Teen Programming

Don't miss these upcoming events!

May 9th: Shabbat Dinner    |     June 1st: trip to Dorney Park

Dinners with the Rabbis     |     Travel    |     Madrikhimot    |     Service    |     Jewish Teen Collaborative

Monthly Gatherings for BK Teens

We are looking for the best time for the majority of our teens to gather monthly for learning and social action, please let us know the best potential times for you (or your teen) by filling out this three question survey. We will set this calendar by August, so please fill out the survey quickly!

Teen Dinners with Rabbi Elliott and Rabbi Ariann

2025: January 24, February 28, Spring date TBA
6:00pm - 8:00pm

Rabbi Elliott and Rabbi Ariann will again be offering monthly teen learning opportunities for 8th-12th graders. This year, our focus will be on the ideas of home ands homeland, giving space to both the many conversations our teens are having about the land and state of Israel as well as the complexities of our own backgrounds and the many places we call our homes and homelands.

Our teen dinners are an opportunity for informal but deep learning, as well as bonding as a teen group. Teens host these pot-luck dinners in their homes (parents, please sign up to host!! It is a very light lift!), moving the learning away from the synagogue into our own living rooms.

Please sign up to host here.

Teen Trips

As in the past, Bnai Keshet and our partner Reconstructionist synagogue, SAJ, are travelling together on some amazing adventures. Mark your calendars for these trips, they are extraordinary experiences and an opportunities you do not want your teen to miss. Registration for both trips will open in the fall. Attendance at teen dinners and/or the 8th grade class are expected for both of these trips.

9th - 12th Grade Trip

March 28 -  31, 2025

Our 9th-12th graders traveled together to Phoenix, Arizona, to work with Uri L'Tzedek ("Rise up for justice") and their Operation Abraham program, which works daily to support asylum seekers who have recently crossed the US/Mexico border. On our trip, we learned about the intersections of the immigration crisis and homelessness in communities close to the border, provide direct service, learned from community organizers across Native American and immigrant communities, and learned from Jewish sources and leaders anotebout how Judaism motivates us to respond. Uri L'Tzedek is led by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz (he is worth a google!)

8th Grade Trip

Sunday, October 26th at 11am
Field Trip to Anne Frank The Exhibition 

Friday, March 20th(after school) - Sunday, March 22nd(mid-afternoon)
Field Trip to Philadelphia 

Friday, April 17th - Monday, April 20th
Field Trip in partnership with SAJ and Sababa Beach Camp. 

We are so excited to be finally partnering with Sababa Beach Camps again! Highlights of the trip will include environmental education, community service, surf lessons, and Jewish spiritual activities that will inspire you to connect to nature, true sense of self, your friends, and something bigger than yourself. Our Sababa trip is open to 9th-12th graders.

Madrikhimot

Apply to be a Madrikhimot here
We are still accepting 8th-12th grade applicants to serve as madrikhimot (teen classroom assistants) for the 2024-25 school year. All madrikhimot should plan on attending an opening session on September 9th, 7-8:30pm. 

Our Madrikhimot (guides) are teen assistants in the Bet Midrash.  Madrikhimot assist teachers with executing their lessons, which includes helping students with projects, individual and group work, and Hebrew reading and writing, making photocopies, taking attendance, and other duties as agreed upon with your supervising teacher and Rabbi Ariann. Madrikhimot are role models for younger students, demonstrating an enthusiastic and joyful attitude about Jewish learning and teaching younger children by example how to be a mensch in the world.

This is a volunteer position for one year, and a paid position thereafter.  Pay can be withheld in exchange for community service hours required by your school if discussed first with Rabbi Ariann. Paid madrikhimot are responsible for handing in all required financial forms to Mark in the main office before the first pay period of the year.

We are also partnering this year in a pilot program with the Jewish Federation of Greater Metrowest to offer a deeper level of training in partnership with the organization Moving Traditions. All madrikhimot who attend these additional trainings will receive an additional one-time stipend to honor their deeper knowledge and skills. If you are interested in participating, mark your calendars for September 15th, 12-3:30pm for the initial in-person training (the rest of the sessions will be one-hour sessions on Zoom).

Service Opportunities:
MESH, Little Free Pantry, and More

A strong group of teen volunteers have become the backbone of our Monday-night MESH service. For those volunteers 9th grade and above, we are expanding opportunities to serve!

Please join us on Monday nights, beginning at 4pm for MESH, help us fill the Little Free Pantry, and then take part in other service projects connected to the Bet Midrash before joining us for 5:30pm pizza dinner and Gaga, and heading home. For those of you who are new 8th graders, we welcome you to come and join the crew that makes MESH run each Monday beginning at 4pm(ish) before Bet Midrash each week. Please be in touch with Rabbi Ariann to learn more and to sign up.

Jewish Teen Collaborative

These events are jointly planned by educators at Bnai Keshet, Temple Ner Tamid, Shomrei Emunah, and Temple Sholom of West Essex. While we are still nailing down a few of our events, but please mark your calendars for the confirmed events for now and pencil in the tentative ones!

Saturday, October 4th - TBA

Sunday, November 16 - Broadway Trip - confirmed!!!

Thursday, December 11th - Jewish Heritage Night at the New Jersey Devils - TBA

Sunday, January 11th - TBA

Wednesday, March 25th - Teen Mental Health First Aid Training - TBA

Sunday, May 31st - Six Flags Trip - confirmed!

Ongoing Opportunities

Madrikhimot: All teens 8th-12th grade are eligible to serve as madrikhimot. We are now recruiting for the fall and we are especially looking for teens for Monday evenings and Wednesday afternoons. All madrikhimot, new or returning, must fill out this form to indicate your interest.

We also are recruiting one older (junior/senior) teen who might be interested in serving as office staff for Mondays and Wednesdays during Bet Midrash. If you are interested, please let me know!

MESH - Teens are needed each Monday afternoon to help us keep feeding 50+ food insecure neighbors. This is a huge mitzvah and a great opportunity to do something meaningful after school! Sign up here throughout the year.

Torah Readers, Ushers, Gabbais - Teens are very warmly encouraged to sign up to serve as Torah readers, ushers, greeters, and gabbais on Shabbat mornings. If you'd like to sign up but need more information or support in preparing for any of these roles, please let me know, I would love to help you!