No'ar: The Teen Agenda


In its fifth year of operation, the No’ar (youth) Committee is dedicated to engaging teens in the Jewish community, throughout the high school years, via a variety of informal educational programs. No’ar is comprised of four initiatives that offer exciting, experiential endeavors to engage and keep teens connected to our Jewish community. 

For more information on Teen Programming contact Ed Pletman, at 617-457-8548 or edp@cjp.org


YESOD - The Youth Educator Initiative

To support work within our teen community, the Commission on Jewish Continuity & Education has supported the Youth Educator Initiative, YESOD, since 1995. The purpose of the initiative is to expand, support and enhance youth programming within congregations and institutions, while upgrading the quality and capacity of professional youth workers. The project provides training to youth leaders, consultation to lay committees and direct funding in the form of grants to participating institutions in order to expand the professional youth worker's role. The program is managed by the BJE and the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts, with direct support from the regional religious youth movements. In 2007-2008, YESOD will help fund 17 Youth Educators in congregations throughout the Greater Boston area

To learn more, please contact David Goldstein, YESOD Coordinator at dag@bje.org


The Jewish Educational Overnight Camping Initiative

Jewish camps are the place where environment, programming, relationships and traditions weave together to create a “holy Jewish space.”  There, campers and staff feel free to fully open their hearts and to experiment with a full range of Jewish experiences.  Several studies indicate that participation in quality Jewish camping is associated with increased Jewish identity, affiliation and engagement. Consultative reports in 2004-2005 indicate that increasing campership in synagogue teens can further this development of Jewish identity. From this, the Task Force on Jewish Educational Overnight Camping was formed. During 2004-2005 No’ar launched the Camping Initiative pilot program to engage more synagogue youth in Jewish educational overnight summer camp at two pilot sites: Temple Israel of Sharon and Temple Shalom of Newton.  The Camping Initiative partners with thirteen congregations in 2007-2008, and continues to conduct research and strengthen relationships with the camping community in order to develop the camping agenda

To learn more about the Camping Initiative click on the link to the right or visit www.cjp.org/camping 

Telem

Jewish teens in the greater Boston area are coming together to make meaningful community service part of their lives. Be a part of making it happen. Spend a few hours a week to improve someone else's life, have a positive impact in the community, and be part of a millennia-old tradition of tikkun olam—repairing the world.

Telem means "moving together"in Hebrew. It's also an acronym in Hebrew for tenuah tz'i'rim mitnadvim, Movement for Youth Volunteers! Join with a group of your friends and see what a difference you can make! Click here to learn more about Telem.

Information for Parents

Parents, for more information on Teen Programming contact Ed Pletman, at 617-457-8548 or edp@cjp.org