Teens @ Am Shalom is our new program to offer more flexibility and directed learning for our 8th-10th graders. We want to give more students a variety of paths to Confirmation, including both learning and community activities. 

There are SIX different ways for a Confirmation student to accrue credits:

• Students can receive 1 credit for each learning trimester attended.
• Students can receive 1 credit for being one of our madrichol for the year
• Students can receive 1 credit for being a member of Shir Chadash
• Students can receive 1 credit for serving on the Am Shalom (AShTY) Teen Board

The learning year is divided into three trimesters, and learners can enroll in 1, 2, or 3 trimesters. Registration will re-open before each trimester, except for the trips, which will have a hard deadline.

In order to be eligible for the Confirmation Seminar (and participate in the Confirmation ceremony at the end of the 10th grade), learners will need to accrue 3 credits each year. (So - 3 credits in your 8th grade year, 3 credits in the 9th grade year, and 3 credits in the 10th grade year, including the Confirmation Seminar, which is required for Confirmation.)

• This year’s 10th graders need 3 total credits, including Confirmation.
• This year’s 9th graders will need 6 total credits covering this year and next.
• This year’s 8th graders will need 9 total credits, covering their 8-10th grade years.

Teens @ Am Shalom also includes learning opportunities for our 11th and 12th grade students to continue the conversations. Previous participation in Confirmation programs is not required. 

Jump to: Registration - Trimester Dates - Overview of Each Grade's Offerings

Registration by Grade Level:

Please click the link below to log into your Shulcloud account and register your student. If you are registering more than one student, you can come back and start a new form for each student.

• 8th Grade
• 9th Grade
• 10th Grade
• 11th/12th Grade
• *Madrichol and Shir Chadash Application - for 8th-12th graders (*This is a Google form, and should be filled out by the TEEN and does not need login.)

Trimester Dates

Fall Trimester

9/11, 9/18, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13

Winter Trimester

11/20, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5

Spring Trimester

2/12, 2/26, 3/12, 3/19, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14

Courses by Grade

(More details on the registration page for each grade)

8th Grade:

(Fall) New York City Seminar - Students will learn about the different streams and practices of American Judaism and have the chance to experience some of these aspects in a culminating trip. (Students who sign up for this option must be registered by August 15 and agree to attend at least 70% of the sessions before the trip. An additional form will be required as well as a parent meeting.) Trip Dates: November 4-6, 2022

(Fall) Current Events with a Jewish Lens - Students will explore major issues and news items and how our Judaism helps us to interpret the world. 

(Winter) My So-Called Jewish Life - This class will include everything you ever wanted to know about being Jewish but were afraid to ask! A review of classic traditions and modern ideas, all with a teen upgrade.

(Spring) Being Jewish in a Non-Jewish World - Being only .2% of the world’s population can sometimes be a challenge. We’ll discuss how antisemism has shaped the Jewish community today and affect us in different ways.

(Spring) Tikkun Olam (Repair of the World) - The foundational Jewish values of social action and social justice will be explored and put into action.

9th Grade: 

(Fall) Sex in the Texts - Looking at a number of stories in the Torah, we will have frank conversations about consent and personal empowerment. We’ll go beyond the G-rated versions of the stories to understand why the Torah is actually so interesting. 

(Fall) Current Events with a Jewish Lens - Students will explore major issues and news items and how our Judaism helps us to interpret the world. 

(Winter) Civil Rights Trip Seminar - Jews have long been active in Civil Rights work in our country. Our Civil Rights Seminar and Trip uses the history, sites, and current issues as a springboard to highlight the relationship, and at times, the tension, of the Jewish and American identity. (Students who sign up for this option must be registered by October 1 and agree to attend at least 70% of the sessions before the trip. An additional form will be required as well as a parent meeting.) Trip Dates: January 27-29, 2023

(Winter) My So-Called Jewish Life - This class will include everything you ever wanted to know about being Jewish but were afraid to ask! A review of classic traditions and modern ideas, all with a teen upgrade.

(Winter) Yisrael v’Ani (Israel and Me) - Our relationship to Israel can be complicated and what we see on the news can add extra layers to it. This class will discuss a variety of modern and historical ideas about Israel and help teens acquire language to talk about Israel.

(Spring) Being Jewish in a Non-Jewish World - Being only .2% of the world’s population can sometimes be a challenge. We’ll discuss how antisemism has shaped the Jewish community today and affect us in different ways.

(Spring) Tikkun Olam (Repair of the World) - The foundational Jewish values of social action and social justice will be explored and put into action.

10th Grade:

(Fall) Sex in the Texts - Looking at a number of stories in the Torah, we will have frank conversations about consent and personal empowerment. We’ll go beyond the G-rated versions of the stories to understand why the Torah is actually so interesting. 

(Fall) Current Events with a Jewish Lens - Students will explore major issues and news items and how our Judaism helps us to interpret the world. 

(Winter) Civil Rights Trip Seminar - Jews have long been active in Civil Rights work in our country. Our Civil Rights Seminar and Trip uses the history, sites, and current issues as a springboard to highlight the relationship, and at times, the tension, of the Jewish and American identity. (Students who sign up for this option must be registered by October 1 and agree to attend at least 70% of the sessions before the trip. An additional form will be required as well as a parent meeting.) Trip Dates: January 27-29, 2023

(Winter) Yisrael v’Ani (Israel and Me) - Our relationship to Israel can be complicated and what we see on the news can add extra layers to it. This class will discuss a variety of modern and historical ideas about Israel and help teens acquire language to talk about Israel.

(Spring - required for Confirmation) Confirmation Seminar and Retreat - Our teens are, more than ever, confronting issues and definitions of their own identities. This culminating learning experience helps to synthesize where Judaism fits into those identities. Students will affirm and confirm their place in our community. To facilitate this intensive look at the self, we have a retreat and conclude with the Confirmation ceremony. (Both are required for the authenticity of the learning experience.) 
Confirmation Retreat: April 14-15, 2023
Confirmation Ceremony: May 21, 2023 at 3:00pm

11th/12th Grade:

11th/12th Grade Seminar - We are so happy to be able to again offer our 11th & 12th graders an opportunity to continue their Jewish development through thoughtful conversations about the many topics that matter to them such as environmentalism, community health, civil rights, and how do we think of Israel in today's world. 11th/12th Grade Seminar will meet in person once a month October-May for a total of 8 sessions.   We will meet on Wednesdays after Hebrew School (6:00 - 7:30pm) - dinner will be provided. There is no cost for this program but we do require registration.

Civil Rights Trip Seminar - Winter Trimester - Jews have long been active in Civil Rights work in our country. Our Civil Rights Seminar and Trip uses the history, sites, and current issues as a springboard to highlight the relationship, and at times, the tension, of the Jewish and American identity. (Students who sign up for this option must be registered by October 1 and agree to attend at least 70% of the sessions before the trip. An additional form will be required as well as a parent meeting.)  This has a hard registration deadline of October 1, 2022.