Pathways (8th-12th Grade) - Temple Shaaray Tefila

Pathways (8th-12th Grade)

Spring 2020 COVID-19 Update:

Due to concerns around the coronavirus and follow regulations from the city, Pathways has suspended all in-person teen programming. We have moved many of our opportunities virtually. TaSTY, TA, and Electives have all resumed as part of Virtual Pathways. Teens can join for learning, social activities, and connection with other teens online.

To see a list of all Virtual Pathways opportunities for April and May, download the Virtual Pathways Calendar. To learn more about our virtual teen community, check out this blog post from Andrew Paull, Director of Teen Engagement. To learn more, please be in touch with Andrew directly.

The Basics

Pathways is our comprehensive, choice-based program for High School students. Beginning in the Spring semester of 8th Grade through the end of 12th Grade, Pathways is a community of teens that choose their own Jewish journey through connecting with friends, traveling, volunteering, interning, learning, and leading their peers. In Pathways, teens can:

Join TaSTY, our teen led youth group
Become a TA in our Religious School
Travel on our grade trips to New Orleans, Alabama, Washington, DC, Europe, and Israel
Learn with our clergy and faculty in Electives
Intern with Shaaray Tefila staff
Create their own opportunity in consultation with our staff

While many of our Pathways programs take place on Monday evenings, view the calendar link in the “Calendars & Parent Resources” tab below for specific dates and times for our Pathways programs.

Please Note: Enrollment in Temple Shaaray Tefila Religious School is available to member families in good standing.

The Details

TaSTY

The senior youth group of Pathways is TaSTY – Temple Shaaray Tefila Youth. Led by the teen-elected TaSTY Board, TaSTY offers social programs and holiday celebrations open to all Pathways teens. TaSTY meets every Monday night from 7:30-8:30pm in the Youth Lounge, plus for special events throughout the year. TaSTY is part of NFTY-NAR, the New York Area region of the North American Federation of Temple Youth, and TaSTY members can participate in their regional events throughout the year. Learn more about NFTY-NAR »

2019-20 TaSTY Executive Board

Andrew Feller, President
Matthew Furman, Vice President
Melissa Weinstein, Engagement Vice President
Ilana Segal, Social Action Vice President
Emma Krasner, Religious and Cultural Vice President
Reed Yulis, Israel Vice President
Sophie Ingber, Social Media Vice President
Hannah Freiberg, Food and Design Vice President

Mentor the next generation of Shaaray Tefila students as a Teaching Assistant (TA). Offered on a variety of days, TAs will work as a team with guidance from a teacher to work one-on-one in Hebrew, help students with learning, and assist with classroom management. TAs must have at least 75% attendance of TA sessions and attend all meetings. TAs can earn a small stipend or community service.To begin the TA process, teens can enroll in the TA-in-Training elective in the fall of 9th Grade or the spring of 8th Grade.

Learn from Shaaray Tefila clergy and outside guest faculty in areas of interest for you! Join with friends for these interactive learning programs with our rabbis, cantors, and other expert teachers. Electives rotate throughout the semester on Monday nights from 6:00-7:10pm, followed by dinner 7:10-7:30pm and TaSTY 7:30-8:30pm. For Fall 2019, our elective lineup includes:

Senior Seminar with Rabbi Mosbacher
Shir Leadership with Cantor Kipnis and Sydney Lazar, Cantorial Intern
Israel Moadon with Gili Milinizki
Jewish TV & Movies Club with Sydney Lazar, Cantorial Intern

A cornerstone of the Temple Shaaray Tefila teen experience are Jewish immersive teen trips. Each year, there is a Pathways trip available for your grade to visit somewhere meaningful and unique, often with other NYC teens. All trips include elements of Jewish learning, community service, sightseeing, and free time. For many trips, there are pre-trip and post-trip learning sessions to deepen the trip experiences. Space is limited for all trips. Additional fees and registration are required to participate. You may be required to complete additional permission forms and releases for trips.

2019-20 Pathways Trips Calendar

Grade 8: Social Action Journey to New Orleans
Trip Dates: Thursday, January 16-Monday, January 20, 2020
Trip Organizer: Etgar 36
Join with teens from Temple Israel and Temple Emanu-El for a social justice weekend to learn about the culture of this historic and ever-changing Southern landmark city, plus plenty of sightseeing and jazz music.
Grade 9: Civil Rights Journey to Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham
Trip Dates:Thursday, February 27-Sunday, March 1, 2020
Trip Organizer: Etgar 36
Join with teens from Temple Israel and Temple Emanu-El for a powerful weekend of visiting Civil Rights sights and learning about Jewish participation in the Civil Rights movement
Grade 10: L’Taken Social Justice Seminar in Washington, DC
Trip Dates: Friday, January 24-Monday, January 27, 2020
Seminar Organizer: Religious Action Center
Join with your Shaaray Tefila friends and hundreds of Jewish teens for a weekend of social justice learning, sightseeing, and lobbying on Capitol Hill on issues you care about.
Grade 11 and 12: Prague European Adventure
Trip Dates: Thursday, February 13-Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Trip Organizer: Ayelet Tours
Join our capstone travel experience to Prague! Over Presidents’ Day Weekend, we will travel to the Czech Republic and experience one of Europe’s most fascinating and majestic cities. Our trip will include time touring and sightseeing, learning about the local Jewish community, enjoying local cuisine, and immersing in the culture of this exciting European destination.
Grade 10 and 11: Israel Teen Exchange
Dates: Hosting in New York April 8-7, 2019, traveling to Haifa, Israel December 19-29, 2019
Our capstone teen travel experience is the Israel Teen Exchange – a one-to-one peer exchange with a teen from Haifa, Israel. The application for the next cohort of the Israel Teen Exchange is now open and due Sunday, September 23. Learn more & Start the application »

Intern at Temple Shaaray Tefila and earn school credit or community service. Work with our staff and gain real-world experience in the fields of communication, programming, events, education, and engagement.

2019-20 Pathways Interns

Lindsey Cronin, Social Media Intern
Alexa Goldman, Office Intern
Maxie Krane, Strategy Intern
Emma Krasner, Programs and Event Intern
Elle Krulwich, Education Intern
Kate Shapiro, Education Intern

Click here to register for Pathways 2020-2021 >>

*Enrollment in Temple Shaaray Tefila Religious School is available to member families in good standing.

If you are not current in any of your Temple financial obligations, we cannot process your registration and we will not hold a spot for your child until you are in good standing. It is our policy that all fees need to be paid prior to the first day of school. Students will not be allowed to start Religious School until full payment is received. If you have any questions about this, please contact Amy Schwach, our Executive Director, by email at aschwach@tstnyc.org or by phone at 212-535-8225.

Spring 2020 COVID-19 Update:

The Basics

The Details

2019-20 TaSTY Executive Board

2019-20 Pathways Trips Calendar

2019-20 Pathways Interns

LEARN MORE & APPLY »

Andrew Paull

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES »

2019-20 At-a-Glance: Opening Dates, School Closings, and Last Days »

Pathways (8th-12th Grade) 2019-20 Calendar »

Click here to register for Pathways 2020-2021 >>

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