CLUB 7 – Click HERE to learn more about our b’nei mitzvah year experience, which includes family learning with the clergy, community organized mitzvah projects, and rich connections among students and adults.
Grades 8 & 9
Facilitated by Cantor Tiep
This year’s 9th grade class will be focusing on these interesting questions related to Jewish identity through our wisdom. We will explore these questions and more:
Who am I? How do I relate to the world and how do I take care of myself?
What are my relationships? What turns a friend into a best friend and how do I feel connected and comfortable?
How do I relate to others? Implicit and Explicit bias, Jewish values (Eilu Dvarim)
What and who is my community? Peoplehood in a Jewish context.
Join with your friends and Cantor for true connection and curiosity.
