YOUR JUDAISM, YOUR CHOICE.

2015-2016

A Catalogue of Teen Experiences at Community Synagogue of Rye ~ Center for Jewish Learning

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Grades 8 & 9Monday Nights, 6:15-8pm at CSR All Monday nights begin with dinner and community time across the grades. Join us for the whole year or try one semester!

Fall 8th Grade: Mitzvah-Mester weekly on Mondays, 10/19-12/21 Like doing good deeds with good friends? Spend the fall with fellow 8th graders doing hands-on Tikkun Olam (social action) around the community. We will address issues such as poverty, hunger, animal rights and caring for the elderly from a Jewish perspective. In addition, we’ll take several off-site trips to volunteer at organizations like the Carver Center and Sharing Shelf. You can even nominate your own Bar/Bat Mitzvah Project for one of our field-trip slots. Sign up for Mitzvah-Mester and earn community service hours while having fun and helping others!

Fall 9th Grade: “Tzedakah Start-Up weekly on Mondays, 10/19-12/21 Make a little money go a long way and learn money management as you do. Oversee a Teen Tzedakah fund as its official board of directors. We will define our core values, determine what causes you most want to support, and then learn the ins and outs of philanthropy from experts in the field. Participants are asked to contribute seed money which will be matched by the synagogue (consider using a portion of your Bar/Bat Mitzvah gifts). We will then organize creative fundraisers to replenish the fund over the course of the year as we allocate gifts. This is an impressive experience to add to your resume and eligible for community service hours as well.

Winter Electives weekly on Mondays, 1/4-2/22 Connect with other teens as you cook, craft, and express your Jewish identity in a whole new way! All 8th and 9th graders can choose a unique six-week elective for the winter trimester. Options in the past have included Jewish Ritual Arts, Yoga, Photography, and more. Submit your requests with registration.

Spring J-Girls/J-Guys & Closing Programs weekly, 2/29-5/9 8th and 9th graders will spend four weeks in J-Girls/J-Guys exploring relevant teen topics using Moving Traditions’ activities in a more intimate gender-based setting. Then 8th graders will have a closing cooking series while 9th graders wrap up their Tzedakah challenge project from the fall. During the last two weeks of class we will have community-wide commemorations of Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day).

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TGrade 1010th Grade Confirmation with the Rabbis weekly on Mondays, 10/19-6/6 Do you doubt God’s existence? Wonder about life’s purpose? This is your chance to explore these and other deep questions with your Rabbis Daniel Gropper and Leora Frankel. Through self-reflection, candid conversation, and a trip to Washington, DC, you will finish the year with a stronger sense of your personal beliefs and a special bond with your classmates and clergy. All Monday nights, 6:15-8pm at CSR, including dinner Confirmation/Erev Shavuot Service: Saturday night, June 11 Please note that CSR Teens Tuition Passport Fee for Confirmation students is $460.

Grade 11 Q’s at Q” with Rabbi Gropper—Discover Your True Self! What personal qualities do I want to work on? When are my strengths and weaknesses best in balance? All 11th graders are invited to join Rabbi Gropper once a month for a casual dinner and discussion of Mussar, Jewish moral qualities and self-refinement. Whether or not you attended Confirmation, come for a taste of those Q’s (questions) at Q Barbeque in Port Chester. Please bring money for your dinner and meet Rabbi Gropper in the upstairs loft. All Monday nights from 6:30-8pm at Q Restaurant, 12 Main Street, Port Chester Dates: Oct 26, Nov 23, Dec 21, Jan 25, Feb 29, April 4, May 2

Grade 12 The Road To College—Be Prepared Overwhelmed by the college process? Looking for guidance as you navigate this next stage of your journey? Our new “Road to College” series will help prepare you and your parents for this exciting time of transition and what awaits you next year on campus. With the help of guest speakers and professionals in the field, we’ll give you tools, resources, and Jewish perspective on subjects such as Making Tough Choices, Israel on Campus, and Saying “Shalom.” All Monday nights from 7:30-9pm at CSR Dates: Nov 2, Dec 7 (parents invited), Jan 4, March 7 (parents invited), April 18 Graduation Service & Celebration: Friday night, May 20

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Madrichim (Teaching Assistants) Program 8th-12th Grade Do you want to be a camp counselor, coach, or teacher? Like working with children and looking to add to your resume? Meeting on 10 Wednesday evenings from October-January, our Madrichim-in-Training (“MIT”) program will build your skills in child development and lesson planning. Then MITs will be placed as interns from February-May throughout our CJL to get hands-on leadership experience in our Center for Jewish Learning. The following year, MIT graduates can be full-fledged teaching assistants (and can earn a paycheck)!

Teens who have previously completed the MIT program are eligible to work as madrichim this year either for a paid stipend or community service hours. Placement options include CJL classrooms grades K-6, Chavurah groups, Hebrew tutoring center, Jr. COSY and more. Madrichim positions require a weekly commitment, typically on Saturday mornings or Wednesday afternoons.

For more information and to apply for the Madrichim or Madrichim-in-Training Program, contact Laurie Landes at llandes@comsynrye.org.

NEW: B’nai Mitzvah Mentoring Program 8th-12th Grade We are launching an exciting new mentoring program this year to pair older teens with 7th graders who are approaching Bar and Bat Mitzvah. Each teen mentor will meet with a 7th grade student on Monday nights in the fall to help him or her with learning the prayers and overall service preparation. Then, over the course of the winter and spring, you will reconnect with your mentee over a monthly dinner and check- in. Teen mentors will receive training and ongoing supervision from the Cantor throughout the program. This is an amazing opportunity to pass on your knowledge and be a role model for younger teens. For more information and to apply for the B’nai Mitzvah Mentoring program, contact Cantor Cooperman at mcooperman@comsynrye.org.

CSR Teen Band 8th-12th Grade Do you play an instrument or take voice lessons? Love to perform or just jam? The teen band and singers will rehearse once a month and periodically perform on Friday nights at Shabbat services and other special events. We are especially looking for more teens who play guitar, drums, and piano. The teen band is directed by the Cantor and professional Israeli jazz musician Koby Hayon. If you are interested in participating in the band or singing at services, contact Cantor Cooperman at mcooperman@comsynrye.org.

Stand Up for Justice: 10th Grade RAC Trip to Washington, DCFriday, March 4 - Monday, March 7, 2016 Connect with hundreds of other Jewish teens for a weekend in Washington, DC, to learn about key political and social issues and how you can change them! The L’Taken Social Justice Seminar at the Religious Action Center (RAC) is always an incredible experience, culminating with a day of lobbying on Capitol Hill. All 10th graders are invited to join Rabbi Gropper for this unforgettable weekend.

The cost of this trip is $295 for registered 10th grade Confirmation students and $395 for all others. Space is limited, reserve your spot soon by emailing rs@comsynrye.com.

COSY Youth Group COSY, short for “Community Synagogue Youth,” is our peer-led senior youth group. The COSY leadership team organizes an array of fun events to develop leadership skills, do Tikkun Olam, and connect with other teens in the community. Recent COSY events include Midnight Run, Habitat for Humanity, the annual shul-in overnight, Improv Night, and snow-tubing. COSY also connects you to NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth), giving you the opportunity to meet Jewish teens from across New York at regional events. Look out for COSY events throughout the year!

Social Action SundaysSundays from 11:30-1:30pm, Locations TBA:Oct 25, Nov 22, Jan 10, March 6, April 17CSR Teens will be teaming up with three other local synagogues this year for a series of hands-on community service events on Sunday afternoons! Together with teens from Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester, JCCH, and KTI, we’ll be diving into Tikkun Olam from new and unique angles. Teen leaders from each synagogue will help organize and lead the events, which will all include lunch, mixers, and a meaningful Tikkun Olam project. Community service hours available for all participants.

This collaborative program is co-sponsored by the Westchester Jewish Teen Learning Initiative of the Jewish Education Project.

200 Forest Avenue, Rye, NY 10580 • 914.967.6262 comsynrye.org/csrteens • facebook.com/csrteens • csrteens@comsynrye.org

CSR Teens Passport & Registration InfoThanks to the generosity of the Grayer Teen Initiative Fund, we are able to significantly subsidize our array of exciting teen programs. A simple “passport” fee of $360* covers your participation in any and all of these CSR Teens opportunities, including your COSY membership. Teenage children of congregants in good standing can now sign up for unlimited classes, leadership programs, and youth group events with one CSR Teens Passport. Visit www.comsynrye.org/csrteens to download registration forms and connect with CSR Teens!

*There are separate trip costs for the RAC Weekend in Washington, DC, and other overnights. The Passport Fee for 10th grader Confirmation students is $460. We have financial aid available for these and other programs; please contact Rabbi Frankel if you require further subsidies.

Community Synagogue of RyeInspired by Jewish teachings and traditions, we seek to be a center for spiritual transformation; to foster the creation of sacred relationships; and to give people the tools and resources to be God’s partner in healing the world.

This vision is guided by our commitment to the Jewish values of Worship (T’fillah), Lifelong Learning (Talmud Torah), Community (Kehilah), Loving Kindness (Hesed), Repairing the World (Tikkun Olam) and Love of Israel (Ahavat Yisrael).

SAVE THE DATESSunday Afternoon, September 27 CSR Teens/COSY Kick-off NightSunday Afternoon, October 25 First Social Action SundaySaturday Night, December 12 Shul-In OvernightFriday Night, January 29 Teen-Led Musical ServiceWednesday Afternoon, March 16 Purim CarnivalFriday Night, May 20 Graduation Service