Teen Programs

  • Teens in the kitchen at Beth Shir Shalom in Santa Monica learning about Jewish diversity through cooking with Eitan Strauss-Cohn.

    Tuesday Nights

    Our 8th-12th graders gather on Tuesday nights from 6:00-8:00 PM for dinner, community building activities, and Jewish programming. Our program emphasizes the relationship building and the creation of safe space for our teens to gather, unload, and spend time with familiar faces that care about them.

  • College Credit

    11th & 12th graders have the opportunity to learn with Rabbi Alex for undergraduate-level college credit. We partner with the American Jewish University to offer meaningful and impactful, in-person and online Jewish learning.

  • Teens at Beth Shir Shalom gather for a kickoff BBQ!

    Events

    Our teen programs host regular social events for our teens to hang out. From pottery classes to skyzone, regional events to social justice projects, our teens stay busy connecting with each other and the world around them.

  • Teens at Beth Shir Shalom travel to New York City to explore their heritage and eat their way through the Lower East Side.

    Travel

    Every year our teens travel to see new parts of the country, meet other teens, and deepen their Jewish connection. Our youth program travels to DC to learn about the pursuit of justice and lobby their representatives, tour New York City to explore its Jewish history (& food), and to the south to explore the story of civil rights in America.

  • Teens at Beth Shir Shalom leading Havdalah on the Santa Monica beach.

    Madrichol

    Our Madrichol program gives our teens (grades 8-12) the opportunity to gain leadership skills, learn from experts, and give back to their community. Every Sunday morning, our Madrichol assist in the religious school and four times a year have special training.

    As Hebrew is a gendered language, we chose to call our new teen leadership program Madrichol = madrich (leader/guide) + kol (all/everyone).

  • Santa Monica teens visiting Israel and the Hotel.

    Israel Experiences

    Embarking on a teen trip to Israel is an exceptional opportunity to immerse oneself in the rich tapestry of Jewish history, vibrant communities, and breathtaking landscapes. We encourage our teens to travel to Israel with either the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program, or Yallah Israel through the URJ.