We had a great last night of Double Chai at the pond last week! We miss you tonight as the countdown to Double Chai 2022-2023 begins. Remember to register today! It is expected and encouraged that teens continue at least through Confirmation. Schedule is flexible. Our TBD community is amazing because of the presence of our teens!
Highlights for Next Year Include:
Dinner/social time
New 8th/9th Grade electives
10th Grade Confirmation class and service
New 11th/12th Grade Leadership experience
(Hopeful) return of trips and travel experiences
More Jewish fun and friendships!
There are still great opportunities for teens at temple in the coming weeks - see below.
CONFIRMATION SERVICE, FRIDAY JUNE 3, 6:30 P.M. Join as our 10th grade students lead the service and share their personal beliefs and values.
Calling All 8th-12th Graders to be Madrichim! Shorashim K-6th Grade education needs teen madrichim (teacher assistants) for Sunday mornings and weekday Hebrew. You will get paid and the experinece looks great on a resume/college application. Please see the information about how to apply below. Scan and email application back to Rabbi Micah or Rabbi Karen by June 15th. Please reach out if you have questions.
Summer Work at Temple Are you looking for some extra summer work or volunteer opportunity? Summer at Shalom Corner, Temple Beth David's Early Learning Center is looking for teens to help our teachers and students, ages 2-5, with activities, projects, set up and clean up. Multiple sessions will run July 5 - August 19. There are morning or afternoon time slots available. If you are interested, please email Lynn Kaminski, Shalom Corner Director, your availble dates and time preference at: shalomcorner+teens@templebethdavid.net. You can get volunteer hours or financial compensation depending on age and experience.
Camp Grossman is also hiring hish school and college students for the summer! If you are interested, Rabbi Karen can forward you their application.
Temple Beth David 7 Clapboardtree Street Westwood, MA 02090 www.templebethdavid.net
It is our final session of Double Chai this year. It has been wonderful getting back to some semblance of normal with dinners and full sessions in person. This year, we had the largest enrollement in 6 years! Each student's presence makes the program special and creates an enviornment where all our students belong. Please take a moment to register your teen for next year. It is good for mental health and Jewish identity. We look forward to seeing everyone back in the fall!
As we get ready for Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's 74th Independence Day, let's play a game. Which teens in the photos above from the 2019 congretional Israel trip do you recognize (hint: not all were teens when this was taken)?
Yom Ha'atzmaut is immediately precded by Yom HaZikaron (Israel's Memorial Day) which begins tonight. There is a powerful shift from sadness mourning sons, daughters, fathers and mothers who served defending Israel to the joy celebrating the revival of a Jewish state. Music is an important part of each commemoration. Check out the following links. This sad music is moving and can be heard on Yom HaZikaron. This joyful music represents the Israeli custom of singing in community with joy, especially on Yom Ha'atzmaut.
Tomorrow's session will feature Wild Card Wednesday elective options and an all school Yom Ha'atzmaut activity that includes Israeli treats. Next week is our last session. We will make it a special. More information will follow about teen activities for the remainder of the year.
Double Chai Registration 2022-2023 is coming soon!
Remember to RSVP by tomorrow for our congregational outdoor service this Friday night! See below...
Join all ages of the TBD community for a casual, outdoor* Shabbat pizza dinner catered by Bertucci's before our uplifting service at 6:30 with May birthday blessing and Oneg to follow. Great way to connect with your temple community and we need the teens to make their presence felt! Hope to see a good Double Chai family showing.
We hope that everyone had a wonderful Passover and spring break. It will be good to gather tonight for dinner and study as we are in the homestretch for our Double Chai year with just three sessions left. 7th grade and 10th grade will continue with class learning in the first hour, while 8th, 9th, 11th, and 12th will have Wildcard Wednesday elective options. Wildcard Wednesdays are weekly elective options that students get to choose when they arrive.
Tonight is the start of Yom Ha-Shoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, so there will be a special program in the second hour of Double Chai in commemoration of this day. Students will watch excerpts of a Helen Mirren film called, #Anne Frank: Parallel Stories. The film introduces Anne Frank's story through her diary, the eyes of a contemporary teen, and the true stories of survivors who were Anne's age during the Holocaust. There are brief moments of footage from concentration camps. This not the focus of the film and the majority of it comprises interviews with survivors and family, Mirren's narration and reading from the diary, and learning about Anne Frank through the teen protagonist. The film deals with some of the following questions:
-What does it mean to be a witness? -How do we develop empathy and identify with another person's experience? -How does communication and friendship drive out alienation/lonliness?
Shorashim grades K-2 can use some extra teen volunteers to help this Sunday, May 1 as our youngest students make brown bag lunches with our Sunday Sandwich Hevre (SSH) that supports people in need at Father Bill's and Mainspring Shelter. Volunteering is good for community service hours at school or Bnai Mitzvah project volunteering. Please reach out to either Rabbi Karen or Rabbi Micah to help.
Join all ages of the TBD community for a casual, outdoor* Shabbat pizza dinner catered by Bertucci's before our uplifting service at 6:30 with May birthday blessing and Oneg to follow. Great way to connect with your temple community and we need the teens to make their presence felt! Hope to see a good Double Chai family showing.
Tomorrow is our last class before Pesach break! We look forward to seeing everyone at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow for dinner followed by classes. Double Chai ends at 8:00 p.m. Unfortunately, the case of Covid that has made its way through the Citrin household has finally rested on Rabbi Karen. She will not be present, however, she will teach Confirmation by Zoom. Confirmation students can participate in the class in person at Temple.
We wish you a happy, healthy, and sweet Passover. Enjoy the resources and video link below. Feel free to use them at your seder.
Thank you so much to so many of you who reached out to Rabbi Micah when he had Covid. We are glad to be moving past it! We look forward to seeing everyone at 5:30 p.m. tonight for dinner followed by classes. Double Chai ends at 8:00 p.m. Keep reading for a great NAWDTY event this weekend!
NAWDTY 8th-12th Grade Bowling Event Sunday, April 10th 1:20 p.m. @Kings - Legacy Place Come on down to King's at Legacy Place on Sunday, April 10th for bowling with NAWDTY! Individuals who are planning to carpool can meet at the temple at 1:00pm. Otherwise, we will meet at King's (the carpoolers should be there by 1:20pm). Please RSVP here by April 8th!
We are cancelling Double Chai tonight as Rabbi Micah woke up this morning with bad cold symptoms. Unfortunately, he has tested postive for Covid-19. In light of this and a variety of staffing challenges, we felt it best to take the night off. We apologize for any inconvenience, and appreciate how much the teens look forward to being together. Thank you for your continued committment. Stay well and we look forward to seeing everyone next week.
Hebrew learning for grades 3-6 is still taking place this afternoon.
We look forward to another week of Double Chai. Remember that masks are now optional. We honor the decision to wear a mask. We also know that some colds are going around now that masks have come off. If a student has cold symptoms, we encourage them to talk the night off even if Covid negative. We are grateful that we can be together, in person. Just a quick reminder that students should be up-to-date with all Covid-19 vaccines.
We look forward to seeing everyone at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow for dinner followed by classes. Double Chai ends at 8:00 p.m.
Community Event Opportunity - March 31 8:00-9:00 p.m. Check out this interesting conversation with a Jewish sports/TV star. See the link below to register.
"I've just seen a face before, I can't forget the time or place where we just met..." -The Beatles
Dear Parents and Students,
This week as we return to Double Chai, we are excited to share that masks will be optional. We affirm any choice that students/families/teachers make regarding masking. We are grateful that we can be together, in person. Just a quick reminder that students should be up-to-date with all Covid-19 vaccines.
We also want to thank all of the teens who helped to make the Purim celebration and carnival a huge success, and especially to the NAWDTY board and youth advisor, Jason Allen, for their leadership..
We look forward to seeing everyone at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow for dinner followed by classes. Double Chai ends at 8:00 p.m.
Community Shabbat Service - Saturday, March 26, 10:00 a.m. We especially want to invite teens and parents to join the community for a Shabbat morning service full of song, spirit, and learning. We encourage 7th graders to attend. It is great practice! Please contact Rabbi Karen or Rabbi Micah if you would like to participate by leading a prayer or blessing.
Chag Sameach! We hope you are having a joyous Purim. Getting the holiday started last night with teens and adults was a lot of fun!
We can really use more teen and adult volunteers to help with the Purim Carnival so that it can be a succees for our community. 7th graders can help, too, and count volunteer time toward Bnai Mitzvah project hours. See the links below.
Also, 8th-12th graders, remember to RSVP today for the Shul-In (overnight) . See the details below. There is a growing group of kids signed up. Don't miss it!
NAWDTY 8th-12th Grade Pre-Purim Carnival Shul-In Saturday, March 19th 6:30 p.m. - Sunday, March 20th
We are excited to have our first shul-in (overnight) in two years! We invite all 8th-12th graders to come set up for Purim, and then sleep over at the Temple. Join us Saturday, March 19th at 6:30 p.m. to set up for the carnival, as well as having dinner and havdalah. Sleeping over is NOT required if you want to just help set up. The NAWDTY advisor, Jason Allen, will be staying overnight as the chaperone.
IMPORTANT: Anyone planning on sleeping over MUST be fully vaccinated, and take a rapid Covid test with a negative result before coming to Temple.
We will also need lots of teens to help run stations at the carnival on Sunday, March 20, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (Schpiel and Carnival)
What is more rare than a total eclipse of the sun? It's when Double Chai, Erev Purim and Erev St. Patrick's Day all coincide! This week students will gather for dinner at 5:30, have first hour classes and from 7:00-8:00 p.m. celebrate Purim. This will be an experience for teens and adults. The congregation is invited, as are parents. We encourge teens and adult to dress up, be silly, and let your hair down (for those of us who have hair to let down).
Please keep reading for all of the Purim details including the 8th-12th NAWDTY pre-Purim Carnival Shul-in overnight, and the need for teen and parent volunteers for the Purim Carnival on March 20. 7th graders can get Bnai Mitzvah volunteer hours by helping at Purim carnival stations.
NAWDTY 8th-12th Grade Pre-Purim Carnival Shul-In Saturday, March 19th 6:30 p.m. - Sunday, March 20th
We are excited to have our first shul-in (overnight) in two years! We invite all 8th-12th graders to come set up for Purim, and then sleep over at the Temple. Join us Saturday, March 19th at 6:30 p.m. to set up for the carnival, as well as having dinner and havdalah. Sleeping over is NOT required if you want to just help set up. The NAWDTY advisor, Jason Allen, will be staying overnight as the chaperone.
IMPORTANT: Anyone planning on sleeping over MUST be fully vaccinated, and take a rapid Covid test with a negative result before coming to Temple.
We will also need lots of teens to help run stations at the carnival on Sunday, March 20, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (Schpiel and Carnival)
Double Chai is back to its regular schedule tomorrow night: 5:30 p.m. - Dinner 6:00-8:00 p.m. - Classes
We look forward to being together with more time to socialize and learn. We will continue to wear masks in the building when we are not eating. Not all school districts that comprise our temple community are mask optional yet, so Temple Beth David will still have masks in place for students/teachers. If your student has not sign up for electives, please see the instructions and sign-up link below.
L'Shalom,
Rabbi Micah and Rabbi Karen
STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT YET SIGNED UP FOR ELECTIVES, DO IT TODAY BY 5:00 P.M.
Please see the link below for spring Double Chai elective sign-ups. Respond with your choice preferences no later than Tuesday, March 8 at 5:00 p.m. Please indicate a preference for each class in each block (1st Hour or 2nd Hour) unless you are in 7th or 10th grade in which case you should only sign up in the second hour. In the first hour 7th grade has its core class and 10th grade has Confirmation. Parents, especially of younger students, make sure your kids see this email and forward it to them if they are not on the distribution list. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Please see the link below for spring Double Chai elective sign-ups. Respond with your choice preferences no later than Tuesday, March 8 at 5:00 p.m. Please indicate a preference for each class in each block (1st Hour or 2nd Hour) unless you are in 7th or 10th grade in which case you should only sign up in the second hour. In the first hour 7th grade has its core class and 10th grade has Confirmation. Parents, especially of younger students, make sure your kids see this email and forward it to them if they are not on the distribution list. Please let us know if you have any questions.
We apologize for a change in schedule next week. Please note that there will be NO Hebrew learning or Double Chai March 1 or 2. Our flight home from vacation was cancelled today and we are unable to return to Westwood until Wednesday.
We look forward to special Shorashim Family Shabbat experiences next weekend March 4 and 5 (more details to come). Class sessions will resume as usual on March 8, 9, and 13.
We hope you had a good February school break and are fairing well in the storm.
Shabbat Shalom and see you soon, Rabbi Karen and Rabbi Micah
Double Chai will begin at 6:00 p.m. and end by 7:30 p.m. There will be no dinner or snack served. We plan to return to dinner and the full schedule in March.
Here are some highlights for the coming week:
7th grade will watch an episode from the 2002 CBS TV show, Joan of Arcadia. Joan is a seemingly regular teen who has the ability to hear God. God gives Joan different missions (mitzvot?) to make her community better. In the episode, "Book of Questions," Joan has to help her Jewish friend, Grace, go through with her Bat Mitvah, even as Grace tries to avoid it at all costs. Students will discuss the themes of the epidsode following the program.
8th-12th grade students will welcome special guest speaker, Jen Bolton, from an organization called DOVE (Domestic Violence Ended). Jen is the DOVE youth educator. She will talk with the students about safe friendships/relationships and the warning signs for emotional and physical abuse. Jewish values expressed in Torah, "Love your fellow as yourself (Lev. 19:18)" and B'Tzelem Elohim - being created in God's image (Gen. 1:27) make this learning opportunity relevant in our Double Chai context. Making sure our teens understand the characteristics of safe friendships/relationships, and caring for themselves and their peers are core Jewish values. Please be in touch if you have any questions.
Double Chai will begin at 6:00 p.m. and end by 7:30 p.m. There will be no dinner or snack served. We plan to return to dinner and the full schedule in March.
Here are some highlights for the coming week. 8th-12th grade will begin with elective options.
7th grade will have a special class with Rabbi Karen on the ritual garments of prayer (i.e. "Jewish uniform") including the why's and how's of talit, tefillin, and kippah. If possible have your students bring their talit/kippah from their Bar/Bat Mitzvah if it has occurred, or send them with a family talit/kippah. Talitot will also be available for use from the synaogue. If you have a set of tefillin in your home, you can send it with your student (don't worry if you don't know what this is, ask your students after Wednesday's class and they will tell you).
We also encourage 7th grade families to join 6th grade families for a Shabbat morning service, Saturday, February 12; 10:00 a.m. at the Temple. This is an opportunity for students who have not become Bnai Mitzvah to become more familiar with the Shabbat morning service. For students who have become Bnai Mitzvah, this is an opportunity to support classmates and help model prayer participation. We encourage parents and students to attend.
Finally, next Wednesday, February 16, 8th-12th grade students will have a special guest speaker, Jen Bolton, from an organization called DOVE (Domestic Violence Ended). She will talk with the students about safe relationships and the warning signs for emotional and physical abuse in a relationship. More details will follow next week.
UPCOMING NAWDTY EVENT - ESCAPE ROOM Saturday, February 12th 1:00-3:00 p.m. at TEMPLE BETH DAVID 8th-12th graders are welcome from 1:00-3:00 p.m. for a fun escape room and social action project. It will be a wonderful way to spend Shabbat afternoon with friends. RSVP HERE!
We have turned the page on January and a massive snow storm. February means one step closer to spring. The good new is that Covid-19 infection rates are falling, however, that is down from record highs. We are going to continue with the abbriviated schedule the rest of February with the intention of returning to dinner and the full session period in March.
Double Chai will begin at 6:00 p.m. and end by 7:30 p.m. There will be no dinner or snack served.
For the remainder of February, there will continue to be a variety of elective classes offered and all school activities. We are also aiming to bring a guest speaker before the February break. 7th grade will bring its "Torah of Our Lives: Jewish Ethics" course of study to a close and prepare to learn about the Holocaust in the spring. 10th Graders will have an introduction to Confirmation with the rabbis. And stay tuned for spring elective sign-ups post break. We hope everyone stays warm and healthy. See you on Wednesday.
Just a brief reminder about our abbriviated schedule tomorrow:
Double Chai will begin at 6:00 p.m. and end by 7:30 p.m. There will be no dinner or snack served.
7th Grade will enjoy its regular core class which will focus on the book of Prophets, the Haftarah and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 8th-12th graders will have a special art project focused on their Hebrew names. Please make sure your kids know their Hebrew names when they come to class. Following class will have hangout/social time. We will conclude with some mini-elective choices.
We look forward to being together this week. Coming together in community and seeing friends is so important in our world today, especially for our teens. We will continue with the abbriviated structure below through the rest of January. We hope that as February begins, Covid infections will come down and we can resume dinner along with our normal schedule.
Double Chai will begin at 6:00 p.m. and end by 7:30 p.m. There will be no dinner or snack served.
7th Grade will enjoy its regular core class while 8th-12th graders have a guest speaker and discussion in honor of Tu Bishvat, the New Year of the Trees (celebrated on Monday) focusing on Jewish environmental activism. Following class will have an extend hangout/social period. We will conclude with a general mental health check-in and follow up with the rabbis on the events that transpired this past Saturday at Congregation Beth Israel in Texas.
We hope that you had a restful and healthy winter break. We look forward to seeing students at Double Chai on Wednesday. Due to the current surge of Covid-19, we be making a few adjustments:
Double Chai will begin at 6:00 p.m. and end by 7:30 p.m. There will be no dinner or snack served.
We will be in touch with more updates in the coming weeks as this fluid situation continues to evolve. We look forward to seeing everyone soon!
We are looking forward to a wonderful final week of class before break. 7th graders will continue with their Jewish Name print making art project. 8th-12th graders enjoyed learning about the legacy of the Dead Sea Scrolls and making their own jars. This week they will write down their wisdom and reflections about life to place in their jars. We will keep the community updated about when the Boston Area art installation, Wisdom Exchange Project, in which the students are participating will open.
Please continue to let us know if your student will be absent so that we can adjust the dinner order.
Please forgive the extra email this week. We wanted to reach out to request volunteers for some Chanukah related things going on at Temple.
#1- We could use two parents to help serve the Chanukah Chinese food dinner tonight at Double Chai from 5:20-6:00 p.m. Please email Rabbi Micah if you can help.
#2 - We could use 7th-12th grade teen volunteers to help with the Shorashim Chanukah Happening this Sunday, December 4 from 9:15-11:30 a.m. for our youngest students. These are fun games and activities to help celebrate Chanukah. This is a great way for 7th graders to earn some Bnai Mitzvah volunteer hours. Again, please email Rabbi Micah if your student is interested and available.
#3 - Any 8th - 12th graders who want to help set up for Chanukah Happening and enjoy some teen hangout time and dessert can join NAWDTY at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 3rd at the Temple. Stay tuned for a targeted communication from NAWDTY about Saturday night. The teens get the building looking festive, hangout, listen to music, and eat treats.
Menorah Lighting at Wegmans in Westwood Thursday, December 2 at 5:45 pm
Once again, Rabbi Karen and Rabbi Micah will lead a menorah lighting for the community at University Station. This year will feature an amazing ice menorah carving, lighting, music, and treats. Please join us for this brief outdoor Chanukah celebration!
Temple Beth David Shabbat Chanukah - December 3rd 6:30 p.m. Enjoy Shabbat and Chanukah as a family with services, music and song. The service is no more than an hour and we will celebrate the light of Shabbat and Chanukah. We hope to see you there!
Temple Beth David 7 Clapboardtree Street Westwood, MA 02090 www.templebethdavid.net
Happy Chanukah! We hope that you are enjoying the Festival of Light and that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Tomorrow evening we will have plenty of time to celebrate Chanukah starting with a special Chinese food dinner. After our first hour of classes, the fall Leadership Class students will faciliate a Chanukah program/celebration with menorah lighting, learning, games, dreidle and more.
Menorah Lighting at Wegmans in Westwood Thursday, December 2 at 5:45 pm
Once again, Rabbi Karen and Rabbi Micah will lead a menorah lighting for the community at University Station. This year will feature an amazing ice menorah carving, lighting, music, and treats. Please join us for this brief outdoor Chanukah celebration!
Temple Beth David Shabbat Chanukah - December 3rd 6:30 p.m. Enjoy Shabbat and Chanukah as a family with services, music and song. The service is no more than an hour and we will celebrate the light of Shabbat and Chanukah. We hope to see you there!
Temple Beth David 7 Clapboardtree Street Westwood, MA 02090 www.templebethdavid.net
Tomorrow will be our last class before our Thanksgiving break. Weather is looking chilly as the sun sets so we will enjoy our pizza inside in the Rosen/Sanctuary. Remember, please let us know if you will not be able to attend a Wednesday session by 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday so that we can adjust the dinner order.
Wild card Wednesday will continue for elective options including a continuation of our teen mental health discussion with youth advisor, Jason Allen, yoga, Jewish music of gratitude, the light of Chanukah through art, and the myticism of the month of Kislev (the month when Chanukah occurs).
Here are some things to look forward to after Thanksgiving. Double Chai students who were part of the fall leadership elective will faciliate a Chanukah program for the whole school. On December 8th and 15th Boston area Jewish arts educator Shirah Rubin will work with the 8th-12th grade students on a ceramics project that combines art and recording our own personal values. More information coming soon. 7th graders will have their own art project that focuses on becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Finally, there is still time for 8th-12th grades to sign up for Fall Conclavette this Saturday. See the information below. Thanks NAWDTY teens for putting on a great jNAWDTY game day last Sunday for the middle school students. Stay tuned for more NAWDTY and jNAWDTY events.
NFTY Northeast Fall Conclavette - Saturday, November 20, 10:30 am - 5:30 pm at Temple Sinai, Sharon, MA All 8th-12th graders are invited to enjoy a fun Shabbat day with other teens from youth groups in the New England area. The event will include social mixers, programs, activities and end with Havdalah. Please reach out to Rabbi Micah or Youth Advisor, Jason Allen, with questions. Register Here!
Temple Beth David Shabbat Chanukah - December 3rd 6:30 p.m. Enjoy Shabbat and Chanukah as a family with services, music and song. The service is no more than an hour and we will celebrate the light of Shabbat and Chanukah. We hope to see you there!
Temple Beth David 7 Clapboardtree Street Westwood, MA 02090 www.templebethdavid.net
It is hard to quit the outdoors when the weather is so nice! So here goes, we will stay outside for dinner tomorrow night. But it will be dark, you say. Not to fear, each tarp will be adorned with an electric latern adding light and ambiance to our pizza picnic.
This week we have some special learning opportunities and experiences. 7th grade will have its first hour core class, as usual. 8th-12th will have Wild Card Wednesday, different elective offerings just for this week. It will include a session for any 8th-12th graders who want to learn how to operate the Temple Livestream system. Teens who are trained will be able to volunteer on Friday nights streaming the Shabbat service. This is great hands on experience for teens who enjoy video and livestream production.
After the first hour of class, the teens in Double Chai will do a mitzvah. Temple founders Cynthia and Harvey Atkins recently lost their 61 year old son to cancer. The Atkins will observe their last night of Shiva at the temple starting at 7:30 p.m. Shiva is the first seven days of mourning when the community comes to the home or synagogue to comfort the mourners and pray with them. The teens will learn about Shiva and its significance with the rabbis and then be counted in the minyan. Parents are welcome to join at 7:30 p.m. for the minyan, too.
JNAWDTY Game Day, Sunday, November 14 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. at Temple Beth David
We are excited to invite 6th-8th graders to the first JNAWDTY event of the 2021/2022 year!
Join us from 6-8 pm, on November 14th for a game day at the temple! We will have board games in the library, and lawn games in the sanctuary. Make sure to bring a mask, as we will be indoors for this event. Pizza will be provided! Please RSVP by November 10th HERE!
NFTY Northeast Fall Conclavette - Saturday, November 20, 10:30 am - 5:30 pm at Temple Sinai, Sharon, MA All 8th-12th graders are invited to enjoy a fun Shabbat day with other teens from youth groups in the New England area. The event will include social mixers, programs, activities and end with Havdalah. Please reach out to Rabbi Micah or Youth Advisor, Jason Allen, with questions. Register Here!
Temple Beth David 7 Clapboardtree Street Westwood, MA 02090 www.templebethdavid.net
Back to beautiful fall weather this week! It will be sunny and brisk tomorrow, but we have one more Wednesday with light so dinner will be outside on the lawn. Dress accordingly! Also, please let us know by Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. if you/your student will miss dinner. This helps us make our order more accuate.
It has been a good fall of electives. The Jewish jam band has been working up some great tunes and they sound tight. The leadership elective is working on a special program for Chanukah. Wildcard Wednesdays are coming soon, the weeks when teachers offer different "one-off" electives each session. We will also be part of an exciting arts initiative with Boston area educator and artist, Shirah Rubin. It will combine ceramics and creating a scroll of values. Stay tuned for more information!
JNAWDTY Game Night, Saturday, November 13 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Temple Beth David
We are excited to invite 6th-8th graders to the first JNAWDTY event of the 2021/2022 year!
Join us from 6-8 pm, on November 13th for a game night at the temple! We will have board games in the library, and lawn games in the sanctuary. Make sure to bring a mask, as we will be indoors for this event. We will conclude with Havdalah Please RSVP by November 9th HERE!
NFTY Northeast Fall Conclavette - Saturday, November 20, 10:30 am - 5:30 pm at Temple Sinai, Sharon, MA All 8th-12th graders are invited to enjoy a fun Shabbat day with other teens from youth groups in the New England area. The event will include social mixers, programs, activities and end with Havdalah. Please reach out to Rabbi Micah or Youth Advisor, Jason Allen, with questions. Register Here!
We hope that everyone is getting through the Noreaster mainly dry. Given the change in weather, this week dinner will take place in the Rosen/Sanctuary. We will have all windows open and extra tables for so that there are fewer students around each table. Masks will be required except while sitting at tables eating, similar to public school policies. If you have questions, please be in touch. Similarly, let us know if your student will not be attending dinner - this helps us with placing an accurate order.
We look forward to being together on Wednesday evening. Please see the notice below about our Shorashim Shabbat family experience this coming Friday. Families with teens are welcome.
Shorashim Family Shabbat Friday, October 29 Outdoor Shabbat Dinner at 5:45 pm (Sign Up Now) followed by family-friendly Service at 6:30 pm
We are trying for an outdoor Shabbat dinner catered by Comella's. Put on your parka and enjoy a cozy Shabbat dinner at Temple. Advanced sign up is required by end of Wednesday Relax and meet other families. Followed by Shabbat Service indoors with distancing and masks. The service will also be livestreamed. (Dinner will be cancelled if there is rain.)
This past Shabbat, 7th grade students and parents had a wonderful time learning and celebrating at our Temple Beth David Bnai Mitzvah retreat (see the photos above). The retreat will take the place of class for our 7th grade students. No Double Chai this week for 7th grade.
8th-12th grades will start at 5:30 p.m. with dinner as usual, followed by the first hour of electives. Then there will be a brief session with the rabbis and Double Chai will end at 7:15 p.m. for 8th-12th grade. Regular class for everyone will resume on October 27.
Thank you to parents who have been volunteering in the office from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. It helps to have someone present to answer the phones, let parents in the building, and just be an extra adult presence.
Parents, we are looking for volunteers to staff the education office on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:00 p.m. If you are interested, please reach out to Rabbi Micah . We also need parents to help with security at Shorashim on Sunday mornings, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Please see this link to sign up.
We have a normal Wednesday evening this week with dinner outside and electives. Please see below for some great ways for teens to connect and be involved this weekend. We also always encourage families to join us on Friday evenings for Shabbat services. The service is no more than an hour starting at 6:30 p.m. in our sanctuary (windows open, masks on). It is a great way to de-stress, refocus, reflect, refresh.
Remember, Leah's hours have changed and she will not be in the main office past 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. If you need to reach one of us, or your student, call the temple office first, 781-769-5270. In case you do not get through on the temple line, and the matter is urgent please use our cell phones.
Parents, we are looking for volunteers to staff the education office on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:00 p.m. If you are interested, please reach out to Rabbi Micah . We also need parents to help with security at Shorashim on Sunday mornings, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Please see this link to sign up.
NAWDTY Movie Night - Save the Date October 16, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
NAWDTY, the 9th-12th grade high school youth group, will be kicking of the year with a movie night at the temple. The night starts with Havdalah and then teens will enjoy hanging out with friends at temple and watching a movie. RSVP by Oct.13!
Social Action Opportunity - Interfaith Walk for Hunger October 17, 2:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Bring your teen and walk for those in need. Join as Temple Beth David hosts the greater Westwood area Interfaith Community in a walk to raise awareness and funds to fight hunger. 1 in 5 households with children does not have enough to eat.This tzedakah effort raises money for Project Bread. Make a contribution on the link below and/or collect pledges and walk. 7th graders can get up to 3 hours toward their 13 Mitzvot Bnai MItzvah project hours. Grades 8-12th can get credit for school community service hours.
Double Chai is off to a great start! The energy is really positive and the students are having a great time in elelctives. We will be eating outside again as it should be a beautiful evening. Remind your kids to layer!
We also wanted to let you know that Leah's hours have changed and she will not be in the main office past 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. If you need to reach one of us, or your student, call the temple office first, 781-769-5270. In case you do not get through on the temple line, and the matter is urgent please use our cell phones.
Parents, we are looking for volunteers to staff the education office on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:00 p.m. If you are interested, please reach out to Rabbi Micah . We also need parents to help with security at Shorashim on Sunday mornings, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Please see this link to sign up.
Social Action Opportunity - Interfaith Walk for Hunger October 17, 2:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Bring your teen and walk for those in need. Join as Temple Beth David hosts the greater Westwood area Interfaith Community in a walk to raise awareness and funds to fight hunger. 1 in 5 households with children does not have enough to eat.This tzedakah effort raises money for Project Bread. Make a contribution on the link below and/or collect pledges and walk. 7th graders can get up to 3 hours toward their 13 Mitzvot Bnai MItzvah project hours. Grades 8-12th can get credit for school community service hours.
NAWDTY Movie Night - Save the Date October 16, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
NAWDTY, the 9th-12th grade high school youth group, will be kicking of the year with a movie night at the temple. Stay tuned for more details. The night starts with Havdalah and then teens will enjoy hanging out with friends at temple and watching a movie.
Temple Beth David 7 Clapboardtree Street Westwood, MA 02090 www.templebethdavid.net
