The battle between logic and faith

This series will address anti-Semitism, assimilation, lessons from the Holocaust, the chosen people, and Jewish pride. Teens will embrace their Jewish identity in a modern world.

How well do you know yourself? Do you know why you think the way you think? Is your personality a product of your upbringing or are you an independent, self-made person? Why do you feel pious one day and heretical the next? These and other questions will be explored as teens discuss and debate what makes us happy, successful, better at relationships, able to cope with stress, and more.

This course explores the messages teens are getting from the mainstream media and Western culture, concerning dating, attraction, love, beauty, and sexuality. By inviting students to take a serious look at these real life issues and the way their relationships play out in their day-to-day lives, we will transmit the profound wisdom found in Torah and Chassidus. This course will dispel misnomers about love and intimacy in Judaism and show the beauty in monogamy and the spirituality of marriage. Practically, students will walk away with the know-how to confront peer pressure; have self-respect; respect others; and see the beauty in a happy, healthy, holy, and appropriate relationship with the right (Jewish) person and with Hashem.

Life happens; but success at life is a product of a dream, a strategy, core values, and hard work. What are the tools and values teens will need not only to get them through life, but to thrive and succeed beyond their wildest imaginations? Living Your Dream explores the concept of success, challenging teens to dream big, to push the boundaries of what they think is possible, and to create a plan to transform that dream into a reality. Throughout Living Your Dream, teens will examine the key areas in which success is necessary, including: career and finance, personal well-being (physical and emotional), family and relationships, dealing with challenges, and making a difference.