Yachad — Entering 10th Grade Program
The Yachad Program is designed to support personal growth, team and community building, and leadership skill development. Our teen participants develop and build upon skills that prepare them to be leaders both inside and outside of the Alonim community.
Entering 10th graders can attend Yachad during Session Rishon and/or Session Sheini – often Yachad Campers choose to do more than one session. The Yachad program is designed to build upon earlier camp experiences by creating programs and projects that focus on giving back to the Alonim community.
In the Yachad program, teens move away from the traditional bunk dynamic to experience camp as a larger, cohesive group. In addition to regular camp programs, teens in the Yachad program participate in a meaningful Judaic program which encourages self-expression and discovery. Yachad participants attend leadership training sessions and plan and run the all-camp carnival – an exciting experience to which all campers look forward each session.
Kol, Shevet, & Tzelem Discussion Programs
Embedded within the Yachad program are some of Alonim’s most impactful programming experiences for campers. Through partnership with national Jewish education organization Moving Traditions, the 10th grade program Yachad Advisors facilitate guided discussions with their campers in gender-based groups on a variety of important topics related to gender, identity, and personal growth. Moving Traditions’ Teen Groups – Kol, Shevet, and Tzelem – are transformative communities where youth explore who they are through Jewish and gender lenses, together with a trained mentor using a dynamic curriculum.
Inspired by the belief that all people are created in the Divine Image (B’tzelem Elohim), the Kol, Shevet, and Tzelem teen groups provide fun and safe spaces for teens of all genders, as they self-identify: Kol for girls, Shevet for boys, and Tzelem for LGBTQ+ and trans and nonbinary teens. Group discussions and activities are infused with Jewish values and wisdom made relevant today, guided by social-emotional learning and positive psychology – proven methods of learning that foster wellbeing. Teens discuss issues that impact their daily lives, such as stress, academic pressure, friendships, intimate relationships, and societal issues. All of our teen groups are safe and inclusive spaces for youth to join as they self-identify. Nonbinary and transgender teens are welcome in whatever space they feel most comfortable.
At Alonim, the Kol, Shevet, and Tzelem groups for entering 10th graders in the Yachad Program meet each evening after Dinner for about an hour. Each group is designed to be a safe space where teens can be themselves, express their thoughts, worries, hopes, and feelings openly and honestly, and gain empowerment and confidence in their various identities. Judaism is woven throughout the discussions as the main framework to understand the discussion topics and explore our intersecting identities.