Teen Programs

In the Fundamentals for 6th Graders program run by Rabbi Ari Moffic, 6th graders will meet weekly to build confidence in foundational Jewish “hard skills” and concepts, including Hebrew, Torah study, the prayer service, public speaking, as well as exploring modern Jewish values and issues. This class focuses on preparing students with the skills that they’ll need as they become BMitzvah at Mishkan. This class is the next step after graduating from Mensch Academy and is required for all 6th graders planning to become BMitzvah at Mishkan unless they are enrolled in Jewish Day School. 

For the 2024-2025 school year, we offer three options: 

• Thursdays from 5pm-7pm at Mishkan HQ (dinner included)
• Sundays from 9am-10am on Zoom (materials and supplies pick up will be required for project and activities)
• One-on-one tutoring (please email [email protected] to arrange)

6th Graders are also invited to join our Kadima Middle School Youth Group, celebrating Jewish holidays throughout the year with field trips and activities, and our Innovation Labs which invite teens to design and produce our High Holidays and Purim celebrations for our elementary school students.

Kehilat BMitzvah for 7th Graders (which means “BMitzvah Community”), or KBM for short, begins in the Fall of your seventh grade year, and continues through the Spring. All those who become BMitzvah with Mishkan Chicago will participate in these family learning sessions. Through the essential pillars of Torah (deep learning), Avodah (prayer & ritual) and Gemilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness), your KBM cohort will explore the words, sounds, and meanings of the Shabbat service, while also experiencing other rituals together, discussing our views of God and prayer, learning about justice as a Jewish practice, dunking in the mikvah (optional and awesome!), and building relationships with other families in this similar life stage.

7th Graders are also invited to join in our Kadima Middle School Youth Group, celebrating Jewish holidays throughout the year with field trips and activities, and our Innovation Labs which invite teens to design and produce our High Holidays and Purim celebrations for our elementary school students.

For more information, please see our BMitzvah Program information.

Snap for 8th Graders is a year-long exploration of Jewish identity, history, and stories through photography. Led by Rabbi Ari, students will study and take photos, examining the lens through which different stories are told. This class will weave in Israel education by exploring a diverse group of first-person narrative accounts of pre and post statehood, anchored in photography as the backdrop for discussions. 

We will meet on Thursdays from 7pm-8pm at Mishkan HQ and is designed for 8th grade students in the year after their BMitzvah. Family Buildership is a requirement to enroll in Snap.

Additionally, 8th graders are invited to help with our 6th Grade Fundamentals class as Madrachim (helpers/aides). Madrachim receive volunteer hours for helping 6th grade students each week while refreshing their own Hebrew and Judaic knowledge. 

8th Graders are also invited to join in our Kadima Middle School Youth Group, celebrating Jewish holidays throughout the year with field trips and activities, and our Innovation Labs which invite teens to design and produce our High Holidays and Purim celebrations for our elementary school students.

MishTeens offers expanded programming for all our 9th-12th graders including our new leadership cohort, teen davening, trips, and our innovation lab and holiday celebrations. 

MishTeens Leadership Cohort will design and plan events, programs and justice opportunities with and for their peers with support from our staff. Our meetings will include dinner, schmooze time, and cultivating leadership skills. The Leadership Cohort culminates with a Shabbaton at Zumwalt Farm (a working Jewish farm) in June 2025. 

MishTeens Leadership Cohort meets once a month from 6:30-7:30 pm on Sundays.  Family Buildership is a requirement to enroll in MishTeens.

Add-Ons:

DC Trip

MishTeens are invited to join our trip to L’Taken Social Justice Seminar with the Religious Action Center in DC.  Teens spend a weekend working with other Jewish teens from around the country to understand political issues through a Jewish lens and lobbying for causes they care about to our representatives on The Hill. This year’s trip will take place Dec 13-16, 2024. If your teen is interested in attending please email [email protected].

 

Teen Davening Team 

Calling all musicians, singers, drummers, and creatives! Bring your instruments, voices, and words to plan services for our family Shabbat and holiday services. Teen Davening Team will be led by Mishkan musicians and Rabbi Ari. No previous experience with Jewish music is required and non-musicians are welcome to join us for other elements of service leading. Teen Davening Team meets monthly prior to the Leadership Cohort. 

 

Innovation Labs and Holiday Celebrations

Our Teen Innovation Labs invite teens to work with artists and designers to create our intergenerational programming for High Holidays and Purim each year! We also offer middle school and high school specific programs for holidays throughout the year.