Confirmation classes meet Monday evenings from 6:45-8:45 p.m.
Tenth graders study Ethics and Jewish Law with Rabbi Laurence Malinger and Rabbi Donald Weber, the rabbis of our two Temples, enjoying the opportunity to spend time with each of them on a weekly basis.
Through Confirmation, students demonstrate their acceptance of Jewish responsibilities, and our classes therefore encourage students’ intellectual and spiritual growth. We offer our students the chance to see the world through Jewish eyes, to understand the message of Judaism, and to learn what we, as a people, contribute to the world.
Courses of Instruction
The first course is in Ethics. This course begins with Family Ethics: how young people deal with dating, interdating, sexuality, and childbirth. Next is Personal Ethics: Responding to challenges with integrity, honesty, and self-esteem. Finally, we will discuss Communal Ethics: our responsibilities to the people in our community and our world. In each section, students will be challenged to make a choice, to recognize the consequences of that choice, and to defend their decisions.
The second course is based on the idea: “Confirmation is a Step Towards Making My Own Decisions.” We will study and discuss aspects of Jewish faith and values that will give students the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about their own Jewish living. Through our analysis of various concepts of Judaism, students will be exposed to Comparative Judaism even as they gain a better understanding of Reform Judaism. All aspects of Jewish life are explored: Lifecycle, Holy Days and Festivals, Theology, and Ritual Practice.
Washington, D.C. Trip
As an exciting supplement to their studies, our Tenth Graders spend four days in Washington, D.C. attending L’taken, the seminar on Jewish values and social justice sponsored by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Students study current social and political issues, examine what Judaism has to say about these issues, and then prepare for lobby visits to their elected officials in the House and Senate.
Additional: