10th GRADE CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

Check the Confirmation Calendar for links to additional information, resources and forms.

>> Confirmation Calendar and Resources
>> Confirmation Class Trip to Washington, D.C.

>> 2011 - 2012 Religious School Registration Form

Confirmation is a time to reaffirm your commitment to Judaism. When you were 13 you celebrated becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.  You may have read from the Torah.  You might have had a party.  Either way, you became responsible for following the commandments.  You actually did not have to do anything for this to occur.  It is part of being Jewish.  At 13 you are viewed as an adult in Jewish tradition.  Now, let’s be real, how many of you felt like an adult at 13?  You still relied on your parents for everything.  At 16, you begin to gain some independence.  You may be allowed to stay out late with friends.  Soon you will be learning to drive and with that will bring a whole new freedom.  You are truly becoming an adult.  Adults make decisions for themselves.   They determine what they believe and how their beliefs inform/affect their actions.  Judaism has much to teach us about how to live and make decisions.  Judaism has an opinion on everything from when to cut your hair to how to pay your workers.  Judaism has something to teach us about the environment, our bodies, and what happens after we die.  It would take a lifetime to learn everything! 

Our goal for this year is for you to learn the role that Judaism plays in your life, where you find it relevant and how Judaism can guide your decision making process.  We want you to be able to articulate these beliefs to one another and anyone else who might challenge you!  When it comes to Confirmation we want you to be able to proudly say: “I am Jewish, and I know why!”

During the course of your tenth grade year at Temple Israel you will have the opportunity to learn with the clergy and faculty as well as participate in special programs. By engaging in a variety of topics we will build our individual Jewish identity and commitment, while at the same time understanding the importance of being part of a larger Jewish community. We will get to know each other better through our informal dinners and by sharing the events of our lives.

Our year will culminate on the 6th of Sivan with our Confirmation Ceremony on Shavuot, the harvest festival that marks the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai.

Topics - The Why, When, What and Where of Judaism 

• Why am I a Jew? How does living in a secular world have an impact on our observance of Judaism – what we eat, who we date, what we learn?
• Who is God? What role does God play in our lives?  Do we even believe in God?  Rabbi Glaser, please help us!
• Israel!  How can I go?  What does it mean to me? 
• Rabbi Zimmerman, can you help us understand what happens when we die?
• Time for a class trip to Washington D.C. – Justice, Justice shall we pursue!  This includes a mandatory class for parents and students on January 25th when we will prepare for our trip and have a program with Bet Shalom and JFCS.
• Shavuot with Cantor Abelson – How can understanding the liturgy help us understand the holiday.

This year will be exciting and engaging and will take your full participation.  Please try your best not to miss any classes.  We do not have very many and we have a LOT to learn.  If you anticipate an excessive number of absences, please speak with Rabbi Gertman.  I hope that this will help guide you through our year!  Now let’s get started!!

If you have questions about our Confirmation program, please contact Wendy Schwartz, Confirmation Coordinator, at wschwartz@templeisrael.com or 612-374-0344.

Confirmation Class Goals

Torah
To provide an advanced understanding of Jewish beliefs and practices from a Reform Jewish perspective, utilizing both traditional and modern texts.

Mitzvot
To explore how Jewish values and practices can be applicable and relevant throughout our lives.

Klal Yisrael
To build a sense of community as a class, with the clergy, with Temple and the greater Jewish world.

T’filah
To create a Shavuot Confirmation service as a meaningful lifecycle ceremony that confirms each student's Jewish identity and relationship with Judaism.

Confirmation Class faculty who serve as mentors and role models:

Rabbi Jennifer Gertman, Confirmation Rabbinic Advisor
Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman
Rabbi Sim Glaser
Cantor Barry Abelson
Aaron Kesher
Denise Fogel
Wendy Robinson Schwartz, R.J.E., Confirmation Coordinator

 

Temple Israel Religious School is a beneficiary of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation.