Berkeley Midrasha 2016–2017
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The Ultimate Jewish Teen Experience
EXPERIENCE
B’MID...
Berkeley Midrasha (B’MID) is the East Bay’s premier Jewish Teen learning program. With a multidimensional approach, we immerse our teens in an open culture that fosters depth, diversity, and dialogue. We pride ourselves in guiding our teens on a path of personal development to be active, engaged, and self-confident Jewish adults. Berkeley Midrasha is a special place that creates lifelong learning experiences, friendships and memories.
We don’t have teachers.
We have Jewish mentor-educators and role models.
We don’t have classes.
We have spiritual brain food and inspirational jam sessions.
We don’t have school.
We have a safe, emotional space filled with impactful Jewish content, academic excellence and social awesomeness.
CHOOSE YOUR OWN JEWISH ADVENTURE… Life is an adventure. An amazing race full of unlimited paths, pit stops, and points of interest. A neverending story of possibility and potential. A journey through an expanding universe of education and exploration… At Berkeley Midrasha (B’MID), we take you on the adventure, add the Judaism, and you do the rest. We place you into a community of individuals — some like you, some very different than you — but at the end of the day, you must find you. What matters to you. Who you are in this world. Who you want to be as a teenager. As a Jewish teenager. As a human being. How do we empower you to choose your own adventure? Throughout the year, you get options and opportunities. Through our Hakirot electives, you get the freedom to decide from a wide assortment of electives, based on your interests. Through our core classes, we provide the foundations and you decide upon your experience. Whether at our diverse campus, in the beautiful scenery of our camp retreats, out in the anytime-anywhere-land of Pop-Up Social Justice, or throughout life beyond B’MID… the choice is always yours.
B’MID SUNDAY: Ikarim (Core) and Hakirot (Electives)
8th–12th grades | 9:30am–12:30pm | Congregation Beth El
B’MID WEDNESDAY: Tanach/Talmud Intensive
8th–12th grades | 4:45pm – 6:15pm | Congregation Beth Israel
POP-UP! SOCIAL JUSTICE: Tikkun Olam To-Go Workshops Anyone
(Families and friends welcome!)
Anytime — Anywhere
IKARIM: Core
“ It was at Midrasha that I first got to discuss and interpret Jewish teachings and how they related to our own Jewish values and spiritual experiences, where I first felt like I was being treated like an adult. Like every class at Midrasha, others cared about what I had to say and treated my ideas and questions with genuine consideration.” —Jacob
Forming the foundations of our curriculum, Ikarim (Core Classes) challenge our teens with the most relevant issues and topics for their age group. Ikarim provide a core platform for guiding them as they take on each subject matter in a distinctly Jewish way. Each Ikarim class has a general theme. Together with their mentors, each classroom will decide the issues that speak to them the most. Each class will also develop and implement a Tikkun Olam Social Justice project that speaks to their interests.
" When I look around at the Midrasha I see a lot of well… Jews. But we are no ordinary Jews. African American Jews, Asian American Jews, LGBT Jews. In class, some of us wear yarmulkes, and some of us wear pajamas because, come on, it’s a Sunday Morning and we’re teenagers. Anyways, Midrasha has given us a place where all kinds of Jews can come together and share ideas." —Izzy
8th Grade
Ethics and Personal Values Gesharim (Bridges) | Sacha Kopin
8th Graders! Start your Midrasha experience with an exciting chance to meet Jewish teens from around the Bay Area. Grapple with modern, ethical issues and take action to address homelessness, discrimination and injustice. Doing good never felt so right. The class includes participation in three weekend retreats.
11th Grade
Connections: YOUR Time, YOUR Space Kesher Bet (Connections) | Mark Deutsch
9th grade
Identity: Who am I? Here I am... Etgar (Challenges) | Hadar Cohen
Who am I? What do I believe? How do I make the choices that reflect what I believe? How do I express what I believe in the world around me? Explore issues of identity and come up with surprising answers. The class includes participation in three amazing weekend retreats.
10th grade
Connections: A Global Perspective Kesher Aleph (Connections) | Aliza Minkina
Who are we as Americans? As a Jewish people? As citizens of the world? Let’s face it. We are a community of people on Planet Earth in the twenty-first century. It’s time to dig deep and look at our modern society and current events from all these perspectives. Israel is a huge focus as well, and we must ask ourselves essential questions such as: Why should we love Israel just because we’re Jewish? What can Israel teach the world about Co-existence? In this class, we’ll use media, movies, music, and Jewish sources to form our own opinions.
11th grade is busy! It’s going to be full of challenges — both expected and unexpected. You need to debrief. You need to reflect. You need the time and space to do so. Explore this philosophy through a Jewish lens. Learn how to unplug and the values of Digital Detox. Topics include balancing homework and school, friends, looking at colleges, relationships, along with the values of Our Tradition and spiritual expression. Retreat participation is encouraged for Kesher students.
12th Grade
Transitions: Moving from High School to College Ma’avar (Senior Seminar) | Beth Midanik-Blum
In your last year of high school, you’re slammed with studying, testing, college applications, extracurricular activities, and active social lives. You may also experience “Senioritis.” But then there’s the reality (and sometimes it’s a little scary)... What comes next? Who will I be after high school? How do I stay Jewish? For these reasons, our unique program Ma’avar was created. Ma’avar, or Transitions, will be broken into three units: self-care, creating Jewish family, and building a Jewish adult identity. This program will sometimes meet off-site and each unit will conclude with a special trip. For example, while exploring healthy friendships and trust, you may visit a rock-climbing gym. Ma’avar will help you ascend beyond high school to whatever is next for you and whoever you want to be. " Midrasha will be the line that pulls you up when you find yourself at the bottom of a dark hole. It will trump the band-aids and the cough drops and come in first when it comes to the medicine that you didn’t know you needed. It will bring you friends who will make you laugh because that’s just who they are." —Rudy
HAKIROT: Electives Three times during the year, you'll have a chance to explore a subject of your choosing. Our Hakirot are subject-based and reflect a variety of learning experiences and environments. (These Hakirot are samples, some of them are subject to change, based upon interest.)
Get Up! Stand Up
Many Jews throughout history dared to stand up, either through words or deeds, rather than be helpless victims. Learn about their courage, and the lessons they have taught us and how to apply those principles to our lives today.
Geek Out!
Final frontiers and space sagas. Witches, Wizards, and Warriors. Magic and Myth. Golems and Dybbuks. Feel the force called Jewishness in the world of Sci-Fi and Fantasy.
Talmud: Heroes and Heretics
Kosher Sex
We all relate to others. Using Jewish ethics and textual tradition as our guide, we will explore the meaning of being a teen in the TwentyTeens. We will deal with topics such as dating, physical and emotional commitment, personal sexuality, and reproductive rights. And you can’t discuss relationships without relating to people outside class, so there will be guest speakers.
Funny or Rye: Comedy and the Jews
From the Marx Brothers to Mel Brooks to Woody Allen to Seinfeld to Adam Sandler to Judd Apatow, take a trip through Jewish comedy!
EJSN: Especially Jewish Sports Network
Our people are “People of the Book.” But are we People of the Stadiums and Arenas? Get to know the Jewish Jocks throughout history from baseball, basketball, and boxing to swimming and sailing to professional wrestling. We’ll even get our game on at the end of every class!
The Talmud is full of strange stories, interesting characters and unique lessons. Together we will read and examine selections from the Talmud and students will try their hands at interpreting, and arguing in our Teen Beit Midrash. If you’d like to understand the Jewish texts on its own terms without somebody telling you what to think, then this class is for you.
" I was led by expert teachers to delve into my Judaism in the form of intensive Torah study, Talmudic discussion, and philosophical debates on what principles make Judaism unique, all while being exposed to every other angle of the discussion from the diversity of the group I was studying with." —Joel
Leadership OPPORTUNITIES Madrichim Training institute (MTI): TA Program 8th – 9th Grades Hadracha: Leadership Training 10th – 12th Grades Hadracha is our Jewish leadership track for 10th and 12th grade teens. As a Hadrachanik, you work with a group to build the teen community. Together you will learn community organizing skills including, facilitation and leadership skills, creating and lead school-wide experiences and build an awesome community of teen leaders. Some training topics include: Leadership, peer counseling and team building.
Advanced Conversational Hebrew
So you already know how to carry on a conversation in Hebrew... Don’t stop there. You’ve put a lot of effort into the language so far — we’re here to help keep it going. Come talk with friends! Come make new friends! Share your feelings! Build your vocabulary! There’s always something to share, and we’ll help you find the words and expressions to say it. This course is for those at intermediate and advanced conversational Hebrew levels.
" At Midrasha you are never scared to voice your opinion because not only do you know everyone is open mindedly listening; but you can feel it. I have never felt this free to be myself in any other community, Midrasha has allowed me to continue my Jewish education, opened new doors full of opportunities, and forgiven us when we have wronged; and I am forever grateful to Midrasha for this." —Jamie
Midrasha Board and Committees
You give a teen voice to decision-making at Midrasha by serving as members of the Board of Directors and by organizing Tikkun Olam opportunities.
Job Bank
Inclusion on this list gives you opportunities for both paid employment and community service.
Recommendations and References
Our director writes college recommendations for all enrolled seniors and provides job references for both current students and alumni. “ The world is not just a narrow bridge. It’s raggedy, has broken planks, and there are those who wish to blow you over the sides. But Midrasha has taught me that we have each other to support one another, to help us not to be afraid, and in the process make that bridge a little bit more sturdy." —Tzipora
1301 Oxford Street, Berkeley, CA 94709
Midrasha is LGBTQI friendly
B’MID Annual Kick-off
Midrasha seeks to accommodate a diverse student body. If students have physical, emotional or educational special needs, please speak with the Midrasha Director.
All-Midrasha Retreats
Sept 11, 2016
| 9:30-12:30
| Live Oak Park
Nov 4-6, 2016 | Camp Loma Mar | Santa Cruz Mountains Jan 20-22, 2017 | Camp Newman | Santa Rosa April 28-30, 2017 | Camp Newman | Santa Rosa
Be sure to check out the full B’MID Calendar online now! www.midrasha.org
Rabbi Jennifer Flam, Executive Director Desmid Lyon, Director of Operations RabbiJen @ midrasha.org Tel: 510 843-4667 / Fax: 510 848-2707 For more information and to register: www.midrasha.org Berkeley Midrasha is sponsored by the congregations and communities of Aquarian Minyan, Beth El, Beth Hillel, Beth Israel, B’nai Israel, Kehilla Community Synagogue, Netivot Shalom, and Sha’ar Zahav. Midrasha in Berkeley is a beneficiary of The Jewish Federation and The Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay, which provide generous funding for operating expenses.