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Home > Learning > Religious School > RS-Middle School Programs - 6th,7th,8th

RS-Middle School Programs

6th/7th Grade Meets Wednesdays, 6-8pm (includes dinner)

Curriculum Overview  

  • 'Becoming B'Mitzvah' preparedness programming for 6th graders, 7th graders, and their parents/families. 
  • Unpacking Shabbat Workshop for 6th Graders: A unique Saturday morning Shabbat service that's led like a workshop, narrated by our clergy to explain as we go.  Students gain hands-on experience for the “how” and the “why” behind our prayers and traditions in a meaningful, interactive way that deepens understanding and connection ahead of becoming b'nai mitzvah. 
  • Age-appropriate concepts related to personal well-being (shleimut), caring relationships (chesed), social justice (tzedek), and Jewish Identity & Israel.  
  • Tefilah reading and comprehension in small group learning in preparation for b'nai mitzvah service leadership.
  • The Holocaust (Shoah) through the lenses of identity, memory, antisemitism, and empathy to deepen understanding of the power and impact of choices.  
  • A dynamic variety of exploratory courses presented by clergy, faculty, congregants, and community leaders on subjects including but not limited to literature, art, environmentalism/sustainability, modern Israeli culture, modern Hebrew, media literacy, comparative religion, and social justice. 
  • Opportunities to engage in Tikkun Olam (Repair the World) group projects and outings. 
  • MiT (Madrichim-in-Training) is a program for 7th graders to shadow experienced madrichim during Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon classes, and gain firsthand experience of what it’s like to support teachers and engage with students in the classroom.

Supplemental Hebrew Lessons

  • All 6th graders will engage in weekly small-group or 1:1 Hebrew lessons via Zoom to bolster reading and chanting of prayers for preliminary B'nai Mitzvah service leadership. We provide additional in-person opportunities during Bet Midrash (Study Hall)  on Wednesdays before and/or during dinner time. 
  • Beginning nine months prior to B'nai Mitzvah, students meet individually with our Cantor or a B'nai Mitzvah tutor.

8th Grade Learning and Leadership

  • Our 8th graders as Madrichim Teen Leaders act as mentors to our younger students in the classrooms. They can also work in the office in a more administrative role. Students can either be paid or earn community service hours. We do our best to pair seasoned madrichim with our newest 8th graders for peer-to-peer support and guidance.
  • ‘Wellness & Inclusion’ Madrichim Training Program (2025-2026): geared for new madrichim to develop skills in empathetic listening, mentorship, communication, inclusion for different learners, and more.
  • MADLab: a once-monthly session for all TSWE teens on contemporary topics with Rabbi Groffman. From identity and justice to ethics and current events, it’s a space for real talk, big questions, and meaningful conversation rooted in Jewish values.
  • Jewish Teen Collaborative: social and social-action events held throughout the year with other area synagogues representing Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist sects of Judaism, as well as other Jewish peers whose families are unaffiliated. 
  • Mitzvah Ride: an annual initiative where teen participants collect food, clothing, blankets, and personal care items for direct distribution to the homeless poor on the streets of New York City. 
  • NextDOR: NextDor is our teen-powered crew that teams up with TSWE’s Social Action Committee for hands-on work to spark change and make a difference in our community. 
Tue, July 29 2025 4 Av 5785