The Temple-Tifereth Israel is committed to being a place of belonging for all our members. Post B’nai Mitzvah teens are welcomed into our teen programming.
We offer many program opportunities for worship, leadership, friendship, and scholarship. Continuing our teens on their Jewish Journey with many ways to grow, we create our teen programs with many different types of outcomes.
Worship
Our teens have many opportunities to connect to their Judaism in spiritual ways. From leading or participating in services to holiday programming, our teens are able to worship together as a community. We also host a monthly Teen Shabbat where teens gather at the Temple for a service and then join teens from other area synagogues for a planned social event afterwards.
Teen Choir: Our teen choir, led by Cantor Kathy Sebo meets throughout the year and performs in various worship services.
Scholarship
Chai Learning: Chai Learning is all-new this year with a special “master class” every Monday night! Dinner starts at 6:30 pm followed by a one-hour learning session from 7:00-8:00 pm. Chai Learning is open to students in grades 7-12.
Kallah Learning: Kallah is a hands-on, retreat style experience for learners in grades 8-12. Each lesson is a mix of learning, reflection, volunteerism, and teamwork. Sessions include: field trips, guest speakers, art projects, as well as text study. We meet six times throughout the year for four-hour sessions.
Opportunities
Leadership Institute: 9-12 graders who have shown dedication to the Temple in their learning and participation in Temple programming are invited to join Temple committees where they represent the voice of the Temple teens. We meet eight times during the year to focus on leadership skills including a fall overnight retreat. We also engage with leaders in the Temple and greater Cleveland community.
Madrichim Program: 7-12 graders who are enrolled in Chai Learning can be teaching assistants in the Shabbaton, Sunday and Wednesday Learning programs. They are role models and leaders to our younger learners. Madrichim participate in training through the Nation Madrichim Fellowship where they learn with madrichim all over the country. After volunteering their first year, madrichim are paid a weekly stipend for their participation in this program. Click here to apply for the 2023-24 School Year.
Temple Teen Youth Group: Grades 9-12 (TEFTY) It is with great excitement that we announce the new and improved high school youth group. Led by teens for teens, we will have programs throughout the year which include opportunities for friendships old and new to grow! We will participate in citywide and Regional NFTY programming.
Jr. Temple Teen Youth Group: Grades 7-8 (Jr. TEFTY) This is a wonderful group for our Middle School teens. Our programming will give opportunities to engage in fun, social, and community service events. They not only spend time with their friends from The Temple-Tifereth Israel, but have the opportunity to meet 7-8 graders from other Cleveland reform synagogues. Teens in our Jr. Youth Group are invited to participate in Regional NFTY programming.
Teen Travel
8th Grade IsraelNow: Set flight on a truly rewarding journey with IsraelNow. 8th graders from The Temple join the Cleveland Jewish Community on a 10-day trip to experience Israel in a fun, guided, and educational way during spring break.
9th & 10th Grade Civil Rights Trip: Temple 9th-10th graders join the Cleveland Jewish Community on a 3-day trip to Atlanta, Montgomery, and Birmingham in November for this educational, inspiring, and empowering journey. Students will meet with Reverends who worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as people who participated in the historic Selma marches to make connections between the Jewish response to Civil Rights and what we can do today.
10th Grade Confirmation Trip: Confirmands are taken on a whirlwind weekend in the Big Apple where they’ll attend a service at Central Synagogue, learn about Jewish immigration at Ellis Island, and explore the historical culture of the Lower East Side. The trip also includes NYC sight-seeing stops and a Broadway show!
11th & 12th Grade L’Taken Trip: Join us in the winter of 2025 on a meaningful journey to the nation’s capital. Participants learn together with teens from all over the country about critical social justice topics that are key to Reform Judaism. Teens prepare to visit their local Representatives in the House and Senate and share with them their beliefs on a topic of their choice. This trip occurs every other year.
PATHWAYS: LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL
Did your child graduate from high school this year? Are your children going to away to college, studying online from home, taking a gap year, going into a trade or doing something special, let us know!
Upcoming Events
The Honorable Judge Francine Goldberg, Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations judge, will facilitate a panel of community teens and representatives from various Cleveland area organizations in order to learn from each other. Our collective voices are …