|
Yad b’Yad is Hebrew for “hand in hand.” It is a
unique Jewish community building and learning
experience for high school students at Temple Beth El.
All Temple Beth El 9th – 12th grade
students from the greater Tacoma Jewish community –
e.g., Bremerton, Olympia, Kent, etc., -- are welcome to
participate in Yad b'Yad. For 9th and 10th graders,
Religious School on Sunday
mornings is also available.
The overall mission of the Yad b’ Yad
education program is to:
-
Reinforce the Jewish identity of
participants and strengthen their connection to the Jewish
community around them: from family, to synagogue, to region,
to Israel, and worldwide.
-
Encourage engagement in active dialogue.
-
Ensure relevance and continued
meaningfulness in Jewish learning and Jewish life.
-
Promote leadership skills.
-
Promote social action/tikkun olam.
-
Work toward a balanced program of Torah
(study), avodah (worship/prayer) and g’milut
chasidim (acts of loving kindness).
Yad b’Yad meets on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 p.m. -
8:15 p.m. during the school year. A typical evening’s schedule is as follows:
5:30 p.m. - 6:10 p.m. Dinner, socializing and
announcements
6:15 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. The Machon Session
Dinner/social time -This element of the program is the most
significant factor distinguishing it from “religious school,”
and is just as important as the classes, if not even more so.
During this time we strengthen our community and create a
special experience unlike any other students have had at
Temple.
The Machon Session - This session is led by a top Jewish
scholar in the region who teaches Judaism from the
perspective of his/her area of expertise.
The program consists of six sessions, each lasting for five
or six
weeks. The schedule for the 2007-2008 school year is as
follows:
|
Session 1 |
Sept. 19 and 26, and Oct. 10, 17, 24 and 31 |
|
Session 2 |
Nov. 7, 14, 28, and Dec. 5 and 12 |
|
Session 3 |
Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 |
|
Session 4 |
Feb. 13, 20, 27, and Mar. 5 and 12 |
|
Session 5 |
Mar. 19, 26, and Apr. 9, 16, and 23 |
|
Session 6 |
May 7, 14, 21, 28, and June 4 |
Students participating in a minimum of 16
sessions during their high school years will successfully
graduate from the Yad b’ Yad program, and may obtain a
transcript of Yad b’ Yad coursework taken from Temple Beth El.
Students entering the Yad b’ Yad program in their 10th, 11th,
or 12th grade year may request the same, based upon previous
Judaic educational experience and/or independent study.
Students interested in this option should speak with the
education director.
[back to top]
The Va’ad Advisory Committee
Since community support and involvement is essential to
the success of any education program, we encourage the parents
of our high school students to become actively involved in the
Yad b’ Yad Program. Membership in the Va’ad (advisory
committee of Yad b’ Yad) is open to any parents and/or
students interested in participating. The Va’ad
responsibilities include hospitality (social/dinner),
curriculum support, travel coordination, tikkun olam/social
action, and retreat. For more information, contact Tovah Ahdut at (253) 564-7101 or by email at
tahdut@templebethel18.org.
Honors Program and No Homework Policy
Although there might be some optional outside activities,
all of the required work will take place in class. Students
may choose to complete a course with honors by completing an
extra project at the discretion of the course instructor.
Students graduating who have earned honors in 6 courses will graduate the program with honors.
[back to top]
|
