Temple Beth Abraham’s youth programming includes Elementary School, Middle School and High School components.
HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMMING (8th-12th Grade)
BBYO– Temple Beth Abraham hosts two BBYO groups, Dreidel AZA for boys and Oakland BBG for girls. They meet each Wednesday evening in the Baum Youth Center from 7-9 PM and have weekend activities as well, such as movie nights, conventions, dances, social action events, sleepovers, Havdalah services, and much, much more. For more information, see http://bbyo.org/region/crw/.
Our 8th and 9th grade program meets on Wednesday evenings at 6 (including pizza) and is taught by our educator, Susan Simon. The topic rotates every year between Jewish History and Ethical Topics. The discussions are lively with opinionated teens enjoying the topics as well as each other’s company. Many students go right to our BBYO meeting after the class which starts at 7:30.
Confirmation with the Rabbi–Rabbi Bloom teaches a class for the 10th graders every year which meets in the Baum Youth Center from 6:15-7:15 PM on Wednesday evenings and includes a light dinner. The subject matter is “The Bible Meets Modernity,” where each week a different book of the Bible is discussed along with a contemporary issue arising from the text. The program culminates in the Confirmation service near Shavuot, and you can see photos of each class on the walls of the grand staircase leading to the sanctuary.
Junior Congregation–One Saturday of each month during the school year, a Jr. Congregation service is held in the chapel led by Education Director Susan Simon. It is a fun, educational service for 2nd-6th graders, which even parents love to attend. Service starts at 10:00. Students as young as 3rd grade often sign up to do some of the Torah reading. Students who attend have a much better understanding of the service and a great foundation for their prayer learning.
T’fillat Y’ladim — Usually on the first Saturday of each month, our Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders gather at 10 am for an age appropriate service in the Chapel. Each month’s service focuses on a different Hebrew letter which students spend time looking to identify in their Siddur and in the Torah. Filled with song and stories, this service is a great bridge from Shabbat Mishpacha to Junior Congregation.
