Teen Engagement



Hebrew High

Hebrew High is a continuation of Religious School geared to the unique needs of our teens. It continues the spiraling curriculum as it prepares students for the 9th grade trip to Israel, confirmation and a life-long engagement with Jewish thought.

The Plymouth Church Youth Group and Confirmation Teens joined our BHS Teens in December and talked about what it was like for each of them to be in Confirmation.

BHS Youth Group-Brooklyn Heights Group of Synagogue Youth (BHGSY)
BHGSY is our official BHS youth group. BHGSY, our synagogue’s chapter of NFTY, is a peer-directed youth organization that not only aims to strengthen the bonds between BHS teens but also their ties to the larger synagogue community. Click here for more information.
NFTY
Our teens are active participants in The North American Federation of Temple Youth; the national youth movement of Reform Judaism that connects more than 6,000 high school-age young people in grades 9 thru 12.  For over seventy five years NFTY has offered thousands of young people the opportunity to explore and live Reform Judaism.  It is a national youth movement that builds strong, welcoming, inspired communities through teen-powered engagement. Together, we pursue tikkun olam, personal growth, youth empowerment, and deep connections, all rooted in Reform Judaism.  NFTY is a Reform Jewish community for all high school students who are interested in connecting to their Judaism.  Click here for a calendar of exciting New York regional events.
Madrichim-Youth Teaching Assistant

Our Madrichim program provides an opportunity for our 8th-12th Graders to be a teacher’s aide in the BHS Religious School.  Madrichim develop leadership skills, help young children, earn community service hours, enhance their resumes, and are paid a stipend.  They serve as incredible role models for our younger students.  Year-long positions are available for October through May. Sunday mornings and Monday afternoons are virtual, and Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons are in-person after school.  Contact our Director of the Religious School with any questions.

High School Israel Trip

Each year one of our clergy members lead our teens on a week-long Israel trip over Memorial Day weekend.  The trip is led by Israeli tour guides with the organization Israel Experience. Teens who are involved in our Hebrew High, Madrichim, or BHGSY Youth Group are welcome to join the trip. 
Israel Trip Background and Sample Itinerary:

From 2007 through 2019, every student in our BHS ninth grade – 95 students in all — had the incredible opportunity to personally experience Israel with one of our Clergy leading the trip. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 Pandemic forced us to suspend our trips in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

BHS began offering this extraordinary trip in May 2007, thanks to Rabbi Lippe’s vision and partnership with Carol Ziegler. Carol had established the fund in 1995 in memory of her son, Matthew Eli Puccio z”l, whose life came to a sudden and tragic end during his high school years but who so loved his Jewish educational experiences beyond bar mitzvah here at BHS.

In 2014, as the Puccio Fund disbursed the last of its funds, the BHS Board of Trustees voted to undertake the financial commitment of running the Trip as part of our annual operating budget, ensuring that the Trip would continue into the future. Beginning in 2016, a small group of BHS families made personal financial commitments to additionally ensure that the Trip’s funding would continue.

The BHS High School Israel Trip now marks a significant milestone in our student’s educational journey, as well as having created a significant incentive for keeping our post-b’nai mitzvah students in our BHS High School program through 9th Grade and beyond.

Those whose children have taken advantage of and experienced this opportunity are well aware of the blessings and benefits to those who attend, and to our community as a whole. Studies make it clear that developing an early love for and relationship with Israel is one of the primary factors in nurturing and maintaining a vibrant, individual, and ongoing connection with the Jewish community. Our students return with a deeper understanding of the cultural, religious, and national ties we, as American Jews, share with Israel and its people. Our trip also fosters powerful and lasting connections among the students, between the clergy and the students, and with our larger BHS synagogue community.

In an effort to make sure every child participates and that the cost isn’t a barrier, we charge families only part of the cost for this week-long trip. The actual individual cost which includes airfare and land costs has risen over the years and is now around $3,800 (depending on airline fuel surcharges and other unpredictable variables.) Additionally, there is also the cost of sending one of our clergy (as well as an additional BHS faculty chaperone when a large class size necessitates).

Lastly, for those who may be blessed with the resources to do so, would you please take this opportunity to consider making a contribution beyond the Israel trip fee? Whether a single one-time gift or a multi-year commitment, such donations will allow us to continue the commitment that we at BHS have been making for over a decade to our students.

Take a look at a sample itinerary here.