Teen Program
The BJ teen program is committed to strengthening our connection to teenagers at BJ by providing them with a community of intention and a place that not only addresses their particular needs as teens, but that also challanges them as they grow and provides clear pathways for them to transition to meaningful members of the larger BJ community. If you have any questions please contact Ira Dounn.
Upcoming Teen Events
BJ Teen Programs
| Program | Description | Community Service | 8th Grade | 9th Grade | 10th Grade | 11th Grade | 12th Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teen Retreat | Kick off the year at a weekend retreat with the teen community. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ozrim - Hebrew School | Be a teacher's aide in a Hebrew School classroom and help educate the next generation. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ozrim - Shabbat Services | Help lead children's service or Junior Congregation to be part of the Shabbat experience of BJ's families. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Domestic Service Learning | Join BJ and Jewish Funds for Justice as we work on rebuilding the Gulf Coast. | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| International Service Learning | Prepare for and participate in a week long service trip abroad in February. | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Teen Leadership Track | Be part of the visioning team for our teen community, learn leaderships skills and be mentored by BJ staff and rabbis. | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Teen Shabbat | Be part of the once a year experience where teens lead all parts of service in the main sanctuary. | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Havaya - Israel Summer 2010 Program | Join BJ in partnership with the 92nd Street Y for an amazing summer of community service and travel in Israel and the US. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Educational Classes | Participate in exciting classes throughout the year. | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly Local Community Service | Each month there will be different local community service opportunities ranging from park clean ups to the AIDS walk, from cooking for the shelter to advocacy experiences. | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Teen Retreat
Each year in the early Fall BJ sponsors a Teen Retreat.
Ozrim Program
Teens in 8th through 12th grade may apply to be teachers’ aides in the B’nai Jeshurun Hebrew School (Ozrim) and/or service leaders’ aides at weekly Children’s Shabbat morning services and Junior Congregation (Ozrim Tefilah). The Ozrim (literally, helpers) program provides teens with task supervision to develop their teaching and leading skills, and a monthly meeting with other teens in the program and the teen staff.
Click here for registration form
Domestic Service Learning
We are excited to continue our relief efforts in the Gulf Coast this year! This is an opportunity to participate in an incredible year’s worth of learning about direct service and the role that we can play in repairing our world through an immersion experience in the Gulf Coast.
This program is only open to student in 8th and 9th grades.
This program will run one Sunday a month from 4:30-6:30PM.
The dates are: OCTOBER 25th (note date change), November 15th, December 13th, January 10th, February 7th, March 7th, April 18th, May 9th.
The direct service experience will take place over MLK Weekend: January 14th-18th. We will be departing on the evening of the 14th so that no one will need to miss classes on that day.
Our partner organization (for the 4th year in a row) is Jewish Funds for Justice.
The application will be due by Monday, October 12th by 1PM and we will let applicants know if they received a place in the program by October 19th.
International Service Learning
After four year of international service learning focusing on a variety of issues (poverty, developing nations, environmentalism) in many locations (El Salvador, Mexico and Costa Rica), our teens are ready to take on a new challenge. We are excited to share our new opportunity for this year’s service learning program. This years international service learning trip will go to Jinotega, Nicaragua where teens will participate in the construction of potable water infrastructure.
This program is only open to students in 10th-12th grades.
This program will run one Sunday a month from 6:00-8:00PM.
The dates are: December 6, December 13th, January 10th, February 7th, March 7th, April 18th, May 9th.
The direct service experience will take place over President’s Week: February 14th-February 21st.
Our partner organization is Visions Service Adventure.
The Nicaragua Application is due by November 29, 2009 at 6:00PM.
Teen Leadership Program
The Teen Leadership program is an opportunity for one or two students from each grade to come together from various parts of the BJ community to help vision, create and implement the future of our program. In addition to serving as representatives for their peers, they will also receive leadership training including meetings with the rabbis, seminars on public speaking and community building workshops. We are looking for students who are committed to working in partnership to help the teen program thrive and grow.
Teen Shabbat
Teen Shabbat is the only Shabbat of the year where teens lead EVERY part of the service. This year Teen Shabbat will be on Saturday, February 13th. There are many different ways to be involved. If you want to lead something and need help learning it, just let us know – we are here to help. Click below to sign up for something. Please check your top three choices.
Havaya – Israel Summer Program 2010
Join us in our first year of partnership with the 92nd Street Y as we travel to Israel for community service opportunities. Havaya International is a 5 week long life-changing opportunity to travel like a local in both Israel and across the United States, while making a positive difference in our global village. Made up of eighteen American teens and eighteen Israeli teens, going into 10th-12th grade, Havayaniks will spend two and a half weeks traveling throughout Israel with local Israelis from the 92nd Street Y’s sister city in Ramat Hasharon and two and a half weeks in the U.S. getting the opportunity to share their lives with their Israeli counterparts.
Applications will be available in Spring 2010. View pictures and blogs from previous years.
Educational Classes
Please check back for more information
Monthly Local Community Service
Each month there will be different local community service opportunities ranging from park clean ups to the AIDS walk, from cooking for the shelter to advocacy experiences. We will post updated information about each project as it becomes available. Click here to receive the updated information in email form.