We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new HaMakom (The Place) elective program here at Temple Emanu-El, designed specifically for our TEEn Community. This program aims to provide our teens with unique and enriching opportunities to explore their interests, cultivate new skills, and deepen their connection to our vibrant community.
HaMakom will consist of 3 mini-mesters, taking place during the Fall, Winter, and Spring terms, with an average of 10 sessions in each mini-mester, on Tuesday nights at Temple Emanu-El from 7:00-8:30 pm. Dinner will be served each week.
We have curated a diverse range of exciting electives for your teens to choose from, ensuring there is something for everyone. These electives have been thoughtfully designed to provide an engaging and transformative experience for our teens.
We are delighted to have a team of experienced and passionate experts who will be leading these electives, providing valuable guidance, mentorship, and fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
We encourage your teen to carefully consider their interests and choose electives that align with their passions and curiosity. Teens will have the flexibility to participate in one or more mini-mesters, tailoring their experience to suit their schedules.
In addition to our Tuesday night mini-mester classes, we will also be offering a fellowship that meets 1 Tuesday night a month and a few weekends throughout the year. We will also have 4 to 5 different holiday and social programs in partnership with other Union County synagogues. All of our Temple Emanu-El teens will be invited to these programs.
Please take a moment to review the elective catalog below, which provides more detailed information about each elective, including which mini-mester the class will be offered and a brief description about the elective.
We are truly excited about the opportunities this program offers and look forward to witnessing the growth and development of our teens. If you have any questions or want further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Each class will only run if there is enough enrollment. If a class has high enrollment we may offer additional sessions.
All classes are on Tuesday evenings at Temple Emanu-El from 7:00-8:30 pm. Classes will begin with dinner.
To subscribe to the YLE Calendar, please click here:
Looking for a course that is not listed? Have a passion that you want us to help develop? Let us know and we can try to create a course too. (Examples – Conversational Hebrew? Interfaith Class? Let’s Talk about God? Judaism and Social Justice?)
Mini-Mester 1
September 26 – November 28
Mini-mester 1 Schedule
9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 11/14, 11/28
Challah for Hunger (8th and 9th Grades)
As a HaMakom community, we will gather to build connections through baking challah. Each week we’ll bake challah and then sell it to support a local organization combating hunger. We’ll study texts about the mitzvot of challah, learn about and advocate against hunger in our local area, and engage in philanthropy to support the work of local anti-hunger nonprofits in your neighborhood. This is a hands-on delicious class as we give back to our community and learn about how we can fight hunger in our area.
10th Grade Confirmation
The Confirmation year is a hallmark of Temple Emanu-El. Confirmation is an opportunity for our 10th graders to study with our clergy, travel to Washington, DC for a four-day advocacy seminar, and then stand in front of our congregation in the Spring and become Confirmed! It is a year of deepening our connections to our tradition, to God, and to each other.
Judaism through Art (8th – 12th Grades)
In this hands-on elective with Cantorial Soloist and Artist Ronni Pressman, we will embark on a captivating journey exploring the rich tapestry of Jewish culture, traditions, and beliefs through the lens of artistic expression. Through engaging discussions and hands-on activities, we will examine how art has served as a powerful tool for storytelling, preservation of history, and celebration of Jewish identity.
Better Together Fellowship (8th – 12th Grades)
The Better Together Fellowship is a year long program that meets one Tuesday a month and throughout the year. Better Together is an intergenerational partnership between our TEEns and a local senior facility. We’ll be partnering with Lantern Hill in Berkeley Heights. The fellowship is designed to foster connections between the generations as we explore Jewish values, history, and stories. Together, Seniors and Teens will participate in conversations and activities that will deepen relationships and help deepen one another’s Jewish identity.
*The Better Together Fellowship class meets once a month during HaMakom from 7:00-8:30pm.
The Better Together schedule is as follows
9/26, 10/24, 11/28, 12/19, 1/2, 2/6, 3/5, 4/9
Being Jewish on Campus (11th and 12th Grades)
What college campus is the best for me? What should I highlight in my college application? How can I be Jewish on campus? What happens if something anti-Semitic happens or a college professor says something anti-Israel on my campus? What is Chabad? What is Hillel? When can I go on Birthright? We’ll answer all these questions and more! We’ll have experts join us including a college counselor, ADL representative, and Hillel Professionals, and college students for tips and wisdom about the college application process and being at college. One Tuesday we’ll hopefully head to Rutgers Hillel to meet with students and staff.
Mini-Mester 2
December 5 – February 2
Mini-Mester 2 Schedule
12/5, 12/12, 12/19, 1/2, 1/9, 1/16, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27
Boston Trip (8th and 9th Grades)
We are shipping up to Boston from February 2nd – 4th! Join us for this awesome trip as we explore everything Boston has to offer including, a Duck Tour in the harbor, a Blue Man Group show, and the interactive Boston Tea Party Museum to see Colonial American history. We’ll explore both new and old Jewish roots of Boston along with some of the groundbreaking Jewish organizations in Boston too. The trip has four pre-trip classes to bond as a group and do some learning as well as two post-trip classes as a wrap up.
Boston Trip Dates: 2/2 – 2/4
Boston Trip Classes schedule
1/2, 1/9, 1/16, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13
10th Grade Confirmation
The Confirmation year is a hallmark of Temple Emanu-El. Confirmation is an opportunity for our 10th graders to study with our clergy, travel to Washington, DC for a four-day advocacy seminar, and then stand in front of our congregation in the Spring and become Confirmed! It is a year of deepening our connections to our tradition, to God, and to each other.
TEEn Band (8th – 12th Grades)
Attention Temple Emanu-El musicians! Are you ready to take your passion of music to new heights? Help us create our new Temple Emanu-El TEEn Band. We’ll explore all kinds of Jewish music, collaborate on a repertoire, practice, and play at a service (and maybe even more events)! Our Cantorial student Shirel Richman we’ll be our leader as we create beautiful music together.
ShalOMMMMMMMMMM (8th – 12th Grades)
Make time to breathe in kavanah (intention) and breathe out stress. This class will be a Jewish yoga, spirituality, and mindfulness class and will help us balance strength and flexibility, find our tikkun (wholeness), and nurture our sense of compassion. Comfortable clothes should be worn, and a mat should be brought for each class.
Better Together Fellowship (8th – 12th Grades)
(A year long program that meets one Tuesday a month and throughout the year). Better Together is an intergenerational partnership between our Teens and a local senior facility. We’ll be partnering with Lantern Hill in Berkeley Heights. The fellowship is designed to foster connections between the generations as we explore Jewish values, history, and stories. Together, Seniors and Teens will participate in conversations and activities that will deepen relationships and help deepen one another’s Jewish identity.
Challah for Hunger (11th & 12th Grades)
As a HaMakom community, we will gather to build connections through baking challah. Each week we’ll bake challah and then sell it to support a local organization combating hunger. We’ll study texts about the mitzvot of challah, learn about and advocate against hunger in our local area, and engage in philanthropy to support the work of local anti-hunger nonprofits in your neighborhood. This is a hands-on delicious class as we give back to our community and learn about how we can fight hunger in our area.
Mini-Mester 3
March 5 – May
Mini-Mester 3 Schedule
3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26, 4/9, 4/16, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14
TEEns Speak! (8th – 12th Grades)
Calling all writers, podcasters, and sermon writers! Participate in this unique class where you will have the opportunity to create and publish a newsletter, an article, a podcast, or a sermon for our temple community. Harness your writing skills and creativity to craft a compelling piece of work that shares Jewish teen voices and inspires and challenges our community.
Shark Tank – Temple Emanu-El Edition (8th – 12th Grades)
Do you have a creative idea? Learn about Jewish Entrepreneurship. Create a pitch. And get some funding to support your entrepreneurial spirit.
10th Grade Confirmation
The Confirmation year is a hallmark of Temple Emanu-El. Confirmation is an opportunity for our 10th graders to study with our clergy, travel to Washington, DC for a four-day advocacy seminar, and then stand in front of our congregation in the Spring and become Confirmed! It is a year of deepening our connections to our tradition, to God, and to each other.
Better Together Fellows (8th -12th Grade)
(A year long program that meets one Tuesday a month and throughout the year). Better Together is an intergenerational partnership between our Teens and a local senior facility. We’ll be partnering with Lantern Hill in Berkeley Heights. The fellowship is designed to foster connections between the generations as we explore Jewish values, history, and stories. Together, Seniors and Teens will participate in conversations and activities that will deepen relationships and help deepen one another’s Jewish identity.
New Orleans Trip (11th & 12th Grade)
We are going to New Orleans (NOLA) for a service trip from Thursday, April 18th – Sunday, April 21st. Come join us for this amazing opportunity for a hands-on volunteering experience while also getting a New Orleans experience. Our main project will be partnering with a local organization that takes foreclosed homes and renovates them for the community. When we aren’t getting our hands dirty we will be out enjoying classic New Orleans staples like beignets with hot chocolate at Café Du Monde and shopping in the French Market, cruising down the Mississippi River with jazz music and dinner, going on a ghost tour of historic New Orleans. The trip has four pre-trip classes to bond as a group and do some learning as well as two post-trip classes as a wrap up.
NOLA Trip Dates: 4/18-4/21
NOLA Trip Classes Schedule
3/19, 3/26, 4/9, 4/16, 4/30, 5/7
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