Midrasha Tri-Valley/Tri-Cities
Teen Midrasha Tri-Valley/Tri-Cities (TV/TC)
Teen Midrasha is an exciting, innovative program co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish Living and Learning. Students meet throughout the school year on Sunday evenings, from 7:15 to 9:15 PM, at Congregation Beth Emek in Pleasanton, offering students the opportunity to continue their Jewish learning, form lifelong friendships, and discover ways to make a difference in their community and in the world.
Students will uncover their own feelings about Judaism and God, learn intricacies of Halacha - Jewish law, and will participate in activities including creative writing, theater, multimedia, visual arts and more. There are programs designed for each individual grade including a Confirmation class for 10th graders.
Midrasha is an interdenominational Jewish community high school, open to all Jewish students grades 8-12, irrespective of either synagogue affiliation or past religious school experience. The Midrasha program is both academic and social, and it serves the crucial need of helping adolecents understand the nature of their Jewish identies. Toward this end, classes are offered on Jewish ethics, civics, identity, history, practice, culture and communities as well as on Hebrew language and preperation for Confirmation.
Midrasha is part of a network of East Bay Midrashot, and is jointly sponsored by the congregations of Temples Beth Emek in Livermore and Beth Torah in Fremont and by the Center for Jewish Living and Learning (CJLL). (For more information about the other three midrasha programs in Berkeley, Oakland, and Walnut Creek, please contact the CJLL directly at 510.839.2900.)
2008-09 Midrasha Registration Form
It is with great pleasure that we introduce Day Schildkret as the new Director of Midrasha Tri-Valley/ Tri-Cities Jewish Community High School (Midrasha TV/TC). Day brings a fresh, spirited and innovative energy to the program for Jewish teens in grades 8 through 12, which meets Sunday evenings in Pleasanton, 7:15 to 9:15 PM, beginning September 14.
An experienced Jewish professional, Day has worked in Jewish education on both the East and West Coasts for over a decade and is known for creating pioneering curricula, such as "Jewish Jedi in Training" that entice students to continue their Jewish learning throughout the high school years. As Midrasha TV/TC Director, Day is dedicated to re-imagining the Jewish educational experience and facilitating spiritual exploration for the next generation.
Day joined the staff of Midrasha TV/TC last year, teaching the 8th grade core class and several electives, including "Meditation and Yoga," and serving as Student Life Coordinator. In these roles he nurtured strong relationships with students and developed his vision for the program future direction. "I have a deep connection working with teens," notes Day. "We seem to 'get' each other."
Day's passion and purposeis inspiring students towards a rele-vant and life-affirming spiritual experience, and his vision is apparent in the program's theme for 2008-09: Revolution! A new team of specially selected, highly energized young educators is preparing to engage the students from the moment they walk through the doors on Opening Day September 14. Creative elective classes, such as "Hip Hoppin' thru Tradishin" and "Journey to Jewpiter," are poised to capture the attention of scores of teens looking to find meaning in Judaism.
Day views the Tri-Valley-Tri-Cities Midrasha as fertile ground for growing a successful teen program. "By totally revamping our program and awakening the spirit of our community, we have an opportunity to reach new students and make our current ones happier and more committed."
Among the strategies to bring new students into the program are a free trial enrollment for the first two sessions (September 14 and 21) and a special "Summer Savings" promotion, developed by Day, which provides incentives for students to earn tuition credits or even free tuition for recruiting new students.
Our Mission
Research has shown that Jewish learning which takes place in the high school years is crucial to the formation of lasting Jewish identity. Toward the of end of helping your child fashion such an identity, Midrasha seeks to maintain a staff, student body, cirriculum and school environment which cooperatively promote Jewish pluralism and creativity while furthering religious tradition and learning.
Adult Midrasha
Our Adult Midrasha program also takes place on Tuesday nights from 7:15 - 9:15 pm. The vast subject matter covered in our classes and workshops includes such topics as the Holocaust, Jewish arts and culture, Torah and Talmud, Jewish History, Yiddish, and a comprehensive "Introduction to Judaism" series including beginning Hebrew. Come join us -- these classes are open to the whole community: members & non-members. Senior discounts apply.
For additional information, please contact the Temple at 510.656.7141.