Opportunities for Teens
ANAFIM: A Community Teen Program
ANAFIM is the Hebrew word for branches, and that is just what our post B Mitzvah program does - it allows our teens to grow and branch out as they learn together in partnership with our friends at Temple Sinai. Using a carefully curated curriculum featuring everything from Jewish History to Social Justice to Mussar for teens, our goal is to give teens a deeper sense of belonging in the wider Jewish community. Outside of core classes, students enjoy dinner together and student directed learning in the form of electives, as well as immersive out of building and travel opportunities, and periodic programming on Israel and/or current events as they arise. Using a trimester system, Anafim is an ala carte program; students can sign up for one, two, or all three trimesters for the year.
8th and 9th Grade
The combined 8th and 9th Grade year is used as a community building opportunity. The curriculum runs on an A/B schedule to avoid repeat learning. During the A year, students learn Jewish History, followed by Social Justice with a focus on our annual travel opportunity, and finally end the year with lessons on hunger and food insecurity. During the B year, students begin by learning about multicultural Judaism, return to the Social Justice theme (again with a special focus on the year’s travel opportunity) , and then conclude the year learning about environmentalism and sustainability. This year’s overnight trip will be to Portland, OR with an organization called Tivnu, where students will learn about housing and income insecurity.
10th Grade/Confirmation
10th Grade is a special year in Anafim. The Confirmation curriculum includes a variety of important Jewish content learning, from theology to "completing my Jewish bookshelf" to participating in particular Jewish experiences that might be foreign to the students as teens. Students are also given the opportunity to travel for some hands-on Jewish learning.
11th Grade
As our students mature, they begin to learn about aspects of Judaism that match their growth. The first trimester has them learning about Mussar, or Jewish Ethics, in a way that is specially designed for teens. They then move on to a course on Comparative Religion, learning about the similarities and differences of Judaism to that of other world religions, and finally, delve into the complications and nuances of the Jewish relationship with Israel.
​12th Grade
In the final year before graduation, students begin by studying comparative Judaism, learning about themselves and each other, and other forms and sects of Judaism they may never have encountered. They then spend time exploring their relationship with God, and then finally learning how to live Jewishly as they move on from our familiar community and out into the world beyond our walls.
Madrichim Program
Teens who are in 8th Grade or above can choose to volunteer in the JLC as one of our Madrichim. In Hebrew, the word Madrich or Madricha means guide, and that is just what these amazing teens do! Whether they work with students on Sunday mornings, Wednesday afternoons, or both, they help guide the younger students by offering help in Hebrew and Judaics, aiding our wonderful faculty, and setting an awesome example for their younger peers.
While it is not required that teens participate in ANAFIM to be a Madrich or Madricha, we do strongly encourage them to do so, as completion of Confirmation in 10th Grade allows students to transition from volunteers to paid employees if they wish.
For more information about either Anafim or the Madrichim program, please reach out to
Meredith Lubin at meredith@summitjcc.org.