Agenda: Jewish Education, New Approaches to Teen Programs

Issue No. 13 of Agenda: Jewish Education, a JESNA publication. Agenda: Jewish Education is a catalyst for informed dialogue around policy issues related to Jewish education. Agenda: Jewish Education seeks to actively engage lay and professional decision makers from across the spectrum of Jewish education institutions, organizations and federations by means of published articles, forums and online discussions.
 Agenda: Jewish Education, New Approaches to Teen Programs (207.71 kB)

Are American Youth Alienated From Organized Religion?

One of the most widespread and persistent stereotypes about U.S. teenagers is that they are alienated from “established” or “organized” religion and that this alienation is increasing. Much popular writing about adolescents assumes this view; however, empirical data suggest that this stereotype has little basis in fact. Correcting misinformed stereotypes about youth alienation toward religion might help to inform community and religious institutions how they might better serve young people.

Being a Jewish Teenager in America: Trying to Make It

A study by Charles Kadushin, Shaul Kelner, Leonard Saxe, with Archie Brodsky, Amy Adamczyk, and Rebecca Stern, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University.
 Being a Jewish Teenager in America: Trying to Make It (Link)

Brandeis IJE Curricula for Community Hebrew High Schools

The IJE is excited to offer eight curricula developed for use in Community Hebrew High Schools.  The curricula are the product of a two-year development process by two groups of IJE’s curriculum development grantees, a project generously supported by the Legacy Heritage Fund, Ltd.

The Institute for Informal Jewish Education at Brandeis University has been working with Community Hebrew High Schools to develop and make widely available a number of high-quality curricula in several commonly-taught areas in supplemental community Hebrew high schools. The IJE grants are supporting the creation and dissemination of these excellent curricula to a wider audience of educators by providing resources and technical assistance to educators.  The products of the initiative are the beginning of a resource bank of outstanding curricula.

The curricula are free to an ...

Current Trends in Jewish Teen Participation with Out of School Activities: A Survey and Analysis of Relevant Research

This project was initiated in the fall of 2009 by Rose Community Foundation to identify, evaluate and document recent research and study into Jewish teens and their involvement with Jewish and non-Jewish out-of-school activities.  The purpose was to identify trends and patterns in motivations of Jewish youth in choosing to participate (or not) in different out-of-school activities.  Declining participation rates in both formal and informal Jewish programming have been well documented nationally, and local programs have not been immune to this trend.  Developing an understanding of common motivations and interests of Jewish teens will help local organizations serving Jewish youth adapt both programmatic and marketing strategies to be more responsive to the interests of local teens.  The goal is that this research will guide philanthropists, Jewish institutions serving teens, program staff ...

Engaging and Retaining Jewish Youth Beyond the Bar/Bat Mitzvah: An Action Research Study

recommendations.  

Download the report here:
Engaging and Retaining Jewish Youth (126.82 kB)

Engaging Jewish Teenage Boys: A Call to Action

The Jewish community is losing boys who drop out of Jewish life after bar mitzvah in unacceptably large numbers. Jewish institutions are struggling to keep teenage boys engaged. Left unaddressed, the trend threatens to undermine the Jewish future and leave a generation of boys ignorant of the wisdom, core values, community, and spiritual nourishment Judaism provides. This report draws on knowledge distilled from three years of research, focus groups with Jewish boys, and program development, and grows out of the success of Moving Traditions' work with adolescent girls. It contains seven lessons and seven principles, supported by a marketing toolkit, a program curriculum sample, appendices describing the research, and a list of resources. Together they provide Jewish educators with the research, concepts, and resources needed to understand and meet the unique needs of Jewish boys. Moving ...

Eyes on Israel: A Curriculum on Israel and the Media (Journal Article)

This article from The Lookstein Center's Journal of Jewish Educational Leadership is a study of the Eyes on Israel curriculum, which is free to schools and other educational institutions.

Researchers may differ on how much the news media influences individuals, but few would dispute that public perception is shaped substantially by journalistic reporting of events. Israel’s struggle for survival and acceptance as a legitimate, sovereign nation in a turbulent region is perceived by most Americans through the lens of the media. For 25 years the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) has been at the forefront of examining, and alerting others to, the role of the media in covering the Arab-Israeli conflict. Educators and other community leaders have contacted the organization with reques ...

Family Religious Involvement and the Quality of Family Relationships for Early Adolescents

Religiously involved families of early adolescents, those ages 12 to14, living in the United States appear more likely to have significantly stronger family relationships than do families that are not religiously active. This report examines associations between three dimensions of family religious involvement (the number of days per week the family does something religious, parental worship service attendance and parental prayer) and the quality of family relationships. A Research Report of the National Study of Youth and Religion, Number 4.

Download the report here:
Family Religious Involvement and the Quality of Family Relationships for Early Adol ...

Family Religious Involvement and the Quality of Parental Relationships for Families With Early Adolescents

Religiously involved families of early adolescents, ages 12 to14, living in the United States appear to have significantly stronger relationships between mothers and fathers than families that are not religiously active. This report examines associations between three dimensions of family religious involvement (the number of days per week the family does something religious, parental worship service attendance and parental prayer) and the quality of the relationship between teens’ mothers and fathers. A Research Report of the National Study of Youth and Religion, Number 5.

Download the report here:
Family Religious Involvement and the Quality of Parental Relationships for ...

Gannopedia: Jewish Literacy Tool

A new online tool developed by Jeffery Spitzer, Chair of Rabbinic Literature at Gann Academy. The literacy tool is a listing of basic terms and ideas that Jewish day schools such as Gann Acadmey would want their incoming 9th graders to be familiar with. The tool can be used in either flashcard definition, or full definition. Searchable in Hebrew or English; includes links for further study.

Gender and Sexuality for Teens: A Look at Reform Judaism's New Curriculum

What does general culture tell boys and girls to think about themselves and about the other? What can Judaism contribute to a reorienting of these gender images? Wendy Grinberg presents a curriculum initiative from Reform Judaism.

George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom

The George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom offers free online curricular resources based on primary historical documents, most notably George Washington's letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, RI in 1790. The educators kit and ancillary classroom materials cover topics from US civics and the constitution to religious freedom and the separation of church & state. These curricular materials are appropriate for grades 7-12.

Growing Jewish Education in Challenging Times: A Roundtable Series with JESNA's Lippman Kanfer Institute & eJewishPhilanthropy

Quality Jewish education is our most powerful tool for ensuring a vibrant Jewish future. But, it can't have an impact on those who don't participate.

What can we do to make Jewish education more attractive, accessible and affordable, even under current conditions of economic pressure on both "providers" and "consumers"? How do the challenges of expanding educational participation play out today in specific arenas - day school, "complementary" education, camp, Israel education - and for specific critical populations - families with young children, teens, young adults, etc.? What new approaches are being tried and where are there signs of success? What has yet to be tried, but ought to be? Leaders from a wide range of settings and representing a variety of perspectives were invited to address these questions in a Roundtable series of essays that appeared over several weeks on ...

Hear & Now: Jewish Downloads to go

A project of The Partnership for Jewish Life & Learning, Hear & Now is a series of podcasts on a variety of Jewish topics, including Art, History, Education, College Life, Holidays, Jewish Peoplehood, and more.

Hebrew High, Colorado Agency for Jewish Education

Hebrew High is a community-wide, extracurricular program for Jewish students in grades 8-12.

For more than 30 years, the Colorado Agency for Jewish Education has connected Jewish teenagers to our collective heritage and to each other. Now, CAJE Hebrew High is evolving to bring new, cutting edge experiences to our community’s youth.

Influences on the Religious Identity of Jewish Adolescents

As Western society evolves to become almost “boundary-less”, with race and gender not standing in the way of even presidential candidates, religious identification has become less clear. Tolerance and openness brings with it the risk of losing one's uniqueness and the ability to distinguish between different groups. Multiculturalism proposes dissolving national identity into whatever groups are present in a society. The identifying features which help each individual distinguish himself as a member of a religious group – especially in Judaism – have proven elusive. Whatever criteria are used to determine Jewish identity, it is prudent to consider the external factors that influence and shape a person’s religious identity. In doing so, we can help ensure that during the important early years, when teens (and pre-teens) form their religious identity, the stimuli and influencers which play ...