4 minute read
A Reflection on Another Successful Year at Hebrew High
June 2024
By: Megan Harkavy
As another school year wraps up, I have been reflecting on the last six years of Hebrew High. As director, I ask myself: What are we trying to accomplish? Are we meeting these goals? Do our teens really want to spend their Wednesday nights at Shalom Park?
And the answer is absolutely yes to all of the above. On any given Wednesday night, you will find over 70 eighth through-12th graders gathering for dinner and to take a class. They might be overwhelmed or stressed out with upcoming school papers or exams, but they still show up. During our final night of the year, I asked a few teens about why they come or about their favorite memory of the past year and the answer I heard over and over again was “friends.” One teen shared, “My favorite thing about Hebrew High is hanging out with my friends.” Another teen said “I love Hebrew High because of the relationships and friendships that I’ve made.” When it was asked why others should sign up, they said because it is “so fun to talk to your friends and learn new things in class. You get to hang out with friends and learn about being Jewish.” Not only can you hang out with your friends, but you can make some new friends, too. One student commented, “My favorite thing about Hebrew High is all the memories that I got to make with my friends and the new people I’ve met”. And let’s be honest; one student said, “My favorite thing about Hebrew High is the food!”.
What is the secret sauce that makes our teens want to come back each week? First, they have the first 30 minutes to grab dinner and socialize with their friends. They can truly be who they are with no one judging them. We have created a safe and welcoming space for all. Secondly, our teachers are approachable and make class time fun.
This year, we offered a diversity of classes to accommodate our teens’ interests. For those who like movement and handson activities, (instead of sitting in a classroom), we offered a cooking class and a class where students connected their mind, body, and soul through moving meditation, ecstatic dance, grounding practices, and more.
For those who are interested in music or TV we offered a class on Broadway’s Jewish Composers, exploring modern Israeli music to examine the history of the Jewish homeland, and a Jews and Judaism Onscreen class. If you are into sports, we offered a Jews and Sports class and if you are a more studious type, we offered Theology 101, Trivia Mania and Hot Topics courses that focused on the history of Israel and antisemitism. And that is not all – there was a Mussar class, a photography class, a class to plan our mitzvah night, a class on Jewish identity pride and Jewish wisdom on sex and relationships.
And the year culminated with a celebration of our seven graduating seniors and a “Summer in Israel” party with opportunities to play gaga, shesh besh (backgammon), matkot (badminton that is frequently played on the beach in Tel Aviv), Taki (an Israeli bestselling card game with over 5 million sold worldwide), Israeli Mad Libs, and to make Israeli Shrinky Dinks. We had cake and ice cream and one last night for our teens to simply hang out with their friends in a Jewish space. Our teens left this final night of Hebrew High full of delicious sweets and memories that will last a lifetime.
Mazel Tov to the Class of 2024:
Lucas Atkins
Jaden Auslander
Deborah Henry
Emma Miller
Emily Schenkel
Shayla Siegel
Asher Yesowitch
