7th – 12th Grade
Rimon Noar and JLF meet Mondays 7:00 – 8:30pm
In a nutshell, Rimon Noar and JLF are all about relationships. This is a program where 7th-12th Grade teens come together to share and continue their connections to Temple Sholom, their Jewish touch points, and their friends. Rimon Noar is designed to meet teens where they are. The Rimon Noar program provides unique, innovative and engaging opportunities. We want our teens to develop tangible life skills that will enable them to share their voices and passions as they continue to grow their individual and collective Jewish identity.
Why Teens Attend Rimon Noar and JLF…
- Tikkun Olam – a commitment to make the world a better and more just place through social justice and social action.
- Kehillah – being part of a supportive, tolerant, accepting and interdependent thinking community.
- Preparation – building knowledge and skills to navigate the college years and beyond through Jewish values and the tools for ethical decision-making.
What Your Teen Will Gain from Rimon Noar and JLF…
- Tangible Life Skills – participation in Rimon Noar enables teens to practice important skills for college and beyond such as, public speaking, debate, and advocacy.
- Relationships – not only with other teens, but with adults who they will see as mentors in their future endeavors.
7th grade
During the first part of the year, 7th graders will explore the Holocaust through the lens of human behavior. Through film, primary sources and discussion, learners will wrestle with important themes and issues. During the latter part of the year, teens will choose their own path through electives.
8th grade
During the first part of the year, 8th graders will “meet” the Prophets and begin to develop their own thoughts on issues such as social justice and ways to impact their world. During the latter part of the year, teens will choose their own path through electives.
2021-2022 Bearing Witness for Courageous Action
“To sit in the dust of the wise is to travel in their footsteps, follow their logic, and test their conclusions. But once you have walked in their path, you must step off and see what is so for yourself. Wisdom cannot be secondhand.” ~from Ethics of the Sages
What is the soil you are to till? This spiritual, personal, and practical question will guide our JLF journey in the coming year. Elie Weisel believed that anyone who has lived through an experience is duty bound to bear witness to it. We will gather to learn from the wise who dedicate themselves to civil rights, reflect on our own experience and purpose, seek to find common ground among divergent views, and engage in actions to serve our community with courage, integrity, and imagination.
Monday – 7:00 – 8:30pm (9th – 12th Grade)
We will be holding our classes masked and in-person socially distanced. We are hopefully that there will be opportunities for travel and service this coming year but, safety is obviously the biggest factor. We are hoping to get to Washington, DC for a four day Political Action program with the Religious Action Center that includes lobbying and training on important issues of our time. We also are hoping to have our civil rights trip over President’s weekend to Memphis, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas.
September 2021
Sept. 13: Opening Evening / Set up for service
Sept. 20: Volunteer project with Our Closet – https://www.ourclosetpa.org/
Students will meet at Our Closet for service work
Sept. 27: Text study with Rabbi Rigler
October 2021
Oct. 3: Mitzvah Day 12-3pm
Oct. 4: RAC Listening Campaign (Goal: Topics will surface for students) with Rabbi Stacy Rigler
Oct. 11: RAC Listening Campaign with Rabbi Stacy Rigler
Oct. 18: Political Justice with Malcolm Kenyatta (with the Media NAACP Youth Council)
Oct. 25: Voting Rights with Jamie Mogil
November 2021
Nov. 1: What does it mean to bear witness and till the soil? (How does God want you to use this experience? Be a blessing?)
Nov. 8: Immigration/Portia Kamara, Director of the Multi Cultural Center
Nov. 15: Student Leadership Opportunity
Nov. 29: Hanukkah Text Study
December 2021
Dec. 6: Mark E. Talbot, Sr. (former Norristown Police Chief) “It’s been a great experience” – Mark Talbot reflects on service as Norristown’s police chief
Dec. 13: Gun Violence Prevention
Dec. 20: TBD