Temple Institute of Religion (TIR) Mission Statement
The mission of TIR is to provide our students with pathways that encourage the development of a personal concept of Jewish identity and a sense of connectedness to our Temple, community, and the State of Israel. In an atmosphere of creativity, warmth and caring, students, parents and teachers will explore God, worship, history, mitzvot and g'milut chasadim, guided by the principles of Torah and rooted in Jewish values and traditions.
Contributing Writer: Samantha Cristol (9th Grade student) and TIR Staff
A classroom is easy to take care of. A classroom full of students? A little harder. Every Sunday at Congregation Ahavath Chesed, the hallways are teeming with activity. From little learners to terrific teachers, the Temple is packed with the eager minds of those ready to learn. We want to enhance our curriculum by accomplishing more activities in the few hours of time we have each week. We also want each child to learn, be a part of a community, have fun and feel a sense of accomplishment. How do we do that? That is where the Madrichim come in.
This dedicated group of 8th-12th graders is the cement that ties the early morning classes together. Madrichim help with paperwork, content lessons, playtime, the overall flow of the classroom and most importantly, they are role models. They not only help the teachers, but the students too. "The Madrichim are always there," Rachel, a TIR student told me. "They're nice, friendly and always have a smile on their faces."
The Madrichim are an important part of the learning community at the Temple, energizing each religious school day and helping to ensure everything runs smoothly. They assist in the office, the classrooms and the specialty classrooms such as art, library and computers. Providing support with Hebrew, snack time and group projects are just some of the ways they are involved in the classroom setting. Our Madrichim assist teachers, so more is accomplished and the school runs more efficiently.
The Madrichim program was created 10 years ago when the Temple found a need in two areas: wanting to enhance the religious school experience and keeping teenagers involved post B’nei Mitzvah. The program has grown from 20 students per year to over 70 students enrolled in this current school year. Eighth grade students are the Madrichim-in-Training (MIT). They begin their day in a classroom, learning together about Jewish topics. They then begin to understand the ins and outs of our religious educational programs including: how the classes are set up and run, the teachers and students, classroom management skills and the specifics about each classroom and grade level. Their practicum includes a rotation through many of the classrooms, getting a taste of the different grade levels, curriculum and specialties.
Starting in 9th grade, these full-fledged Madrichim get to choose their placement from Pre K-7th grade, specialties and electives. They are helpers in the classrooms, working directly with each teacher and the students. Our SMoRes, Supreme Madrichim with other Responsibilities, are in 11th and 12th grade and have the opportunity to take on more responsibilities such as running the office, being in charge of the computer lab and leading a cooking session in the classroom. “I am very pleased to have so many Madrichim enrolled in our program,” Jo-Ellen Unger, Director of Education at Congregation Ahavath Chesed said. “It shows the dedication to Jewish life, education and learning these teens feel and are passing along, M’dor L’dor, from generation to generation.”
Temple's Active Judaism Class Hosts Jacksonville Sharks
Temple’s Active Judaism Class Hosts Jacksonville Sharks
From the Jacksonville Jewish News
When surveyed, the 7th Grade students at the Temple Institute for Religion wanted a class that was active, healthy and spirited. So, we decided to offer an elective, “Active Judaism.” During this class, the students learned why, from a Jewish perspective, it is important to be good to your body and keep it as a temple through physical and mental fitness. For these reasons, the students learned a bit about yoga and meditation, Krava Maga (Israeli self-defense) and participated in good, old-fashioned sports like kickball. May 15 marked the high point and culmination of the class, when three players from the professional arena football team, the Jacksonville Sharks, came to TIR and led students in a series of workout drills and a very spirited game of touch football.
After a couple of hours of fun and physical exercise, everyone was a bit worn out and very happy to have met our guests: Kirby, Marco and L.J. Not only did all three of them meet and greet the students, but were very much a part of the football fun, joking around with the kids, exchanging hats and letting them know that there are still some professional athletes who are happy to spend a part of their Sunday morning doing community service. As Marco, the Sharks punter said, the players do not get the chance to do enough of this kind of community service and will always say yes, if they can.
We are happy they came out and that they and the students had a great time together. And yes, if it can happen, we would love to have our new-found friends back for another game!
To enroll, or learn more about this, or other classes of the Temple Institute of Religion, call Jo-Ellen Unger, Director of Education and Youth, at (904) 733-7078, or email learning@thetemplejacksonville.org.
And Who Shall Lead Them?
And Who Shall Lead Them…
From the Jacksonville Jewish News
Adults put a lot of stock in talking about preparing our children to be the leaders of tomorrow. At Congregation Ahavath Chesed, we are committed to training youth leaders for today. While our junior youth group, Kol Tov, has a leadership council, nowhere is this more evident than in JAFTY, The Temple’s Senior youth group. With the guidance of adult advisors, JAFTY is governed entirely by teens. Some are elected to executive positions, some appointed to office and all by their peers. Intensive training sessions are held for those who wish to seek office and on-going training is provided in small and large group dynamics: teambuilding, program writing, discussion group facilitation and more. Students coming up through the ranks have an opportunity to sit on committees, learning the structure of the group, as well as valuable skills. Andy Underkofler, college freshman and immediate past President of JAFTY, was recently filling out applications to serve in a leadership position on campus. A text received from him said “I didn’t realize how many opportunities I had to develop so many skills in JAFTY, and I just wanted to say thank you.”
Members of JAFTY sit on many Temple committees, including the Board of Trustees, Worship and Tikkun Olam committees, while beyond the Jacksonville borders, JAFTY teens have had an impact on a regional level as well. Over the past few years 7 JAFTY teens have been elected to regional office and both the incoming Regional President and Programming Vice President for our youth region, the North American Federation of Temple Youth – Southern Area Region (NFTY-SAR), are JAFTYites.
Certainly JAFTY members participate in a lot of social and content programming. The group is well known around town for awesome First Friday services and our band, The Jew Crew, as well as our partnership with JFCS on the Holiday Shopping Spree. It is also extremely gratifying to know that these teens take seriously their roles and responsibilities as leaders of today, not waiting to start at some later point as adults, but helping now to shape the future in which they will find themselves.
For more information on JAFTY, or any of our other youth activities, please contact Jo-Ellen Unger, Director of Education and Youth at (904) 733-7078, or by email at junger@thetemplejacksonville.org.
Jo-Ellen Unger Director of Education and Youth Congregation Ahavath Chesed
