Staying Connected While Staying Apart

By Rosie Smolowitz

Every Wednesday night, I used to head over to Shalom Park, eat dinner, go to class, and most of all, hang out with my friends at Hebrew High. It was a great place to be able to unload from school and catch up with people I only got to see once a month. When COVID-19 hit, we were all worried that it was going to end.

Lucky for us, it didn’t. Hebrew High found a way to connect us, via the Internet, instead of in person. Instead of hopping over to the temple, I now hop onto Zoom. Every few weeks, I pick two classes: one is called a “Limmud” class. and the other is called a “Kehillah” class.

The first class is a learning class, meaning that we are on Zoom for about an hour learning about something that interests us. Right now, I am in a class that teaches me about Christianity. Many other creative classes with fun lesson plans have been offered, including a hands-on Jewish cooking class and a class about the role of Judaism in film.

After that first class ends, we get a 10-minute break to get off the computer. You can walk around or get a snack or drink. When the break ends, we get on a Zoom class that’s really all about having fun with other Jewish teens rather than learning. Most recently, I have chosen Jackbox Games. These are online games that you can play through Zoom that require creativity, humor, and being social. The other options have been scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, other computer games. and more.

No matter how many chores or how much homework I have to do, Hebrew High: Zoom Edition has been a great way for me to take a break from the stress of life and hang out with teachers and my Jewish friends while having a great time. I’m so grateful that they figured out a way for us to stay connected while staying apart!

Rosie Smolowitz is a freshman at Myers Park High School who serves as a member at large on the Temple Beth El youth group, Liberty. She is also involved in speech and debate at her school and competes in tournaments. In her free time, she loves to play piano, practice volleyball, and hang out with her friends!