youth groups

by Emily Zussman

fun and Judaism

NFTY kallah brings Michigan's Reform youth together.

Zoe Yedwab and Ashley

T

he North American Fed-
eration of Temple Youth
Michigan Region (NFTY-
MI) spent the last weekend of Jan-
uary at Temple Beth Emeth in Ann
Arbor for its annual winter kallah
(conclave).
Reform Jewish high school students
from across the state participated in
creative programs and inspiring ser-
vices based on the theme of finding
a balance between their Jewish and
secular lives.
"I absolutely loved it and it was
easy to make friends because people
were so welcoming," said Miriam
Ackervall, a sophomore from Temple
Beth Emeth. "I also thought that the
discussions were really interesting."
A highlight was the annual semi-
formal dance on Saturday night.
"I loved the contrast between danc-

ing with my friends to great music and
then winding it down with a beauti-
ful, candlelit Havdalah service," said
freshman Zoe Yedwab from Temple
Israel in West Bloomfield.
Winter Kallah also featured a fun
afternoon of bowling, a Jewish medi-
tation session and a spirited NFTY
The NFTY Michigan region is
song session.
made up of 15 Temple Youth Groups
Emily Neff, a senior from Temple (TYGs) from Reform congregations in
Israel, said, "I am hooked — another Michigan. Through TYG and NFTY
perfect weekend in NFTY-MI!"
involvement, teens take an active
NFTY is the youth arm of the Re- leadership role and identify study
form movement of Judaism and is a and social action themes and create
snif (branch) of Netzer Olami, the pro- experiential programming and ser-
gressive world Zionist youth move- vices based on them. Teens also have
ment. NFTY provides an experience the opportunity through NFTY-MI
for Reform Jewish high school stu- to work closely with their rabbis and
dents, allowing them to connect with Jewish professionals, creating unique
other Reform Jews from across North and lasting relationships.
America to discuss, pray and change
Emily Shaw, a senior from Temple
the world.
Beth El in Bloomfield Township, said,

Sakwa, freshmen at

West Bloomfield High

School, and Rachel

Kestenberg, a freshman

at Birmingham Andover

High School; all

belong to Temple Israel.

"It was a really great weekend because
I got to meet a bunch of new people
and discuss issues all while staying
connected to Judaism."
For more information, check out the
NFTY-MI Web site, www.nfty.org/mi,
or contact NFTY-MI adviser Susie
Abrams at sabrams@urj.org .

Emily Zussman, NFTY-Ml

president and member of

Temple Emanu-E1 In Oak

Park, Is a senior at Detroit

Country Day, Beverly Hills.

in the classroom

by Rachel Gorosh

Staying Fluent

L

Students initiate advanced Hebrew class at ATID.

ast year, most of Detroit's Con-
servative synagogues joined
together to form a Hebrew
high school called ATID (Alliance of
Teens in Detroit). As it evolves, ATID
has changed its classes many times to
meet the needs of its students.
A recent graduate of Hillel Day
School of Metropolitan Detroit, I
wanted to keep up my Hebrew skills
because I now go to a public school
that doesn't offer Hebrew. My Hillel
friends and I (after eight years of He-
brew) got together and decided to join
ATID's Hebrew conversational class.
We figured it would be a class on
our level where we would be able to
get together and speak fluent Hebrew
like we used to. But we walked into this
class and found out we were wrong.
People in the class were learning el-
ementary words such as "head" and
"eyes."
We knew this wasn't the class for us
and we needed our voices to be heard.

We requested that an advanced con-
versational Hebrew class be formed.
Rabbi Jason Miller, ATID direc-
tor, had this to say about our request:
"In the planning meetings, before we
even launched ATID, all of the educa-
tional partners from the participating
Conservative synagogues agreed that
whenever possible, we should give the
teens what they want. This was a clear-
cut case in which a group of teens re-
spectfully requested an advanced con-
versational Hebrew class as an elective.
These day school graduates wanted to
continue to learn Hebrew together,
and we were able to provide them with
a class that met their needs."
The class definitely meets our needs
and expectations. Not only is it a place
for us to keep up on our Hebrew skills,
but also a place for old friends to con-
gregate and be together in a stress-free
environment. Our teacher, Adam Ba-
ruch, comes to class every Monday
with a fun activity planned for us. The

TT2 teen2teen February 18 • 2010

one and only rule is to al-
ways speak Hebrew.
Adam, a recent college
graduate and Hillel Day
School alumni, believes "it
is important for students
from Hillel to maintain their
Hebrew skills."
Front: Carly Sternberg and Rachel Gorosh, both 14 and
Since the first class, my
of West Bloomfield. Standing: Jamie Hart, 14, of West
friends and I have connect-
Bloomfield and Gab! Stone, 14, of Bloomfield Hills.
ed with Adam. I am thank-
ful the ATID administrators staffed Council of Synagogues) made up of
our class with such an excellent role ATID student leaders who continue to
model.
help ATID grow and change accord-
"Adam is a very talented young ing to the demands and desires of the
man and an energetic educator," Mill- students.
er said. "This is a win-win for ATID
As a member of TACOS, I know
and for the students who requested the I will continue to effectuate changes
elective."
that will have a positive impact in the
I feel fortunate my voice was heard
future — or atid — of
and I was able to positively affect
ATID. )
Rachel Gorosh, 14, of
ATID by helping to form this class.
West Bloomfield Is a
But change does not have to stop here.
Bloomfield Hills Andover
ATID administrators recently formed
High School freshman.
a group called TACOS (Teen Alliance

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