Teens

Teens at sinai

Temple Sinai is proud to offer both educational and social programming for teens in 8^th through 12^th grade. Our programs provide today’s Jewish youth with a strong connection to other Jewish teens both at Temple Sinai and within our local Reform youth movement. Scroll down to see what's happening here and how your teen might find his/her/their connection to others.

The Schiff Tichon Sinai Program

Tichon Sinai will help 8^th, 9^th and 10^th-grade teens experience joy in Jewish learning, pride in being Jewish, and a commitment to participation in Jewish life. As soon as they have celebrating becoming b'nei mitzvah, they are eligible to matriculate into the program. Taught by Rabbi TelRav, Tichon Sinai combines the best of classroom-based and experiential education in a cohesive program that fosters Jewish identity development and community-building. The topics range from Ethics, to Current Events and from Career Paths to Picking the right Partner...the curriculum is driven, largely, by the teens themselves. When our teens are connected to Temple Sinai they learn about Jewish life by actively experiencing it!

Madrichim Program Description

Temple Sinai invites 8th through 12th grade students to help support our Religious School. Madrich (male), madrichah (female), and madrichim (plural) all mean guide or counselor in Hebrew. Our madrichim assist teachers in the classroom and are encouraged to plan and teach mini lessons as they wish in coordination with their classroom teacher. Younger religious school students look up to our madrichim as a dugmah/role models.

There will be periodic madrichim meetings throughout the year to help develop and sharpen leadership skills. At Temple Sinai, madrichim who are graduates of our Confirmation program are paid a stipend, while others are volunteers until they reach that milestone.

NFTY - North American federation of temple youth

Temple Sinai has a rich history of participating with the Union for Reform Judaism’s’ Youth Movement – the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY). While the format of NFTY’s programming has changed to be less synagogue centric they offer many North American wide programs that Sinai teens may be interested in.

https://nfty.org/

Temple Sinai @ College

College Students may be out of sight but they're not out of mind. They are important to us and maintaining that connection with their home-congregation and their Jewish identity is crucial. We have made it a priority to keep in touch with them. At holidays, like Chanukah and Passover, Temple Sinai sends a small care package with goodies to help them celebrate while they are away from home. At other times of the year, they may receive a little hello from us, just to let them know we are thinking of them.

For more information or to sign up your student, please click here.

Parent and Family Resources

The Union For Reform Judaism’s Youth Engagement Division - Here you will find information on URJ youth fellowships, summer camp, and travel programs and many more youth engagement opportunities.

The Jewish Education Project’s Generation Now Survey Results - A new report, GenZ Now: Understanding and Connecting with Jewish Teens Today, unveiled at the Jewish Funders Network Conference and now released to the public, is the result of a unique collaborative partnership between funders, researchers, and the leadership of 14 national youth-serving organizations. The survey responses of 17,576 Jewish teens provides a heretofore unprecedented understanding into who these teens are, what they care about and want, and to some extent, what the Jewish community can do to enhance their lives as people, and as Jews.

Teen Mental Health - A resource for those seeking health-related to mental health for themselves or other teens.