Youth Programs

 

The many informal youth programs offered at Temple Shaaray Tefila offer young people opportunities to extend their circle of friends, organize activities and educational programs, and enhance their Jewish identity. Lifelong friendships and positive feelings of connection to the synagogue may grow from meaningful participation in these programs. Family Fun Days, our family youth group, invited families with children in grades K-4 to participate in various events in and around NYC.  Youth group activities begin with students in grades 5 and 6 and extend through high school.  We would also like to invite grandparents to join us through our DOROT youth program.  Please scroll down for information on all of our Youth Programs.

Below you will can find information on the following youth groups: TaSTY(senior youth group for high school students), Family Fun Days (Family Youth Group for Families with Children in Grades K-4), JJS - Jewish Journeys @ Shaaray (our Junior 5th/6th Grade Youth Group, J3O - Jewish Journeys Just Older (our Junior 7th/8th Grad Youth Group), Rosh Chodesh: It's A Girl Thing! (6th Grade Girls' Youth Group), and our Teaching Assistant Program for our High School Students.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call Evita Sokol, Director of Family and Youth Programs at 212-535-012 ext. 230 or esokol@tstnyc.org.

 

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TaSTY (Temple Shaaray Tefila Senior Youth)

Comprised of students in grades 9-12, TaSTY, is part of a larger web of Reform Jewish youth groups across North America. As a member of NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth) and the NFTY New York Region, our youth group participates in local, regional, and national events. Self-governed, the youth group elects a president, officers, and grade level representatives. Our student rabbis, Erica Rosenkranz and Matt Reimer, along with David Singer, serve as the youth advisors.

 

TaSTY's meetings are known as "lounge nights" and take place one or two Wednesday evenings per month. From 7:15-9:00 PM, a youth group member leads a program about Jewish values, social concerns, or timely issues. Themes vary from the serious (Homelessness, Teen Suicide) to pure entertainment (Jews and the Movies) and embrace a variety of topics (Jews and Food, Body Piercing, Tattooing and Judaism, and Judaism and Halloween). Additional monthly programs include a social event (such as a softball game, ice skating, karaoke, or a theater night) as well as opportunities for community service (making bagged lunches for the Yorkville Common Pantry, taking children from the Genesis Shelter for ice cream).

 

Students are encouraged to attend weekend conclaves run by NFTY's New York region several times per year (one of our own youth group members serves as the New York Region's President). This year a National Convention of all youth groups will take place in Los Angeles in February. Our own youth group's annual trip to the Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C. will take place in early February.

 

Students lead youth centered morning services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a Sabbath evening service for one another throughout the year, and a Friday evening service in the Sanctuary for the entire congregation in May.

***New: MEET THE TaSTY BOARD!

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Program Dates for 2005-2006

September :

Sat.., Sept. 17 Shabbat Lunch in Central Park with activities followed by Sandwich Saturday

Wed., Sept. 21 Youth Group Board Meeting and Lounge Night

Sun., Sept. 25 TaSTY Board and NFTY-NAR LTI at TST

Wed., Sept. 28 Youth Group High Holiday Preparation Meeting

October:

Tues., Oct. 4 Rosh Hashanah Service for Grades 7-12

Oct. 7 – Oct. 10 NFTY NAR Fall Kallah at Kutz

Thurs., Oct. 13 Yom Kippur Service for Grades 7-12

Wed., Oct. 19 Youth Group Board Meeting and Lounge Night - "Pizza in the Hut"

Fri., Oct. 21 Dinner and Shabbat Unplugged with JJs/J3O

November:

Sat., Nov. 5 TaSTY Progressive Dinner and Havdalah

November 14-20 URJ Biennial Convention in Texas

Wed., Nov. 16 Youth Group Board Meeting and Lounge Night

December:

Sun., Dec. 4 TaSTY Bowls with Genesis Shelter

Dec. 9-11 NFTY-NAR Home Hospitality Kallah

Wed., Dec. 14 Youth Group Board Meeting and Lounge Night with Chanukah Party inviting J3O

Sat., Dec. 17 TaSTY Dinner and Theater Night with another TYG

January:

Jan. 6-8 NFTY-NAR Winter Kallah at Camp Eisner

Wed., Jan. 11 Youth Group Board Meeting and Lounge Night

Sun., Jan. 22 TaSTY takes Genesis to a concert or Wax Museum

February:

Wed., Feb. 8 Youth Group Board Meeting and Lounge Night

Fri., Feb. 10 – Mon., Feb 13 RAC TRIP TO D.C.

Mon., Feb. 27 TaSTY assists with HUC-JIR Soup Kitchen

March:

Wed., Mar. 1 Youth Group Board Meeting and Lounge Night

Sun., Mar. 12 Set-up for Purim Carnival

Mon., Mar. 13 Purim Carnival

Sat., Mar. 25 NFTY-NAR Daylong Event in NYC

April:

Wed., Apr. 5 Board Meeting and Lounge Night

Mon., Apr. 10 J3O and TaSTY assist with HUC-JIR Soup Kitchen

Fri., Apr. 21-23 NFTY-NAR Spring Kallah at Kutz

Sat, Apr. 22 All Youth Groups assist with Sandwich Saturday

Mon., Apr. 24 J3O and TaSTY assist with Yom HaShoah Service

Fri., Apr. 28- Sat., Apr.29 Warwick Weekend

May:

Wed., May 3 Board Meeting

Wed., May10 Board Meeting and Lounge Night

Fri., May 12 Family Dinner and Youth Group Service and High School Graduation

Sat., May 13 TBA NFTY-NAR Installations

Wed., May17 TaSTY Elections

June:

Sun., June 4 Israel Day Parade

Sat., June 10 Old Board-New Board Havdalah and Dinner Party

 

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Family Fun Days: Our Family Youth Group for Families with Children in Grades K-4

Underwritten by a generous grant from the Temple's Sesquicentennial Fund, this program began in the 2004-2005 school year and continues with more fun this year! Families are invited to start the year with a post-Rosh Ha Shanah apple picking expedition for our younger students and a bowling extravaganza for our families with older children. In the spring, we will travel to Coney Island with moms, dads, and siblings too. It's the perfect way to get involved in your Temple community and start building positive memories with your children in a Jewish context.

Family Fun Days Calendar for 2005-2006:

Sun. September 11 - Apple Picking and Picnic for K-2 Families

Sun. October 16 - Sukkah Decorating

Sun. November 6 - Bowling for Families with students in grades 3 & 4

Sat. January 7 - Havdalah for Families with students in grades K - 4 (activity and and film)

Sun. May 21 - Central Park Picnic

Sun. June 4 - Israel Day Parade

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JJs (5 th and 6 th Graders) and J3O (7 th and 8 th Graders)

Inaugurated during the 2001-2002 school year, JJs (Jewish Journeys @ Shaaray) provides a youth group experience for students in grades 5 and 6. J3O (Jewish Journeys Just Older) serves as a junior youth group for middle school students. Offering theme-based events each month, the youth groups focus on Jewish New York; Books of the Bible; Torah, Worship, and Good Deeds ( Torah, Avodah, Gemilut Chasidim -TAG); or Jewish Holidays. Community service credits are available for many of the programs.

 

 

JJS Program Dates for 2005-2006: Jewish New York

Sun., Sept. 18 Lunch and Lower East Side Tour

Fri., Oct. 21 Sushi in the Succah Followed By Shabbat Unplugged

Sun., Oct. 30 Lunch and Laser Tag

Sun., Nov. 13 Intergenerational Event with Grandparents

Lunch and Scavenger Hunt at Jewish Museum

Fri, Jan.27 ( 4 PM ) – Sat., Jan 28 (~ 9 PM ) Ski Trip (6 th Grade Students Only)

Sun., Feb. 12 Lunch at Sammy's Rumanian for Tu B'Shvat

Sun., Mar. 12 Mishloach Manot and Trip to Seniors Home

Sat., Apr. 22 Sandwich Saturday

Sun., Apr. 30 ewish New York Event

Sun., May 14 Yankees Game and Israel Celebration??

Sun., June 4 Israel Day Parade on 5 th Avenue

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J3O Program Dates for 2005-2006: Torah, Worship, Acts of Loving Kindness

( Torah, Avodah, Gemilut Chasadim )

Sat.., Sept. 24 Havdalah and Dinner

Tues., Sept. 27 J3O Steering Committee Mtg in Davis

Fri. Oct. 21 Sushi in the Succah Followed By Shabbat Unplugged

Mon., Nov. 21 HUC-JIR Soup Kitchen

Tues., Nov. 29 J3O Steering Committee Mtg in Davis

Tues., Dec. 13 J3O Steering Committee Mtg in Davis

Wed., Dec. 14 TaSTY Chanukah Party/Lounge Night

Sat., Dec. 17 Dreidel Disco and Tzedakah Event with Emanuel,

Central and Rodeph Sholom

Fri, Jan.27 ( 4 PM ) – Sat., Jan 28 (~ 9 PM ) Ski Trip

Tues., Jan. 31 J3O Steering Committee Mtg in Davis

Fri., Feb. 3 – Sun., Feb 5 NFTY-NAR Junior Youth Kallah at URJ Kutz Camp

Sat., Feb 11 Havdalah and Dessert at DTUT

Tues., Feb. 28 J3O Steering Committee Mtg in Davis

March 5 th or 6 th TBA Event organized by J3O steering committee

Sat. April 1 ( 6 PM ) – Sun., Apr. 2 ( 10 AM ) Movie Marathon and Sleepover

Mon., Apr. 10 HUC-JIR Soup Kitchen

Sat., Apr. 22 Sandwich Saturday

Mon., Apr. 24 J3O and TaSTY assist with Yom Hashoah Service

Tues., Apr. 25 J3O Steering Committee Mtg in Davis

Sun., May 14 Yankees Game and Israel Celebration

Sun., June 4 Israel Day Parade on 5 th Avenue

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Rosh Chodesh: It's A Girl Thing!

Girls' Group for Sixth Grade Girls

Shaaray Tefila is proud to introduce a fabulous program for our 6th grade girls. This program is based on the Jewish traditions of women's New Moon Celebrations to build the self esteem, Jewish identity, leadership skills, and friendship networks of adolescent girls.

Fall - Winter 2005 – Spring 2006

Sun., Sept. 25 1-3 PM Informational Session

Sun., Oct. 2 1-3 PM Lunch and Session #1

Sun., Nov. 6 1-3 PM Lunch and Session #2

Sun., Dec. 4 1-3 PM Lunch and Session #3

Sun., Jan. 8 1-3 PM Lunch and Session #4

Sun., Feb. 5 1-3 PM Lunch and Session #5

Sun., March 12 1-3 PM Lunch and Session #6

Sun., April 9 1-3 PM Lunch and Session #7

Sun., May 7 1-3 PM Lunch and Session #8

 

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Teaching Assistants

In this Religious School coordinated program for students in grades 9-12, young people apply to work in the School for community service credits or pay. In order to participate in this program, eighth grade students are required to take a course on Basics in Jewish Teaching through our Upper School Program on Tuesday evenings. Additionally, all teaching assistants are involved and enrolled in our Upper School Program on Tuesday evenings. Ultimately, students work with younger grades, where they assist teachers, prepare materials, and work with students one-on-one or in small groups. The TAs build relationships with mentor teachers, their students, and fellow TAs throughout the school year through regular supervision and meetings with our Director of Youth and Family Programs, Evita Sokol.

 

For more information on any of the above programs, please contact Evita Sokol, Director of Family and Youth Programs at (212)535-0912, extension #230 or by e-mail at esokol@tstnyc.org.