Our Community  /  Youth Groups

Youth Groups

Senior Youth Group
Junior Youth Group
Volunteer for our Youth Groups

At Temple Israel we believe that our children should have fun while learning about Judaism. Our youth group, headed by a professional educator and social worker, helps our young adults develop a Jewish identity while participating in age-appropriate youth programming. Through activities that incorporate music, sports, games, food and learning, the students develop and strengthen friendships among students from different school districts.

Divided age appropriately, Temple Israel currently supports a Junior Youth Group for grades 7-8 and a Senior Youth Group for grades 9-12. We also offer programming for grades 5-6. The Senior Youth Group has an active Youth Board made up of high school students who are interested in assuming leadership roles in the community. They plan activities throughout the year and serve as mentors to younger children. The students in grades 9-12 also have the opportunity to participate in NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth, an affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism.) NFTY gives teens a chance to get together with other Jewish teenagers from our area and around the country to share cultural experiences. Weekend long conferences filled with speakers, small workshops, and activities at different synagogues throughout our region give our young adults powerful and long lasting Jewish identity building experiences. Our Senior Youth Group also participates in the NFTY National Convention. This exciting event occurs on alternating years during school vacation. Last year, we traveled to Los Angeles to spend the week with 1000 other teenagers from across the nation. We can’t wait to attend the next convention in 2007.

The students regularly meet at Temple Israel to learn more about what they can do to help repair the world through the love of Judaism and the love of humanity. The youth group spearheads many exciting temple activities which involve all ages of membership from the preschoolers right up through senior citizens. In the past, the group has sponsored nationally known singers and songwriters, including Rick Recht and his band, filling the sanctuary and social hall with great music, communal singing and dancing, and a lot of fun. The youth group also sponsors GefilteFest which provides a venue for community members from several school districts to get together, play music, and meet a wider circle of friends in a safe, exciting social arena. Other activities include a chocolate seder, moonlight bowling parties, a knitting party, sending holiday packages to college students, holiday parties, leading Friday night services in the sanctuary, attending Broadway shows together, community service projects as a group and alongside the bar-bat-mitzvah students, working with the nursery school children on holiday parties and celebrations, and getting together weekly to talk, hang out, and socialize with each other. Sarah DePaolo is the Youth Director and supervises all programs. Email Sarah DePaolo at sadepaolo@gmail.com or call 914-271-4705 ext. 21 for information on Youth Group activities or to volunteer.

To join us, fill out the TIPSY (Senior Youth Group) Membership Form or the Junior Youth Group Membership Form and return to the Temple Office.

 Reform Jewish Student Organization

Senior Youth Group
Junior Youth Group
Volunteer for our Youth Groups

 

Upcoming Events

Shabbat mornings:

Torah Study - 9:30 AM

February

Sunday, February 5th
9:00 AM - Purim Parent Education Program with Guy Felixbrodt

Tuesday, February 7th
7:45 - 9:00 PM - Adult B'nai Mitzvah Class

Wednesday, February 8th
8:00 PM - Brotherhood Meetig
Tu Bishevat

Friday, February 10th
7:00 PM - Family Shabbat Worship celebrating Shabbat and Tu Bishevat

Saturday, February 11th
7:00 PM - Brotherhood/Sisterhood Film Night

Sunday, February 12th
10:00 AM - Noon - Breakfast sponsored by Brotherhood

Monday, February 13th
10:00 AM - Current Events

Tuesday, February 14th
7:45 PM - Adult B'nai Mitzvah Class

Wednesday, February 15th
6:15 - 8:00 PM - Grades 8-12 JCC Program off-site
8:00 PM - Sisterhood Meeting

Thursday, February 16th
7:30 - 9:00 PM - Women's Journeys through Genesis-Furthering our
Spiritual Growth - with Rabbi Jaech

Friday, February 17th
8:00 PM - Shabbat Worship Service

Saturday, February 18th
7:00 PM - Snow Date for Brotherhood/Sisterhood Film Night

Sunday, February 19th
No Religious School

Monday, February 20th
Presidents' Day - Temple Closed; No ECC

Tuesday, February 21st
Winter Break - No ECC/Religious School

Wednesday, February 22nd
No ECC/Religious School

Thursday, February 23rd
No ECC

Friday, February 24th
No ECC
6:00 PM - Kabbalat Shabbat Worship

Sunday, February 26th
No Religious School
10:00 AM - Mishloach Manot Package Packing - Sisterhood

Monday, February 27th
ECC Resumes

Tuesday, February 28th
7:30 PM - Executive Meeting

Wednesday, February 29th
7:45 PM - Sisterhood Mah Jongg Madness

March

Thursday, March 1st 
7:30 PM - Temple Board Meeting

Friday, March 2nd
6:00 PM - Tot Shabbat
8:00 PM - Shabbat Worship with Hallel B'Shir (Adult Choir)

Saturday, March 3rd
10:30 AM - Worship Service

Sunday, March 4th
9:30 - 11:00 AM - J Baby Event
1:30 - 3:30 PM - Early Childhood Center sponsored workshop, "How to Start a Business, Part 1"

Tuesday, March 6th
7:30-9:00 PM - Adult B'nai Mitzvah Class

Wednesday, March 7th
7:00 PM - Megillah Reading and Purim Shpiel

Thursday, March 8th
Purim - Frivolity all day (until sundown)

Friday, March 9th
7:00 PM - Family Shabbat Worship with Grades K/1/2 and Early Childhood Center students participating

Saturday, March 10th
10:30 AM - Worship Service

Sunday, March 11th
9:00 AM - Passover Parent Education Program with Guy Felixbrodt
2:00 - 4:30 PM - Membership Program

Monday, March 12th
7:30 - 9:00 PM - Book Group "Bread Givers"

Tuesday, March 13th
7:30 - 9:00 PM - Adult B'nai Mitzvah Class

Wednesday, March 14th
8:00 PM - Brotherhood Meeting

Thursday, March 15th
10:00 AM- Noon - Adult Education - Shabbat Through the Ages with Rabbi Janet Roberts
7:30 - 9:00 PM - Women's Journeys Through Genesis - Furthering our Spiritual Growth, 
with Rabbi Jaech

Friday, March 16th 
8:00 PM - Shabbat Worship Service with Sh'ma Na Na(the Temple Band)

Saturday, March 17th
10:30 AM - Worship Service
7:00 PM - Hoe - Down, Line Dancing and Square Dancing

Wednesday, March 21st
8:00 PM - Sisterhood Meeting

Thursday, March 22nd
10:00 AM - Noon - Adult Education - Shabbat Through the Ages with Rabbi Janet Roberts
12:15 PM - JEWEL - Jews Against Fracking, Film and Discussion
6:00 - 8:00 PM - Early Childhood Center sponsored workshop - "How to Start a Business, Part 2"

Friday, March 23rd
8:00 PM - Shabbat Worship with Sisterhood Participation

Saturday, March 24th 
10:30 AM - Worship Service

Sunday, March 25th 
4:00 PM - Movie - "Unmasked Judeophobia, The Threat to Civilization"

Monday, March 26th
6:30 PM - Sisterhood Passover Recipe Swap

Tuesday, March 27th
7:30 - 9:00 PM - Adult B'nai Mitzvah Class

Thursday, March 29
10:00 AM - Noon - Shabbat Through the Ages, with Rabbi Janet Roberts

Friday, March 30th
6:00 PM - Kabbalat Shabbat Worship

Saturday, March 31st
10:30 AM - Worship Service