Chai School

Chai School meets the challenge of providing a meaningful Jewish education for adolescent-age students (Grades 7 – 12) by allowing them to design their own program of study! Chai School meets on Tuesday nights during the school year from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM.

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Click HERE for INFO on all URJ YOUTH PROGRAMS

Program Dates for 2022-2023
 

8th Grade The Great Boston Adventure: April 29 & 30, 2023

9th Grade New York City Experience: March 10 – 12, 2023

10th Grade Religious Action Center L'Taken Program: February 10 – 13, 2023

Post-Confirmation Los Angeles Social Justice Experience: November 4 - 7, 2023

7th & 8th Grade

Grade 7: Hineini – Here I Am as an Emerging Jewish Adult - Using the curriculum created by our teaching faculty, our seventh-graders link history to ethics by engaging in a journey from Jewish identity, through the study of historical case study, provoking questions that are both particular and universal. Students also experience Torah study of B'reishit and commentaries focusing on a few stories of individuals from biblical literature who grow and learn. Students learn how to interpret the Torah and how to teach others.

Grade 8:  Israel – It is Complicated! – The 8th graders study the land and people of Israel using curriculum developed by our faculty and our Young Israeli Emissary.  Students’ discussion and learning about the land and people of Israel is an integral part of our program and students will be able to gain knowledge and understanding of our Jewish homeland so that they can talk about the issues and prepare for an eventual visit during High School or College. 

9th Grade

Grade 9: Coming to America - Our ninth graders, explore the political, social, economic, and religious history of the American Jewish community during the Eastern European migration to America. Students travel as a group to New York City and experience their curriculum "firsthand" during our Jewish New York Tour. 9th graders also explore ethical and moral issues and learn how to apply Jewish principles and concepts to their everyday lives.  Text study, group debate, and discussion make up the core of our ninth-grade program.  

Confirmation

Grade 10: Confirmation – God, Torah and the People Israel - What is God? Is there more than one way to perceive of God? How can we know God? What does God want from us? How does God fit into my life? If there is a God, why do bad things happen in the world? This is a course about God. More specifically, it is a course about ways in which Jews have spoken about and to God through four thousand years of Jewish history. Students will also participate in intergenerational programming with residents from The Willows and with special guest speakers on the topic of aging. 

Our 10th graders also participate in a social action program presented by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. They join students from all over the country to experience social justice through Jewish lenses. The tenth-grade year culminates in a Confirmation ceremony on Erev Shavuot. Under the guidance of the Rabbis, the tenth-grade students create and lead the service, offering their own insights and teachings to the congregation.

Post Confirmation

Grades 11 and 12:  Our post-confirmation program is designed to ensure that our students are ready for the challenges following high school. When leaving high school, our students will come into contact and interact with people from all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. When they are talking with their friends and questions come up about what Judaism believes in, this course will assist them with the answers. They will be able to explain Reform Judaism when faced with challenges from their more traditional peers.

Madrichim

These teens are transformed into role models, and young students look up to them. Confidence, pride and a renewed passion for learning – that’s what this program creates for our teens. Madrichim prepare lessons, lead small group discussions and tutor children in Hebrew, introduce exciting games to review classroom material, provide a safe and loving environment for every student, make it “cool” to be Jewish, and bring a sense of ruach (spirit) to the classroom and youth events.