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 program of study! Chai School meets on Tuesday nights from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM during the school year.
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Click HERE for INFO on all URJ YOUTH PROGRAMS
Program Dates for 2024-2025
9/20-9/21- 8th Grade Boston Adventure
11/1-11/4 - Post Confirmation LA Experience
11/22-11/24 - 9th Grade NYC Immigration Seminar
12/6- 12/7 - 6th Grade Retreat at Camp Ramah
12/15 - 7th Grade Newport Day Program
1/31 - 2/3 - 10th Grade L'Taken Weekend
7th & 8th Grade
Grade 7: Hineini—Here I Am as an Emerging Jewish Adult—7th-grade students experience four curricular areas: antisemitism, the Prophets, Jewish symbols, and leadership. These lessons are relevant, fun, and thought-provoking. We hope to inspire our 7th graders to continue learning and growing with us Jewishly beyond their Bet Mitzvah.
Grade 8: Israel – It is Complicated! – Our students begin the year learning about the Jewish History of Boston and travel together to explore our people's roots in this city. In Addition, the 8th graders study the land and people of Israel using a 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. Students will be able to gain knowledge and understanding of our Jewish homeland to 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 to New York City as a group and experience their curriculum "firsthand" during our Jewish New York Tour. 9th graders also explore antisemitism and learn to apply Jewish principles and concepts to their everyday lives. Text study, group debate, and discussion comprise our ninth-grade program's core.
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
Post Confirmation comprises grades 11 & 12. Students study Jewish life post-High School and learn Musar. Students meet twice monthly for Chai School classes and attend either a social justice seminar in Los Angeles or in the south. Students serve as Madrichim in our classrooms and leaders in our youth programs.
Madrichim
These teens are transformed into r
ole 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.