Temple Beth Rishon

Rabbi Sandy Olshansky

MAN BITES DOG: 

On the last day of this year’s new high school program, the mother of one of our current students told me how disappointed her daughter was the she was sick in bed and not able to attend.  She said her daughter “really loves Hebrew High School.”  When Rabbi Emert, Education VP Randi Goldberg and I did a mid-year “check-in” in December with the parents of many of our high school students, the message was very much the same:

• Their teens really liked attending the Hebrew High School program.
• Their children felt badly when they had conflicting activities and couldn’t attend.
• They wouldn’t make their children come if the teenagers themselves didn’t want to.

Our over-scheduled teens chose to attend a Jewish educational activity!  We were eager to learn their reasons for loving the program – how did we accomplish this:

• We hired engaging, charismatic teachers who connect well with teenagers.
• We offered a choice of classes, some of which were suggested by the students.
• We divided the year into 3 semesters so the classes wouldn’t become stale.
• We provided a snack break, social time and once a month we served dinner.
• We had special engaging programs for Chanukah and Purim.

Perhaps we shouldn’t call our new program Hebrew High.  For one thing, there is limited use of Hebrew.  There is also no homework.  The program is really more about Jewish heritage and values, our uniquely Jewish way of looking at the world and a sense of being part of a community of peers within the temple and the larger Jewish community.

We hope that the students within our temple community, who will be entering 8^th grade this fall, and their parents, will consider seriously joining our high school program.  We also encourage students who will be entering 9^th or 10^th grade and didn’t participate in the high school program this year to consider signing up and being part of something that many of your peers love to do.  Additional information on the high school program, including brief teacher biographies and sample course descriptions can be found on our temple website under Youth Education, High School.  I urge you to look at them and discuss them with other students and parents.  Please call me with any questions. A high school registration form is also available for downloading on the temple website.

Best wishes for a great summer.  We look forward to seeing you in the fall. 

Rabbi Sanford (Sandy) Olshansky, Rabbi/Educator, Director of Life Long Learning