Teen Programming (8-12) - Temple Israel of the City of New York

teen programming

Unique opportunities for 8th-12th Graders @ TINYC: Now Open to ALL Jewish Teens

The core learning of our teen program, the Academy, will focus on the social, emotional, and spiritual development of our participants. According to psychologist Betsy Stone, spiritual well-being protects against social pressures that cause depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. We strive to give our teens the tools they need to interact with the world with a positive sense of self. When not learning, other opportunities for engagement include community service, experiential travel seminars, and social opportunities.

Learn more below, then…

Pick-and-Choose - Member Teens

Pick-and-Choose - Non-Member Teens

Travel Programs

Madrichim Program (teaching assistants)
Teens can register here.

Parents should contact education@tinyc.org for registration information.

Teens volunteer in a classroom for younger Religious School students and/or assist Cantor Altshul by working with B’nai Mitzvah students.

Participating in the Madrichim program is a wonderful opportunity to work on leadership skills, earn more than 50 volunteer hours, and give back to your Temple Israel community. Madrichim are always our first calls when looking for teens to volunteer or staff other programs, so participating in the program can open the door to many other opportunities.
Academy All-Access (learning, social, and service, opportunities)
Register here

Our All-Access program is our most inclusive payment option. Tuition covers everything in our teen programming umbrella except trips, but All-Access members are eligible for a significant subsidy of those costs.

Participate in any or all of the following:

Sunday Academy evenings. Each month will be dedicated to an important topic rooted in social, emotional, and spiritual development or social justice.

Monthly, weekend social events, planned by our YETI (teen) Board. Past events have included ice skating, group dinners, movie nights, and Central Park scavenger hunts (see dates below).

Madrichim program for teaching assistants. Teens can volunteer in a Religious School classroom for younger students. More than 50 hours of community service are available (see details below).

Travel Programs. Our robust teen travel opportunities allow teens to visit destinations in the US and abroad to learn more about world issues – and themselves (see details below)
Travel Programs
Register for trips here.

8th and 9th graders will travel together with teens from Stephen Wise Free Synagogue & Temple Emanu El to Arizona to explore issues of immigration justice and border security. The trip will depart in the early morning of Friday, February 14 and return in the early evening of Monday, February 17. Together with our travel partner, Tzedek America, we will meet with organizations and people directly affected by the flow of migrants crossing into the United States. We will explore what happens when immigration and enforcement collide; how can we uphold the central Jewish principle, “Do not oppress the stranger,” when the stranger is in violation of federal law? As we seek to answer this question, we will meet with ICE and border patrol agents, asylum seekers, activists, politicians, DACA recipients, and humanitarians. ***And save the date for our 10^th-12^th grade Israel travel seminar, which will take place during December Break in 2025.***

10^th-12^th graders can join us for an exciting and immersive academic travel seminar to Madrid, where history will come to life as we explore the vibrant and unique Jewish heritage of Spain from February 13-18, 2025 (with an afternoon departure and midday return)! In partnership with Temple Emanu El and Stephen Wise, we will see historic Sephardic synagogues, fascinating museums, sites from the Golden Age of Jewish Enlightenment, and confront the Inquisition. Iconic landmarks await in the nearby city of Toledo, the Medieval hub of Jewish life, where great thinkers like Maimonides, Yehuda Halevi, and Abraham ibn Ezra created literary works which still guide the Jewish people today! Firsthand interactions like Shabbat with the local community and a visit to a Jewish high school will allow us to engage in in deep thinking about Jewish identity, history, and culture amidst the natural beauty and energy of one of Europe’s great cities. This is an incredible opportunity to connect with the past, have fun with friends, and deepen your understanding of Jewish heritage in Europe! ***And save the date for our 10^th-12^th grade Israel travel seminar, which will take place during December Break in 2025.***
Pick-and-Choose (learning, social, and service, opportunities)
Register here

Our Pick-and-Choose option affords teens the freedom and flexibility to participate only in the things they want to. Each program has a nominal price, and you can pay now or later for any of them using the same form. A moderate subsidy for each trip is also available.

Participate in any or all the following:

Sunday Academy evenings, $72 each. Each month will be dedicated to an important topic rooted in social, emotional, and spiritual development or social justice (see dates below).

Monthly, weekend social events, planned by our YETI (teen) Board, $36-$50 each. Past events have included ice skating, group dinners, movie nights, and Central Park scavenger hunts (see dates below).

Madrichim program for teaching assistants, $118 for the year. Teens can volunteer in a Religious School classroom for younger students. More than 50 hours of community service are available (see details below).

Travel Programs. Our robust teen travel opportunities allow teens to visit destinations in the US and abroad to learn more about world issues – and themselves (see details below)
Calendar of events
Teen Sundays
Program – 5:00-7:00pm (unless otherwise noted)

September 22 – Session Topic: Beginning our year together…

October 20 – Session Topic: “Wake-Up Time for American Jews,” with David Harris (former CEO of the American Jewish Committee)

November 17 – Session Topic: “Mini Mitzvah Day”

December 15

January 12

February 2 – Session Topic: visit to Anne Frank Exhibition

March 2 – Leadership Training (afternoon session)

March 9 – Tikkun Olam Makers (afternoon session)

April 6 (morning session, Academy track at Mitzvah Day)

May 18

****Topics for each of the above sessions to be added as they are decided****

Monthly YETI (youth group) Events – events to be determined by teens as the year goes on

November 24 – lunch after Rise Against Hunger

December 6 – Escape Room

January 24

March 2

April date tbd

May date tbd

Madrichim program

September training session – date(s) tbd

Volunteer dates will align with the Religious School calendar and/or B’nai Mitzvah tutoring

Trips

February 13-18 – Madrid (10th-12th grades)

February 14-17 – Arizona (8th-9th grades)

More Pre-K to 12th Grade Education Programs

Religious School

Jr. Academy

All Programs