At JCDS, we strive to infuse joyful Judaism in our students. From weekly all-school Kabbalat Shabbat, to Chagigot (holiday celebrations) (including Chagigat Shavuot which we had just this afternoon), to grade-level milestones, to t’fillah (prayer), to t’fillah electives, our students experience the joys of Judaism. In the video below, I share a story about a recent morning that illustrates the joyful Judaism being practiced at JCDS.
T’fillot (prayers) at JCDS are engaging. They hit your soul. In fact, one of the students said to me, “This is way more important than my math lesson. This is feeding my soul.” Nourishing the soul takes work and intention. When it’s done in a place that students see models of different ways to live out your life joyfully and meaningfully, we are setting them up for success as young Jews.
Before becoming the Madrich Ruchani (Spiritual Educator) at JCDS, Oren Kaunfer produced animation at places like MTV and the Cartoon Network. That work provided Oren with creative fuel and a different lens through which he sees possibilities for connection and innovation in Jewish education. A few years ago, virtual reality struck him as a fascinating medium. He was particularly curious about the notion of “presence,” a VR term that describes when our brains are tricked into thinking that we are standing in and experiencing places when we are not actually there.
Learn more about this in Oren’s blog post for Prizmah, Virtual Tefillah, Real Emotion and find out why students responded by saying things like “I felt like I was more spiritual and it was easier for me to pray.”
Being Jewish is not fixed in stone and is ever-evolving in how one practices Judaism, connects to Israel, feels comfortable with Hebrew, and sees Hebrew as a gateway to a whole culture, and so much more. The foundational connection to Judaism that is fostered in Gan Nitzan (Kindergarten) through 8th grade is just the beginning of one’s life-long connection to Judaism. As our students and staff were dressed in white in preparation for Shavuot, gathered in mixed-grade groupings to present their Bikurim (first fruits) or learning and made Zerim (flower garlands) in advance of our all-school gathering, it is evident that our students truly enjoy their connection with Judaism. As we near the end of our school year, we have witnessed time and time again how our students lean in with a tremendous amount of joy and a real sense of possibility.
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