The tenth grade Confirmation year has always been a highlight of socializing, learning and travel. Rabbi Musnitsky looks forward to teaching and exploring together with our tenth graders the challenges of looking at modern day issues through a Jewish lens. Tuition: $595
Highlights of our program for 2022-2023 include (but are not limited to):
Wednesdays from 6:30-8:00pm, beginning October 12, 2022, include core classes, dinner, and a choice of electives. Rabbi Randi Musnitsky leads our tenth grade Confirmation program; electives and special programs will be led by Rabbi Musnitsky, Cantor Benrey, and other dynamic teachers and guest presenters throughout the year.
Tuesday Topics with Clergy: Chai School students in grades 8-12 are invited to join our clergy on six Tuesday evenings over the course of the year, for dinner and a discussion of significant events, news items and happenings in our community and around the world. Tuesday dates for the 2022/23 school year include: October 18, November 1, January 17, February 7, March 21, April 25.
L’Taken Social Justice Seminar (Grades 10-12): This annual trip to Washington, D.C. is one of the most memorable and most highly anticipated events of the tenth grade year! Students are given an incredible opportunity to impact our country as they share their views on social justice topics with decision-makers on Capitol Hill. The program, run by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, is designed to help teens gain a unique understanding of the political process and see how Jewish values are relevant in today’s world. Participants learn about issues that are relevant to us personally and collectively, as Jews and as Americans. The trip culminates with meetings in congressional and senatorial offices on Capitol Hill where we will personally lobby for the issues of our choice. This year’s anticipated trip dates are December 9-12, 2022.
Service Learning/Community Service projects: In keeping with the Jewish value of tikkun olam – the idea that we are responsible for helping to repair the world – Chai School students will have the opportunity to participate in several service learning projects together over the course of the year. Some projects will occur during Wednesday evening class times, and others will be available on different days of the week and at different times. Volunteer work completed for these programs may be used towards community service or volunteer hours requirements needed for school, scouting, or National Honor Society pursuits, pursuant to the individual guidelines set by each organization.
Other Travel: In addition to the L’Taken Social Justice Seminar trip to Washington, D.C., tenth graders take a special day trip together in the Spring with Rabbi Musnitsky and Cantor Benrey. The trip offered varies from year to year, with input from students in the group. (As an example, last year’s class traveled into New York City to see a Broadway show and enjoy a delicious dinner together at a kosher deli!)
Registration for Chai School is open to Temple Har Shalom members in good standing. Tuition for Grade 10 is $595 for the year, and it includes access to any and all of the programs, events and trips open to the tenth grade class.
What are our students saying?
“Confirmation class for me has always been a place I’ve felt accepted and appreciated for bringing my perspective and I think this idea of acceptance and appreciation of outside ideas is a very large theme in Judaism. Within the Torah, we are told of all of the stories of Moses, Jonah, Noah, Rebecca, Jacob, Isaac, and everyone else, who are all drastically different people with such different perspectives and stories. However, they all have a story to tell and they all have a lesson to learn from. I believe that our Confirmation class represents a smaller scale of this; with everyone here having different stories and experiences to bring to the table. This allows for everyone to have a story to tell and a lesson to teach.”
– N.P., 2022 Confirmand
“This year, we have spoken about many important current and past events, some of which I would never hear about in my school. I took a Holocaust and Genocide elective at my school, and to my surprise, I was the only Jew in my entire class. It shocked me, and sparked my interest in learning more about these difficult topics at Temple Har Shalom. Being Jewish is such a big part of my life…”
– S.L., 2022 Confirmand
