2020 Summer Teen Programs (8th-12th Grade)
Our vibrant teen community will continue to gather regularly over the summer!
Opportunities for connection include virtual check-ins, games, talent shows, Shabbat experiences,
conversations about justice, and more!
Check back on this page for regularly updated information.
If you or your teen would like to get regular emails about teen programming, please make sure you are on our teen mailing list by contacting our teen educator and LEFTY youth group advisor Jennie Goldfarb.
Upcoming Teen Conversations and Hangouts
Sign up for any of the listed Teen Conversations and Hangouts, here.
Maintaining Friendships and Forming Relationships Online and Off: Quiplash
Tuesday, July 21, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Conversation
We will reflect on how your friendships and peer relationships have been impacted by the pandemic. We will talk about how to have realistic expectations about friends and peers and look at some Jewish values that can help you to navigate friendship.
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. LEFTY Quiplash
Quiplash is the gut-busting battle of wits and wittiness! Just use your phone or tablet (no controllers needed) to answer simple prompts.
Freaking Out - Moving From Stress and Anxiety to Balance and Optimism
Tuesday, August 4, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Conversation
We will reflect on how our minds and bodies are responding to the prolonged stress and uncertainty of social distancing. We will also have the opportunity to mourn some of the roles and experiences we have lost due to the pandemic. You will also have a chance to recognize that some of the usual ways that you cope with stress are less readily available to you due to the pandemic and social distancing, and we will explore new methods to cope and find balance given the ongoing stressful complexities—such as civic unrest due to racial injustice, as well the continuing implications of the pandemic—that continue around us.
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. LEFTY Fibbage
8 players are presented with an obscure trivia fact that’s missing one key detail. The objective is to fill in the blank so that it fools others into thinking it’s the truth. If there are more than 8 players, the extra players still vote and participate.
Ugh! What?! Communicating with Parents
Tuesday, August 11, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Conversation
In the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, this session helps teens to assess their own needs and communication styles and explore strategies for connecting with parents and others. This is the same program that we did earlier in the summer with parents and teens. So, if you attended that one, you have already done this.
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. LEFTY EarWax
In Earwax, players must creatively work within some constraints to produce an auditory experience that best captures a phrase. Let’s say you get the prompt: “The craziest football halftime show.” You then choose two sound effects from a short list that best sum up the prompt. A car alarm and a donkey braying? Sure. A donkey braying followed by a long fart sound? Now we’re talking. During each round, an appointed judge decides which sound effect pairing is the best. The player who creates the most winning sounds is crowned the champion!
Speak Out! Challenging Sexism in this Program
Tuesday, August 18, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Conversation
Male, female, and non-binary/genderqueer/gender questioning students will explore a range of perspectives on feminism and sexism. We will work on ways participants can speak out against sexism, as well as helping you identify your relationship with feminism and being or not being a feminist ally.
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. LEFTY Check-in
How are you? Let us know what is going on with you and how you are feeling.
