7th Grade and Up

Our Program

B'nei Mitzvah and Beyond

7th Grade

Tuesdays 6:30-8:00pm

7th grade will start off with dinner alongside our 8th -12th grade students, followed by an hour of class. Learners will spend one semester focused on social justice and service projects that can be used as inspiration for mitzvah projects and one semester focused on making personal meaning of prayers through poetry, art, and other creative means.

A group of religious school students pose in matching t-shirts
Three Madrichim members pose together in a classroom.

Madrichim in Training (8th grade & up)

Tuesdays 5:45-6:30

This program trains our teens to become teaching assistants in our Religious School program and provides basic job skills. Students must complete this class prior to working in the Religious School.

About the Madrichim program

8th - 12th Grade

Tuesdays 6:30-8:00pm

We will start with 30 minutes of dinner, followed by an hour of class. Below are our courses, which are each a semester unless otherwise noted:  

  • 8th Grade: Holocaust Studies, Comparative Religion
  • 9th Grade: Answering Modern Questions Jewishly, Trying on Traditions
  • 10th Grade: Confirmation with the Clergy (all year), Washington D.C. trip
  • 11th Grade: Israeli History and Culture, My Relationship with Israel, Israel trip
  • 12th Grade: Developing and Taking Pride in My Unique Jewish Identity in College and Beyond (all year)
Students pose together around a cake to celebrate the end of the school year.
A group of students pose together while volunteering in the community.

Travel Opportunities

10th Grade

Washington D.C.

Our 10th grade class travels to Washington D.C. to participate in the Religious Action Center’s L’Taken seminar. During the trip, students learn about how Judaism can help inform how we approach various current social justice issues. Alongside Reform Jewish teens from across the country, they will write speeches and go to Capitol Hill to meet with Congress and advocate for the topics that matter most to them.   

11th Grade

Israel

Our 11th Grade students get to breathe Israel, taste Israel, feel Israel, connect to Israel and learn to love Israel by experiencing it upfront and personal on our Platt Youth to Israel Trip. This program provides a ten-day travel experience for Beth Israel high school juniors who have demonstrated significant involvement in the congregation and a desire to give back. 

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Platt Family for their exceptional generosity in supporting the Platt Youth trip to Israel. Their unwavering commitment to this cause has allowed us to provide a life-changing experience for young people, fostering a profound connection with Israel and their Jewish heritage. Through their support, we have been able to expand the reach of our program, providing more young people with the opportunity to explore the wonders of Israel firsthand. The Platt Family’s contribution has truly made a difference in the lives of so many young people, and we are honored to have their support.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Jewish Federation of San Diego for providing underwriting support for each teen on our trip. With the Federation’s partnership, we have been able to reach more young people, helping them to develop a deep connection with Israel and their Jewish heritage. We are grateful to the Federation for directing funds to support our teens and create meaningful opportunities for our youth.