Mosaics to Murals

In this hands-on art class, the students will create Judaica, including a lovely seder plate utilizing mosaic techniques. They will design their seder plate from bits of colored glass which they will learn how to nip and shape to fit their individual design needs. In the second part of the semester, the students will create paintings as part of a Tikkun-Olam project. Their paintings will be donated to Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center to add beauty, brightness, and cheer to the residents.

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Learning objectives:

Over the course of the semester, students will:

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• Learn about the mitzvah of Kibud Z'kenim (caring for the elderly) and create

       Jewish-themed pieces of art to decorate the Daughters of Sarah nursing home. 

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• Implement the importance of Hiddur Mitzvah (beautiful religious ceremonial objects) by creating traditional holiday artifacts that will be used in students' homes during holidays.​​

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• Use Hebrew, Torah, and Israel as themes in various art projects to enhance the student's Jewish connection. 

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Teen Mental Health First Aid Course

Utilizing resources and tools from JFNA (Jewish Federation of North America) that are infused with Jewish values, this course will teach young people in grades 10-12 how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders among their friends and peers. The training gives teens the skills to have supportive conversations with their friends and get a responsible and trusted adult to take over as necessary. 

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Learning objectives:

Over the course of the semester, students will:

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• Recognize early warning signs that a friend is developing a mental health or substance use challenge.

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• Recognize warning signs that a friend may be experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.​

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• Describe how to talk to a friend about mental health and seeking help.

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• Explain when and how to get a responsible adult involved.

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• Discuss where to find appropriate and helpful resources about mental health challenges and professional help.

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• Apply the tMHFA Action Plan to help a friend with a mental health or substance use challenge or crisis.

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• Explore topics such as social media, body positivity, intersecting identities, and more, specifically the impact these topics may have on our overall emotional well-being.

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All I really need to know about Judaism, I learned in Pirkei Avot

Pirkei Avot, or Sayings of our Ancestors, is one of the most beloved parts of rabbinic literature that Jews have enthusiastically studied for almost 2,000 years. Pirkei Avot consists of short sayings that guide us to an ethical way of acting or thinking. You will be surprised to find how many ethical principles and sayings (and songs!) that you’ve been taught over the years come right from this text. In this seminar-type discussion course, we will dive into one or two sayings from Pirkei Avot. We will think about how these sayings have affected the foundations of our lives, how we judge others and ourselves, and the choices we make in life each day.

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Learning objectives:

Over the course of the semester, students will:

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• Gain an understanding of the basic moral and ethical behaviors

           that the Rabbis have developed.

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• Learn the source of many classical Jewish sayings..

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• Be exposed to learning traditional foundational Jewish text that will encourage discussion and debate.

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The Power of You

This class will focus on the character strengths that make you authentically you. Each student will take the VIA character strengths survey to learn more about their personal attributes and infuse mitzvot to build what is strong about them and support their peers for overall well being. Discover your greatest qualities and uncover what is strong in each other. 

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Learning objectives:

Over the course of the semester, students will:

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• Learn about the 24 universal character strengths to identify your top 5.

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• Explore ways to build confidence.

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• Explore ways to strengthen relationships and support friendships.

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Jews & Entertainment

This course examines how Jews have been portrayed in American movies and TV. We will discuss the use of stereotypes and antisemitism in the media by watching a different portion of a movie or TV show each week. After each viewing, the class will have a chance to discuss and debrief.

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Learning objectives:

Over the course of the semester, students will:

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• Students will learn about typical depictions of Jews in the media.

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• Students will engage in self-reflection around how the depictions of

       Jews in the media affect them.

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• Students will better understand big, complex ideas and explore detailed topics related to Judaism, identity, antisemitism, etc.

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Jews And The News

Welcome to the 2023-2024 version of  “Jews and the News” at Mifgash!  Our spirited, discussion-based course will focus this year on the complex and vastly challenging societal issues we face as Jewish high school students in the turmoil of our politically and socially divided society. Since our class will evaluate newsworthy events, it is tough to reliably predict this year's topics. However, if I have to make some predictions, we will likely discuss the chaotic and unprecedented contentious build-up to the 2024 presidential election,  the threats posed to American Jews by both far-right and far-left political extremism and what is termed "identity" politics,  and current challenges facing Israel and Jews around the world.  I know that leaves a lot of room for some interesting possibilities!  And student-initiated discussions and suggestions for topics are always welcomed!   If you would like to discuss and debate these and other current issues in a friendly, fun, and supportive Jewish environment, there's no doubt that  “Jews and the News” is the class for you!

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Learning objectives:

Over the course of the semester, students will:

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• Explore and discuss current events and societal issues through a Jewish lens and a Jewish historical context.

• Develop an understanding, appreciation, and the ability to consider diverse opinions within both the Jewish community and our broader society.

• Engage in lively discussion and review issues in a fun, respectful, and safe Jewish environment, focusing on topics which might not be freely discussed as part of the students’ standard middle school or high school experience (for example, antisemitism). 

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The Flavors Of Israel

In this class, we will learn to identify and appreciate the reach and diverse flavors that are unique to Israeli food. Together we will prepare a variety of popular and authentic Israeli dishes. Israeli fare is a melting pot of regional dishes: Mizrahi, Sephardic, and Ashkenazi styles. Classic Mediterranean flavors and food represent Israelis' history, people, traditions, and journeys. This class is for you if you want to learn about Israeli culture, together with Hebrew, and enjoy cooking. Come join me every Sunday in Rivi's kitchen (at Temple Israel).

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Learning objectives:

Over the course of the semester, students will:

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• Through the culinary experience, the students will get familiar with a wide variety of Israeli food and its ethnic origins.

• Students will be exposed to and learn the health benefits of a variety of spices, herbs, and spices blends.

• Students will gain culinary skills and confidence in the kitchen.

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This Is Us

Join Mia and Alon, our Israeli Shinshinim, in this engaging Israeli-focused interactive, musical, and dance class. Together we will learn about Israeli pop culture by listening to and discussing modern Israeli music. Through the music, we will hear about what modern Israeli life has to offer while understanding the different perspectives of the social, emotional, and cultural aspects of the people and society. Then......we will dance the night away as we move together in modern choreographies to the music and songs we have just learned.

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Learning objectives:

Over the course of the semester, students will:

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• Students will be exposed to current Israeli music and lyrics and will learn some Hebrew phrases and songs.

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• Students will be taught Hebrew through their dance lessons.

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• Students will have a better understanding of Israeli culture.

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Combating Antisemitism as
a Jewish Teenager

Jewish teenagers are exposed to antisemitism, both in person and on social media, at an alarming rate.  Whether it is hate speech, offensive “jokes”, or physical intimidation, the persistence of antisemitism is a concern throughout the Jewish community.  In this course, we explore and practice a broad range of effective strategies for students to identify and respond to antisemitism in their high school and college environments and beyond.

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Learning objectives:

Over the course of the semester, students will:

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• Enable students to trace the historical development of antisemitism, connecting past events to present-day manifestations, and emphasizing the importance of learning from history to prevent its recurrence.

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• Equip students with the ability to identify and dissect modern forms of antisemitism, including antisemitism appearing on social media.

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• Empower students to become advocates against antisemitism by providing them with resources and strategies for addressing prejudice in their communities.

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Who Am  I And How Did I Get Here ?

This inquiry will be coached and guided by Alan Zucker, who has, for over 40 years, done that very project in his family search. In that effort, he has discovered people and stories that were unspoken, lost, or unknown. Mr. Zucker will share his experiences and help guide student efforts so that this project becomes an on-going inquiry into who they are and how they got here. Finding out the origin of family names, places of residence, occupations as well as gathering family photographs are all part of this journey.  We will also discuss relevant Jewish and world history as it may relate to the people and places we uncover in this prosses of Jewish discovery. 

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Learning objectives:

A project of self-discovery by finding your roots:

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• In this project, each student will make personal inquiries, conduct web research, interview family members and start to put together a family tree to trace back in time people, dates, and places that have brought each of the students to this place and time. 

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• The students will learn about the lives, lifestyles, and history, of their ancestors including the origin of family names, different occupations, and cities/villages of origin via photographs, citizenship papers, ships' records, and stories told for the first time.​​

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