Jewish Learning Venture Staff

by Mariana Dougherty TAP Teen Adath Israel   I have really enjoyed volunteering my time as a teen assistant. I have taken the role of a teen assistant not only to my assigned child, but the entire class. It has been a lot of fun to spend time with my class of fifth graders. I love to see how close my student is in the class and how they all treat each other so well. He is a really kind kid and although he's a little shy, it is great when he opens up. He comes out of his shell [...]

Haylee Cohen , TAP Teen, Adath Israel Working at my synagogue with my special needs child has been a wonderful experience so far. I find that as I am helping him, he is helping me just as much, if not more! He always loves to tell great stories which brighten up my Sunday mornings, and he helps me to become more patient and enjoy the little things which make him so happy, that I wouldn't necessarily notice otherwise . He has a refreshingly positive view of the world, and his attitude motivates me to make every day a good one. In addition, [...]

By Carly Cherwony, TAP Teen Reform Congregation Kenesth Israel Having volunteered at Sunday school for the past six years and working in my congregation's preschool for the past three, I have experienced children from multiple age groups, backgrounds, and with varying abilities. In the Sunday school I am not paired with a particular child, but I am part of something very special at my synagogue. We recently altered our entire curriculum in order to better engage the children as well as help them relate Jewish values and teachings to their modern life. In my third grade classroom we have been [...]