Teens at Mishkan
At Mishkan Shalom, teenagers are empowered to make choices about how to continue their Jewish education post-B’nai Mitzvah. Currently, over 50 Mishkan teens are part of three dynamic programs: TEL (Teens: Experience & Leadership); Sunday Leadership Seminar; and Food for Thought.
The TEL program is sponsored by the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation. This program is framed and anchored by two kallot (retreats) at Camp JRF. In between the kallot, eight two-hour havayot (experiential learning opportunities) are held at Mishkan
The curriculum of the TEL Program is based on the Values of Spiritual Peoplehood, one of the key approaches to Reconstructionist education and the basis of the Camp JRF curriculum. The 2009-2010 theme was Tikkun Olam (Social Justice/Repair of the world) and Mishkan teens decided together and created a unique social action project: The Giving Garden.
The Giving Garden is an urban, container garden planted on site at Mishkan. Teens did the planting, water the garden and will harvest its produce, which will be donated to a homeless shelter.
The 2010-2011 TEL theme was Hiddur Mitzvah (Beautifying a Mitzvah/Appreciation of the Arts) and was an experiential journey about Judaism and identity through the lens of contemporary artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, tv producers/actors and comedians. As a culminating project,TEL teens decided to stage their own open mike coffee house as a fundraiser for the Mishkan teen programs and Africare. It featured dance, fashion design poetry and live music by our very talented teens.
The 2011-2012 TEL theme is "Derech Eretz," literally translated as "walking the path." We will be exploring Jewish values that can guide teens in the many challenging issues that face them and teens will work together to create advocacy pieces about teen issues for their peers.
Sunday Leadership Seminar Study gives teens the opportunity to study with Rabbi Linda and Rabbi Yael, one Sunday/month. Students in “Leadership Seminar” learn skills to help them both inside our community and in their own schools and future work, including team work, building trust, creative thinking and listening skills, all taught through a Jewish lens. Students in Leadership Seminar will have the opportunity to participate in community services and events throughout the year. The Sunday Leadership Seminar leads to a Confirmation ceremony for students in 10th grade.
In 2010, Sunday Leadership Seminar students organized and lead an event called D-Day: A Benefit for the Dream Activists. Featuring food and live music by three bands (including Mishkan teen Reuben Dickstein’s “Vernon Park”), the event raised money and awareness about a legislative bill that would allow college age immigrants who have grown up in the United State to receive money for student loans. The D-Day: A Benefit for the Dream Activists inspired Mishkan member and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Dan Rubin to interview one of the Dream Activists who spoke at the benefit and write a column about the cause.
In 2011, students worked with Mishkan alum and video artist Helyx Chase on a history/video project about the founding of Mishkan Shalom. The Sunday Leadership Seminar students presented the interviews they did with Mishkan's founding members at a special Shavuot program and shared their own perspectives about why Mishkan is a unique community.
Food for Thought students learn about Jewish culture and history through food while creating meals for people in our community who are ill, have experienced a loss, etc. This year, a number of guest chefs will help our students learn more about the connection between Jewish community and Jewish cooking.
To learn more about how to participate in any Mishkan teen program, contact Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer at Gabrielle@mishkan.org.
