Creative and Safe In-Person Programming for the Religious School and Teen Communities By Roberta Axeloons and Fallon Rubin This Fall, the Temple Israel Education Team has continued innovating, re-designing, and staying-in touch with the needs of our community in real-time since March. When it became clear to us over the summer that safe, in-person programming could be designed, our team began thinking. In what ways could we support our students with in-person learning and connection to community? How could the clergy and educators keep students safe? What might we need to change or adapt in order to meet face to face?
Havurot: Jewish Wilderness School This Fall, the Religious School launched Havurot: Jewish Wilderness School. Since then, we’ve had small group learning each Saturday at the Muddy River. Our students meet in person, for outdoor, wilderness Shabbat learning. The group began by celebrating Sukkot Shabbat and building mini-sukkot. On a cold and rainy Saturday, the students engaged in a lesson on spirituality and warmth (fire). Wilderness Havurot meet in the rain, snow, sleet, or sun. Our new motto is: there’s no bad weather, just bad gear. We are excited to welcome students to new groups and drop in programs throughout the Winter. Questions about the program? Contact Roberta Axeloons at raxeloons@tisrael.org.
7th Grade Kallah We had our first ever hybrid 7th grade Kallah. We met in person on Friday night for a Flashlight Qabbalat Shabbat. We used the light to welcome in Shabbat and to illuminate the meaning of the prayers we say each week. On Saturday we gathered again to make our very own Tie Dye Tallitot and also to assemble Havdalah kits that we were able to use later that night when we came together on Zoom. We had an amazing weekend being together in a variety of different ways.
The Tent Beit Midrash - In Person Community The Tent had our first in person gathering in November and it was incredible to have the teen community all together again. The theme for the night was hope, and the RYFTI Board teens led activities using poetry, chalk art, and games. Our RYFTI Advisor Ari Zimmet noted that they felt overwhelmed with joy after the program and that it was beautiful to watch all of the faces we usually see on the screen come together in person. We are looking forward to our monthly Beit Midrash sessions to gather in person as a Tent community.
www.tisrael.org/insight | 617-566-3960
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