Hebrew High General Information
“Learning is achieved only in company.”
The Talmud
Beth El Synagogue High School of Jewish Studies
14506 California Street
Omaha, NE 68154
Mark Kelln, Education Director
(402) 492-8550 Office
mkelln@bethel-omaha.org
Mark Kelln, BESTT Committee Chair
carynscheer@yahoo.com
Beth El's High School of Jewish Studies is open to students in grades 8-12.
The fall semester will begin on Wednesday, August 31.
Collaborative Learning with Temple Israel
Beth El and Temple Israel religious schools are excited to announce the collaboration of learning we’ve planned for the 2022-2023 school year!
We’re lucky to have secured each of our clergy members to spend time with our youth on Wednesday nights. Not only will students benefit from the varying perspectives of each facilitator, but they will also learn how to engage in lively and respectful debate with one another on topics relevant both to Judaism and modernity. We are particularly excited about the opportunity this provides for our students to spend time with their peers from the broader Jewish community.
The calendar year is structured so that teens from both congregations will spend time together for multiple sessions each month, as well as learning in their own congregations.
Each time we’re gathered in community we will start with dinner and a social activity. The goals of this time are to create and strengthen relationships, build a safe environment for respectful exchange of ideas, and have some fun!
This school year will bring many new faces and formats to the religious school experience; we hope to see you there.
Joint sessions will take place at Beth El during the first semester and at Temple Israel during the second semester, see calendar for details.
2022-2023 Calendar
Schedule - Wednesdays
6:00-6:30 pm Dinner
6:30-7:00 pm Community Building/Active Learning led by educators
7:00-8:00 pm Learning with clergy
When we are at Beth El, teens are welcome and encouraged to hang out in the new youth lounge from 5:30 to 6:00 pm and from 8:00 to 8:30 pm.
Learning with the Clergy: 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Temple Israel and Beth El clergy will teach on a rotating basis, including:
• Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman from Beth El
• Rabbis Batsheva Appel, Aryeh Azriel, Deana Berezin and Cantor Joanna Alexander from Temple
• Other scholars from the community may be invited to teach on select topics
Community Building/Active Learning led by Educators: 6:30 -7:00 pm
The 30 minutes following dinner will be led by Mark & Jennie in partnership with Beth El’s Youth Director, Aliyah Lasky Ruff and Temple’s Director of Teen Engagement, Jay Ascher
Content
The goal is not just to convey knowledge, but to give students the skills needed to research topics on their own.
Topics will:
• Highlight similarities and differences between Jewish movements
• Allow students and clergy to convey differing perspectives
• Allow for exploration of Jewish text to provide foundational knowledge
• Allow for building of background knowledge on content covered
Merit Scholarship
The BESTT High School of Jewish Studies Merit Scholarship Program rewards those students who choose to develop their own base of Jewish knowledge and experience outside the framework of the formal classes. Initial meeting date: Sunday, September 11 at 12:15 pm.
Volunteer Opportunities
We know you need volunteer hours at your public schools. Beth El needs you! And you can have fun too. Please become a Beth El volunteer and mentor to our younger kids.
Madrechim Program
Beginning in 8th Grade students have the opportunity to serve as Madrechim (in class assistants) on Sunday mornings at BESTT. Your first year as Madrichim, you serve as a volunteer. In subsequent years you will be paid, upon repayment of your Service Grant/Merit Scholarship/USY scholarships. Your first year as Madrechim will be considered a training period. Therefore, if you didn’t start in 8th grade but begin serving as Madrichim in 9th grade, your 9th grade year is your volunteer/training year and in 10th grade you begin to be compensated.
Graduation
Please mark your calendars today for our Beth El Graduation. We will celebrate our graduates on Friday, May 6, 5:00 pm & 6:00 pm services.
