18 | AUGUST 19 • 2021 

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teens to be communal connec-
tors and provide more touch-
points for connection.
“Through their friendships 
and relationships, teens can 
find their place in the local 
Jewish community,” Vieder 
says. 
The selected fellows, along 
with Federation’s shinshin-
im (Israeli emissaries), will 
receive extensive training from 
Michigan State Hillel during 
the yearlong fellowship.

SUPPORT FOR PARENTS
Though teens are the focus of 
JCC’s new teen engagement 
model, a special focus is being 

given to their parents as well. 
“We’ve heard from a lot of par-
ents of tweens and teens that 
they don’t have the support 
or educational resources they 
had when their children were 
younger,” Vieder explains.
To build the foundation for 
parental support, particularly 
for parents of teens, the JCC 
will launch “PhD in Parenting,” 
a course being run in com-
munities across the country. 
Using proven parent education 
methodologies, this program 
will enhance parent-teen rela-
tionships, improve parenting 
skills, teach techniques on how 
to reduce stress on teenagers, 

and enable parents to create a 
healthy, peaceful and respect-
ful home environment.
Two cohorts of “PhD in 
Parenting” will be offered 
starting in October with addi-
tional cohorts in the spring. 
Registration will open on JLive 
this month.

HELPING WITH STAFF
Throughout the multi-faceted 
approach, the JCC aims to 
support congregations and 
youth-serving organizations so 
that they can strengthen rela-
tionships with tweens, teens 
and their families, and provide 
meaningful opportunities. The 

most critical need is staff, and 
funding is a challenge.
“Our organizations need 
staff who can focus directly 
on tweens and teens, and 
who have the capacity for 
relationship-building,” Vieder 
explains. Many congregations, 
she says, have limited support 
when it comes to teen engage-
ment. A three-year grant from 
the Hermelin-Davidson Center 
for Congregation Excellence, 
though, will provide the fund-
ing to increase that support — 
and ideally, teen engagement.
A second grant from 
the Stephen H. Schulman 
Millennium Fund for Jewish 

“WE WILL HAVE 

THE RESOURCES 

TO REACH MORE 

TEENS AND 

CONNECT THEM 

TO MEANINGFUL 

AND IMPACTFUL 

JEWISH 

EXPERIENCES.”

— BBYO’S RACHEL ELLIS

TOP: Teens hand out Purim bags at Temple Shir Shalom. LEFT: Jake Witus, Hannah Tilds, Rachel Nakisher, Arthur, an exchange student from 
France, and Maya Contorer at Temple Shir Shalom. RIGHT: Temple Israel teens Charlie Weiner, Mia Hirsch, Zach Simon, Emma Dwoskin, Arielle 
Bauer, Miles Hirsch and Natalie Cooper.

Dinner’s 
On Us!

MONDAY, AUGUST 23 
4 – 6 PM

Stop by our Welcome Center Open House to 

check out our brand-new Virtual Tour and Vision 

Boards! As a thank you for taking the time to 

get a sneak peek, you’ll leave with dinner for 

two - delicious lasagna, salad and tiramisu. 

32825 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, SUITE A, 
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI

WELCOME CENTER:

Assisted Living / Memory Care
30637 W. 14 Mile Rd. / Farmington Hills, MI 

AnthologyFarmingtonHills.com 

RSVP TODAY! 248-382-8766

ANTHOLOGY OF 
FARMINGTON HILLS 

CONTINUE YOUR LIFE STORY WITH US

continued from page 16

OUR COMMUNITY

