Sign In Forgot Password

Rabbi Stuart Gershon Teen Program

"This has been a phenomenal year for my son at Temple Sinai. He has grown spiritually, solidified his Jewish roots, and had so many rich, memorable experiences with his peers. And the L’Taken Social Justice seminar in Washington DC wasn't just a highlight of his year, it was a significantly moving event that strengthened his connection to the Jewish community and I'm certain will stay with him as he enters adulthood."

~Parent of Current Temple Sinai High School Student


Temple Sinai is excited to announce a new model for the Rabbi Stuart Gershon Teen Program for 8th-12th Graders!

 

 This year’s program will include engaging learning opportunities in and out of the building, more flexibility and choice, plus an immersive experience (a fun, educational, and community-building trip!) for each age cohort.

  1. ANAFIM — A Community Teen Program: Our brand-new core teen program, in collaboration with the other Summit synagogues. Click here to learn more and to register.
  2. Madrichim:  In this Jewish leadership experience, teens serve as classroom assistants, working with younger children during the early session of religious school on Sundays. 
  3. Youth Group:  informal social gatherings with fellow Sinai teens (details coming soon)
  4. Immersive trips:
    • Gr 8-9  Tzedek America trip to the Arizona-Mexico border to learn about immigration justice (Feb 16-19, 2024)
    • Gr 10-12 L'taken Seminar in Washington D.C. to learn about advocacy, with an opportunity to lobby Congress (Feb 9-12, 2024)

Financial assistance is available to help cover trip expenses for families who need it. Please reach out to Rabbi Gluck directly. All financial assistance arrangements will be confidential.

 L'taken Social Justice Seminar in Washington, D.C.                             February 9-12, 2024

Open to all Temple Members in 10th-12th Grade

Temple Sinai’s 10th-12th will join hundreds of teens from Reform synagogues around the country for a social justice seminar in Washington, DC. In partnership with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (“the RAC”), our teens will have the opportunity to learn about social justice issues from a Reform Jewish perspective and then advocate for these issues on Capitol Hill. The program is designed to both expose them to a variety of public policy issues and explore the Jewish values that inform the Reform Movement’s advocacy around these issues. We will also visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, www.ushmm.org, the Smithsonian National Mall and celebrate Havdalah at the Jefferson Memorial.

See a video of the L'taken weekend here
Learn more about the RAC and L’taken here
and see a sample itinerary for the trip here.

***If your teen has already participated in a L'taken Seminar they are welcome to come again! The RAC offers a track for returning students so their second L'taken experience will be as enriching as their first.

Tzedek America Immigration Justice trip to Arizona                              February 16-19, 2024

Immigration Justice Trip to the Arizona-Mexico Border
Open to all Temple Sinai, Ohr Shalom, and Beth HaTikvah Members in 8th and 9th Grade

This year’s 8th- and 9th-grade students are invited to travel with us to Arizona, where they will learn about immigration justice firsthand. Run by the team at Tzedek America, experts at Social Justice-themed trips, students will talk to and learn from individuals who have experienced all aspects of the immigration process, from DACA recipients to a retired ICE officer. They also visit the town of Nogales, and go on a hike in that region to leave water for refugees who are crossing the border. Over the course of the weekend, students will celebrate Shabbat, observe Havdalah, and have plenty of time to have fun and decompress with social activities such as an arcade visit and laser tag.


Learn more about Tzedek America's Immigration Justice trip here
For a list of Frequently Asked Questions, click here

Please note: The winter ANAFIM trimester for 8th-9th grade will be focused on
content related to the trip, so we highly encourage signing up for both!

      Civil Rights Journey to Alabama and Georgia                             November 3-6, 2022

Open to all Temple Sinai, Ohr Shalom, and Beth HaTikvah Members in 8th and 9th Grade

 

Temple Sinai’s 8th/9th graders will be joining with 8th/9th graders from the other Summit synagogues for the Civil Rights Journey. Through this immersive experience, the teens will become empowered and inspired to come back home and get involved by realizing they currently have the power to make a difference. They will meet with Reverends who worked and strategized with Dr. King as well as people who participated in the march from Selma to Montgomery. These are primary sources. Each of our speakers ensures the teens understand that they can make a difference today. We will also discuss Jewish involvement in the Movement and how our Passover story correlates so strongly with the Civil Rights story. Our teens will visit the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, museumandmemorial.eji.org/museum  and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, museumandmemorial.eji.org/memorial in order to understand that civil rights is not an issue that only impacted a specific group of people in the 1950s & 60s but is an ongoing issue today.

Learn more about the Civil Rights Journey here and see an itinerary and FAQ’s for the trip here. 

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784