Israeli school builds cool classroom for ADHD teens

Bouncy chairs, distraction-free décor, walled-off workstations, desks on wheels and a living green wall provide a winning educational environment.

By Abigail Klein Leichman for Israel21c

Imagine the perfect classroom for kids with attention and learning disorders: bouncy chairs made from yoga balls, distraction-free décor, walled-off study/tutoring cubicles, desks on wheels and a touch of the outdoors.

Only there’s no need to imagine it. The unique “Yes I Can!” classroom at Darca High School in Kiryat Malachi opened this school year. And if it proves to be a good working model, the Darca network will implement this totally Israeli innovation in its other 24 high schools serving the socio-economic periphery of Israel.

“The students already report that it is much easier for them to study and concentrate in the new classroom, thanks to the clean design – no notice boards, posters, accessories, decorations etc., as in a regular classroom,” principal Michal Hazan tells ISRAEL21c.

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5 Tips for an Awesome Bar/Bat Mitzvah–From a Teen Who’s Been There

Hannah Elbaum for Kveller

In my synagogue, each young woman and man has an opportunity to write their own prayer as part of their b’nei mitzvah service. Most of my friends spoke about health and happiness, and their passions for soccer, drawing, or seeing their friends. After thanking God for my family, I talked about becoming a Madricha, a teaching assistant in the Hebrew School, and a member of the youth group board.

I understand that I’m a little strange in this sense.

Usually, parents beg and nag their kids to attend a Jewish learning class, not the other way around—especially around the time of bar and bat mitzvahs. As a current freshman in college who’s done just about every program my local Jewish community has to offer, I know a little bit about what works and what doesn’t in engaging kids and teens in meaningful Jewish practice. Here are five tips to helping you and your child create a bar or bat mitzvah experience filled with meaning and connection.

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Sippur, the first Jewish online literary journal for teens

Sippur, the first Jewish online literary journal for teens, provides teenagers with the opportunity to create and publish high-level creative writing and art relating to Jewish themes.
Call for Submissions:


Sippur is currently accepting submissions for the Winter 2015 issue. The theme for the upcoming issue is Bravery. We welcome any form of Jewish fiction, poetry, or art that relates to  this theme. We can't wait to view your work!
All work is due by November 18th.

INTERESTED IN PUBLISHING YOUR WORK?

SIGN UP FOR SIPPUR'S MONTHLY EMAIL PROMPTS!

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Jewish Teen Funders Network

The Jewish Teen Funders Network (JTFN) serves as a central resource for the quickly growing field of Jewish teen philanthropy. We work to grow and strengthen the field of Jewish teen philanthropy in North America.

We support professional and lay leaders to create and improve Jewish teen philanthropy programs in synagogues, Jewish federations, summer camps, JCCs, Jewish community foundations, social service agencies and day schools. We provide training and networking opportunities, educational and programmatic resources, and one-on-one consultations to help troubleshoot challenges or brainstorm new ideas.

Jewish teen philanthropy programs introduce teens to collective grantmaking. This group process is guided by Jewish values and provides teen philanthropists-in-training with opportunities to gain new leadership skills. We believe that this early experience with strategic philanthropy will both strengthen their engagement with Jewish life and ensure their commitment to lifelong giving based on Jewish values.

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Why Sandy Koufax sitting out a World Series game still matters 50 years later

By Hillel Kuttler for JTA

Jesse Agler was pretty talented as a catcher and pitcher in Little League, yet his parents benched him regularly.

That’s because the Aglers had a no-baseball-on-Shabbat rule, one cloaked in sports royalty.

“It was a source of frustration as a kid, but I appreciated later what they tried to do,” said Agler, a 33-year-old radio broadcaster for the San Diego Padres who grew up in South Florida. “It goes back to Koufax making the point about that day, that it’s not for baseball.”

Agler was referring to the decision by Sandy Koufax, the star pitcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers, to sit out Game 1 of the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins because it fell on Yom Kippur. Koufax instead started Game 2 the next afternoon. The Dodgers lost both days, but won the championship in seven games.

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The High Holidays are upon us, check out our High Holidays Spotlight Kit

Doctor's Orders Tips to Help Your Teens Through a Healthy Yom Kippur Fast

Here are 11 dos and don'ts your teenagers should follow if they are planning to observe this High Holy Day.

Maya Leventer-Roberts for Haaretz
Will your teenagers be fasting this year on Yom Kippur? While teens tend to be more physically resilient than adults in many ways, there are several major reasons why it could be risky for them to fast.

First, teenagers are less likely to be cautious or to listen to their body. Second, they may have undiagnosed medical problems that only show up during the fast. Third, teenagers are still growing, and you cannot always predict their growth or their mood.

Generally, it is safe for healthy teenagers to complete the Yom Kippur fast. But it's also important for an adult to watch out for unexpected changes and help teenagers be reasonable about their approach to fasting.

So, if you're a parent with girls over 12 or boys over 13 years old who are planning to fast this Yom Kippur, here are a few medical tips they should follow in order to do so as safe and healthy as possible: 

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Check out Jvillage’s High Holiday+    page.

The High Holidays are upon us, check out our High Holidays Spotlight Kit

Parenting Jewish Teens

How to help your teens grow as they prepare to leave home.

By Joanne Doades for MyJewishLearning.com

In the Book of Genesis, we encounter many stories of individuals who leave their parents’ homes under difficult circumstances.  For today’s Jewish teens, the struggle for leave-taking begins long before the actual physical event. This is an emotional and often conflict-filled process of separation generally beginning around the time of bar/bat mitzvah, peaking between the ages of 15 to 19, and usually subsiding by the early to mid-twenties.

Peace in the Home

How well Jewish parents handle this natural but challenging process can have a significant impact on shalom bayit, peace in the home, and set the stage for relationships with the soon-to-be-adult children for many years to come. Since the teenage years are such a time of change, experimentation, and identity redefinition, it can be hard for parents to sort out which issues require their attention and which can be ignored. And given the fact that many teens enact the separation process around matters of Jewish observance,  it is not surprising that parents of Jewish teens may find themselves asking the question: “What happened to the child I thought I had raised?!”

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