When it comes to our teenagers, we put the fun in Judaism (it’s in there, trust us. You just might need to squint). From Graffiti Launch to Guy Fawkes party, to Hogwarts Hannukah, to Purim Nerf Wars, we keep the energy ridiculously high with events and activities suitable for all ages and backgrounds.
We also understand that youngsters need their own space they can call their ‘own’. Our Youth Zone is tucked away on the top floor of the shul so that no boring adults disturb the Nintendo Switch, table football, board games, snacks and general chat. One of our most creative activities this year was a graffiti crash-course, after which the youth got to decorate the Zone and really give it the ‘vibe’ they wanted. It looks amazing!
That said, we know that Stanmore is so much more than a place to join services and enjoy Jewish practice. It is a place where new people are met, and lasting friendships built. We find this especially true once our youngsters go off to secondary school. Pupils at non-Jewish schools in particular value the time they spend with their ‘Jew Crew’ at Stanmore, and seeing the bonds they build is really special.
We are in the process of creating a Young Leaders track for our older Youth cohort (Year 10+), which will develop leadership skills and creative thinking in our best and brightest once they are old enough to take a position of responsibility. Watch this space.
Bar/Batmitzvah Programme
Stanmore’s ‘BnB’ course offers a broad variety of experiences and content for our upcoming Bar and Batmitzvah cohort (Year 6 girls and Year 7 boys). From learning about the basic concepts at the heart of Judaism, to discussing what it means to become an ‘adult’ within the community, to more hands-on activities like challah baking and tefillin making, our syllabus offers a clear user journey leading up to what is the biggest and most important moments in our young members’ lives. Unlike many other shuls, we also make sure to involve parents as much as possible
In the wake of the events of October 7th and the dire situation across much of Israel, we recently reached out via Jewish Child’s Day to the Talpiot Youth Village in Hadera, and have formally partnered with the Village to run a ‘twinning’ programme with Israeli children of a similar age. This opportunity is open exclusively to our BnB cohort and, should the trial run be successful, will run from October 2024 to June 2025. The twinning programme will enable our cohort to build a relationship with an Israeli pen pal, share fun activities, work on joint projects, (hopefully!) learn some Ivrit, and will culminate in a very special Shabbaton weekend which the children raise money to fly the Israeli group out to London to visit in person.