Youth & Education
I’m delighted to share an overview of Youth and Education at FRS in 2021. As you will read, despite the ongoing challenges of recent times, we have kept ourselves busy, enjoying the continuation of some of our programming, changes to other programming and, as always, a constant drive to ensure that we are catering for as broad a sector of the community as possible. Please do take the time, also, to read about the phenomenal team of professionals who share in creating, developing and delivering this programme with me – I couldn’t do it without them!
The Professional Team
In the year Jan to Dec 2021, we benefited from sustained stability within the team, with just one element of change. Rachel Fidler continues to be our fantastic administrator, pulling together all the pieces of the youth and education jigsaw from the many angles from which she sees it. Ravid Kochavi has been co-ordinating our Hebrew programme for some six+ years, and this year saw Maya Gottlieb reach the end of three annual cycles with us as our Senior Youth Worker. Joel Stokes spent most of the year bringing his expertise to the team in his part time youth worker capacity. He then switched roles in November 2021 to focus on fewer elements of our programming, in order to fit better with his PhD studies. We were able to create a Youth Educator role for him, and subsequently brought in Daniella Myers to assist Maya with the youth worker role. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Joel for his time and efforts as part time youth worker, and to welcome Dani to the role – we look forward to getting to know her better as she finds her feet within the team and in the wider community!
Kochavim (cheder)
In order to accommodate the ever-changing rules of the pandemic, Kochavim went through amendments and customisations on multiple occasions this year to take account of the added challenges. From January to May half-term, we carried out the sessions online, with our staff now well-versed in the use of videoconferencing for younger students. We employed a two-session model for every Sunday, adapting the content of our teaching to work better on Zoom. We were able to return in person for the final six weeks of the academic year in the summer, making the most of the better weather and using the lovely garden at Ruben’s House as much as possible as a teaching space.
From September 2021, we continued in person, prioritising giving our primary-school aged children weekly opportunities to re-build, re-new and create peer friendships at Kochavim by temporarily working with a 5-week rotating system of creative learning which is undertaken in year groups. This ensures that every week feels fresh – they might be studying through cooking one week, drama the next and music, art or sports on another – whilst continuing to ensure that the students are re-engaging with their peers as they simultaneously study the topics that we want them to enjoy and become familiar with. I’m pleased to report that Kochavim remains a busy, nurturing environment, where we encourage Jewish learning and friendship-building in a safe, warm and stimulating environment.
Massuot – our ‘build-your-own’ B’nei Mitzvah Programme
2021 was the year in which our new B’nei Mitzvah programme really took off, as the cohort who began year 8 in September 2021 are the first who will ultimately complete the full cycle – despite the challenges of the pandemic. This programme encourages family learning throughout, with our year 6s enjoying monthly outings to museums, planetariums and other locations where, with the help of our clergy, they can grapple with some of our bigger questions. In 2021, these sessions were a mixture of online and in-person learning – depending on the status of Covid guidance at that point!
We introduced a new teacher to our Community Life and Learning sessions, as they moved from online (until summer 2021) to in-person from September 2021. Joel Stokes has moved seamlessly from his role as part time youth worker to part time youth educator, and has been thoroughly enjoying debating such things as “What is God and prayer?” and “What does it mean to be Jewish?” with our year 7 and 8 families. Students in years 7 and 8 have also been learning about how to develop and carry out mitzvah projects with Maya, our fabulous Senior Youth Worker. These projects have included sporting challenges, fundraisers for refugee appeals and girls’ education around the world, and a ‘random acts of kindness’ project. It is so wonderful to see these young people really take their place in the adult Jewish world, thinking beyond their immediate world, as they become B’nei Mitzvah with FRS.
Between team building away-days, Mitzvah Project sessions and Friday Group (our peer-led mentoring programme on Friday afternoons), our B’nei Mitzvah programme is truly unique, and we are so fortunate to have the expert tuition of Rabbi Miriam, Cantor Zöe, Rabbi Deborah, Ravid and our Youth Workers and Youth Educator supporting different elements of it. Preparing our youngsters for their B’nei Mitzvah milestone really is a team effort!
Ruach
2021 was the second year our teen band, Ruach, has been working together, service-leading and performing, originally inspired by our teen trip to New York in 2019, and brilliantly directed by Gili Goldberg. The band were able to create video content on a number of occasions throughout the year, helping us to celebrate different community occasions in their own way. Shabbat Shira, Pesach and the High Holidays all take on another layer of spirituality with this fabulous group of approximately eight band members, including both singers and musicians. We look forward to hearing what they will produce next.
Notes from our Hebrew Co-ordinator
Notes from our Youth Worker
Challenges for the future
As we face the reality of our impending move, we are so excited to see what the next year brings. Watch this space for more innovative programming, creative solutions to the challenges that we face, and a constant drive to keep the Jewish journey meaningful and personal for each child and family at FRS. We really hope you’ll be a part of this journey with us!
Karen Bloom
Director of Education
