Pathways

The senior youth group of Pathways is called 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, plus special events throughout the year.

After their B’nei Mitzvah, our young teens embark on an educational and fun journey to explore what it means to be a Jew today. Every Monday from 6:00-7:10pm, our post-B’nei Mitzvah teens learn with an assortment of educators and clergy to better understand their place in our diverse world through programming that touches upon the intersection of Judaism and politics, pop culture, social issues, and social media. Our 11th and 12th graders have specialized learning sessions with educators, clergy, and speakers that push them to think critically about how their Jewish identities exist in the context of history and in the world. Shaaray Tefila offers an opportunity to enroll in courses about Jewish history and identity that can count towards college credit.

Teaching Assistants (TAs) work as a team, with guidance from a teacher, to assist students from Kindergarten to 6th Grade in their Jewish learning and one-on-one Hebrew study. TAs earn community service hours for their time spent learning and growing professional skills during either Sunday (9:00-11:30am) or Monday (4:00-6:00pm) Religious School. TAs engage in TA training in the spring of 8th grade and attend two TA training sessions each subsequent year.

Shir Leadership is our exclusive teen choir. Teens train with Senior Cantor Kipnis to learn unique pieces of music and prayers, gain valuable experience as music and worship leaders, and find inspiration from the prayers and melodies they perform. Teens rehearse on Monday evenings during Pathways (6:00-7:10PM) as one of their Pathways choices, and perform at services and events throughout the year. If you are interested in joining Shir Leadership, please reach out to Cantor Kipnis!

A cornerstone of the Temple Shaaray Tefila teen experience are Jewish immersive teen trips. Each year, there is a Pathways trip available for each grade to visit somewhere meaningful and unique. 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, and additional fees and registration are required to participate. There may also be additional permission forms and releases to fill out for trips.

In 2025-2026, our trips include:

8th Grade: The Catskills and Jewish Life in Greater New York

8th graders will get to take an educational and fun trip just a couple hours north to the Borscht Belt on October 19th, 2025, to learn about Jewish history and roots in New York state, all the while enjoying the fall foliage that upstate has to offer (think apple picking) and enjoying classic food and diners!

9th and 10th Grade: The Religious Action Center (RAC), Washington, DC

Our 9th graders take a transformative trip to Washington D.C. from January 9th-12th, 2026, where they learn how Jewish values and political processes intersect in the national halls of our capital. These teens, who have just entered high school and are beginning to think through their own political leanings and alignments, spend a weekend with Jewish lobbyists to learn how the many Judaic principles and morals that they have learned after years in our religious school are translated into legislative proposals and documents. Teens are able to pick issues they personally care about and workshop how to draft documents that appeal to elected officials to invest in their cause.

11th and 12th Grade: International Educational Getaway

Our Juniors and Seniors final Pathways trips take them to faraway destinations to explore different cultures, learn how Jewish life takes shape in divergent places, and give them ample time to tour new sites and neighborhoods with their friends they’ve made over the past decade in our religious school and youth programs. Recent destinations have included Portugal, Cuba, the Czech Republic, and Austria. From February 12-18, 2026, we will travel as a group to Morocco.

8th thru 12th Grade: Local NYC Adventures

We have a rotating series of local trips that all members of Pathways are able to attend. We are always developing new trips to show our teens across all the boroughs of our city, but recent trips have included: ice skating at the Rockefeller Center rink, a pizza tour of New York City slice staples, a culinary and cultural tour of the Lower East Side, and bowling and escape room outings.

High schoolers can register for a variety of options. There are many ways to engage at Shaaray Tefila after your B’nei Mitzvah! Visit our PATHWAYS page for more information.

EARLY BIRD PRICING (through July 31)

Pathways ALL
Mondays all year: Class @6:00-7:10pm, Dinner @7:10-7:30pm, TaSTY @7:30-8:30pm
Program options include everything listed below, smaller field trips, and opportunities to learn in unique programming with our youth department.
Cost: $1,000

Pathways Teaching Assistant (TA) Only
Sundays from 9:00-11:00am OR Mondays from 4:00-6:00pm
Mentor the next generation of Shaaray Tefila students as a Teaching Assistant (TA), learn job skills, and support our Religious School. Community service awarded.
Cost: $950

Enrollment in Temple Shaaray Tefila Religious School and Pathways 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.