Overview: Most teen boys engage in multiple forms of competition. Not only the obvious competitions: sports, popularity, academic challenges, and gaming, but the more obscure—they compete to see who can gross each other out in and who can do the most daring physical stunt. Ask them about the most ridiculous contest they have been in,…
Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to: Identify the emotions that they feel. Learn healthy and helpful ways to communicate emotions to others. Develop strategies for how to respond to emotions.
Make for yourself a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend. — Pirkei Avot 1:6. Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to: Identify the messages that media, society, and Judaism send about male friendships. Describe characteristics of healthy and supportive friendships. Describe the role of a friend and why it is important…
Overview: This session engages teens in a discussion around the concept of masculinity. Teens explore multiple messages that they have received about “being a man”—both the positive messages about manhood that they may have received from family, peers, popular media, and elsewhere as well as the messages about being a man that are negative, confusing, or reductive.…
At a Glance: This gathering is all about gender and gender norms. We will talk about what “gender” means. We will also explore the countless messages about gender norms we receive regularly from the media and society as a whole. We will then cast our attention back to the very first appearance of gender in…
At a Glance: This gathering focuses on one of the most significant concerns for teen girls: self-confidence. Participants will explore cultural and social messages about the connections between gender, self-confidence, and beauty, as well as learning Jewish wisdom that teaches the balance between being confident and being humble. Participants will leave with a toolkit of…
At a Glance: This gathering is designed for a Rosh Hodesh group’s initial meeting. It introduces participants to the concept of Rosh Hodesh and rituals associated with the holiday. In this meeting, participants start working toward creating a comfortable and supportive environment for the group. While getting to know each other, they will also spend…
Summary: Participants will play games in which they will be moving and connecting with one another, and then they will reflect on the games, to come to an embodied understanding of personal boundaries, communication, and consent. The ideal space for this session is a circle of chairs or benches with a large open space in…
Summary: What is the role of staff in supporting healthy summer relationships? Even when staff effectively communicate the boundaries regarding sexual encounters, some teens are going to find ways to make out or hook up while on summer trips. It is also inevitable that staff will become aware of some of these encounters, and that,…
Summary: How are participants of different genders experiencing safety and wellbeing in immersive summer programs, and what can be done to make those experiences better? The purpose of this session is to support camp staff in creating more inclusive environments for teens of all gender identities. During adolescence, navigating gender and learning when to fit…
