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December 10, 2020 | 24 Kislev 5781
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NEWS & VIEWS Happy Chanukah!
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Hebrew College Youth Service Programs: Empowering Greater Boston Teens to Make a Difference
COVID Youth Commission Newest Teen Opportunity
When the pandemic began in March, Rabbi Or Rose, founding director of the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning & Leadership at Hebrew College, knew he had to do something. The interreligious center was in the process of launching the Hebrew College Dignity Project, which trains high schoolers as interreligious and cross-cultural leaders. Down the hall, Hebrew College’s Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston was helping nearly 60 teens learn about professional philanthropy, civic leadership, collective giving, and grant-making through a Jewish lens so they could allocate grants for causes they chose to support.
Watching these Hebrew College teen service programs thrive, Rabbi Rose wanted to do more. He saw an opportunity to teach, inspire, and galvanize teens throughout Greater Boston to play a constructive role in addressing the unfolding crisis.
“After we created the Dignity Project and COVID struck, it occurred to me that there were going to be a lot of teens that were going to struggle physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They would lose internship and job opportunities and have major disruptions to their schooling and co-curricular activities —music, drama, dance, sports, etcetera. As the social protests ramped up across the country, it became obvious that ongoing issues of systemic injustice were erupting and being exacerbated in different ways by the pandemic.”
Rabbi Rose forged a partnership with the Center for Teen Empowerment —which helps low-income, urban youth hone their understanding of the social problems they face and use their talents and skills to create change in their own lives and in their communities — to create a new COVID-19 Boston Youth Commission. The Commission was announced the first week of December and already has more than 250 applications for 20 spots, demonstrating the interest in and importance of this kind of opportunity in the world today.
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Refusing To Be Comforted
Parashat Vayeishev (Genesis 37:1-40:23)
By Rabbi Minna Bromberg`08
My Moroccan-Israeli obstetrician here in Jerusalem was somewhat taken aback by my sudden and adamant refusal to schedule my Cesarean birth for the day that looked best to her: December 25. I realized that she didn’t have the time and I didn’t have the energy to explain my Jewish-American objection to the date as my baby’s birthday. So I simply asked if we could push it off one more day. Thankfully, she must be used to dealing with all kinds of odd requests from her pregnant patients and she agreed to schedule the birth for December 26. I thought to myself, “Good thing Boxing Day has no cultural resonance for me one way or another.”
And so my son was born on December 26, which that year aligned in the Jewish calendar with the fourth day of Chanukah . . .
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One Spark Can Kindle Many Lights
Celebrate Chanukah with a gift this year to Hebrew College. Any new or increased gift before December 31 will help us “ignite a match” of $18,000 from an anonymous donor — and enhance the light we create together! Celebrate someone who has brought light into your world with a gift in their honor. (Artwork by Rabbi Adina Allen`14)
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Metrowest Families Enjoy Jewish CultureFest
"As someone raised Catholic and who is now married to a Jew and raising our kids Jewish, I was excited to see a program like this."
— April Hirshberg, Chanukah workshop participant from Congregation Beth Elohim in Acton, MA
On December 6, 48 families from around MetroWest Boston gathered for "Tasting Hope — Embodying the Messages of Hanukkah & Christmas," the first workshop in the three-part series Jewish CultureFest: Food, Music, and YOU! (Pictured: Teen participant from Temple Beth Sholom in Framingham, MA making Hanukkah gelt)
The series, sponsored by Hebrew College, CJP, Temple Beth Sholom and Temple Beth Am of Framingham, MA, Congregation Or Atid of Wayland, MA, and 2Life Communities Shillman House, will include "A Musical Meditation and celebration of Tu B’Shevat" on January 27 and a Passover program on March 14. Watch for registration information coming soon.
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Academic Journal Celebrates a Decade
On November 30, the Journal for Interreligious Studies (JIRS), a joint publication of Hebrew College, BU School of Theology, and Hartford Seminary, celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a communal conversation and book launch of its newest publication Deep Understanding for Divisive Times, co-edited by Rabbi Or Rose (above, middle right), director of the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning & Leadership. More than seventy scholars and educators from around the country attented the virtual event, which included a panel with Rabbi Rose and other JIRS editors, contributors, and friends of the journal and focused on dialogue and resistance and interreligious education in a time of pandemic.
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ONLINE EVENTS | All times are EST (U.S.)
Project-Based Learning Bootcamp
Hosted by Hebrew College's Congregational Education Initiative (CEI)
December 14 | 10:30 a.m.-Noon
Learn more & register
Virtual Torah Godly Play Training
(All three sessions required)
January 10 | 4-7 p.m.
January 19 | 6-9 p.m.
Feburary 2 | 6-9 p.m.
Learn more & register
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