• Welcome to 10th Grade Confirmation Class
• Confirmation Class trip
• Confirmation Class quotation
• Confirmation Class goals
• Confirmation Class faculty
• Derech Eretz Confirmation Class code
• 2008 - 2009 Calendar and Make-up Assignments

10th Grade Confirmation at Temple Israel
We are thrilled to introduce you to the many exciting elements of your 10th grade Confirmation year. The program includes serious study and discussion along with enriching special programs, tikkun olam projects, social activities and, of course, the Confirmation trip to Washington D.C. The year culminates with the beautiful Confirmation service, led by our Confirmands, held on the holiday of Shavuot which this year falls on Sunday evening, June 8, and Monday, June 9, 2008.

Confirmation Trip to Washington, D.C.
L’Taken Seminar at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC), Washington, D.C.
Friday, January 25 – Monday, January 28, 2008
Registration & payment deadline: Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Click on the links for information sheet, trip registration form, trip code of conduct, packing list, roommate request form, and scholarship application for the trip (please note that the deadline for submitting scholarship applications has been extended.)

Confirmation class quotation
Each year the Confirmation class chooses a quotation that is used as the theme for the Confirmation /Shavuot Service and as the basis for the class poster. (You can see previous years' posters hanging in the Youth Lounge.) Click here to see past years' quotations and for the quotation nomination form.

Goals
• To provide an advanced understanding of Jewish beliefs and practices from a Reform Jewish perspective, utilizing both traditional and modern texts (receiving Torah).
• To explore how Jewish values and practices can be enacted (applied) throughout their lives.
• To build a sense of community as a class, with their clergy, and with Temple.
• To create a meaningful life-cycle ceremony which confirms their Judaism.

Confirmation Class Faculty

Derech Eretz Confirmation Class Code

Derech Eretz: Derech eretz is a Hebrew term which literally means, “the way of the land.” However, the phrase goes far beyond its literal meaning. Derech eretz means the proper way to conduct ourselves and treat each other, so that we build a caring and constructive community. When people follow derech eretz, the most amazing and positive things happen in our world.

As Confirmation Faculty, Students and Parents, we agree to keep the value of derech eretz foremost in our minds as we together join to create a fantastic Confirmation experience. This requires some agreed upon guidelines, and consideration of what will happen if the derech eretz in our Confirmation community is lost.

Classes and Courtesy: The Confirmation Faculty promises to make the classes interesting, challenging, fun and engaging. They promise to treat students with courtesy and respect. Students also should treat the other students, classes, Faculty and Temple facilities with courtesy and respect. If students ignore requests from the Faculty, or engage in distractions during class such as having side conversations, doing school homework or using cell phones, pagers or other electronic equipment, derech eretz is lost.

Attendance: Attendance in class is an essential part of derech eretz, and for students to receive all that they can from the Confirmation experience. The Confirmation Faculty understands that perfect attendance is an ideal, and that family emergencies, illnesses, and other commitments sometimes require the student to miss class. Therefore, students may miss no more than four classes, and homework assignments will be required for each missed class. Students must attend each of the Confirmation Service Rehearsals, the Consecration Service, and the Confirmation Service.

Lateness/Leaving Early: Just as attendance is essential for Confirmation, being present for the entire session is also essential. Lateness or leaving early means that a student misses important information, and disrupts the flow of a class. The Confirmation Faculty understands that occasional lateness or leaving early is sometimes unavoidable. However, repeated lateness or leaving early destroys our community’s derech eretz. Arrival after 7:15 or leaving before 8:45 will be counted as an absence.

Leaving Temple Premises: For the safety and security of our students, students must remain in the Temple building after arrival for class until class is over. Students may not leave the Temple building to go to the surrounding restaurants or shops, or hang out in the parking lot or around the building.

Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco: The use of these substances by students is against the law, and is contrary to the derech eretz of our community.

Class Trip: The Class trip to Washington will be an amazing experience for our community. There will be special requirements and expectations for this trip, which will be discussed at the Trip Orientation.

Special Needs: Derech eretz means treating those with special needs with care and respect. Any of the students’ special needs should be brought to one of the rabbis as soon as possible.

Loss of derech eretz: We all fully expect that all of us will act according to derech eretz. Should any student act in a way contrary to the derech eretz of our Confirmation community, consequences may include warnings, removal from a particular class, clergy meetings with parents, parents attending class with their child, or permanent removal from the class and his/her inability to participate in Confirmation.

Should any derech eretz issues arise that the Faculty does not know about, we invite parents and students to bring these issues to the Faculty’s attention. We look forward to all of us working together in Confirmation this year.

Temple Israel Confirmation Class 5769
2008-2009 Calendar
(Dinner 6:30 – 7 p.m. Class starts promptly at 7 p.m.)
Click on links for a make-up assignment

Confirmands are required to attend one regional NFTY Kallah during the year.
Separate registration materials will be provided. Scholarships are available.