Youth Groups

BJBE is committed to meeting the needs of our children of all ages. We offer opportunities for sacred friendship, connection, learning, social action, leadership, and fun. Events include social, cultural, and religious opportunities; all events have a social action component as well. Youth groups empower our younger people to become leaders both at BJBE and in their communities, provide children of all ages with incredible opportunities to build lasting friendships, develop a lifelong love for Jewish culture and tradition, and find their unique Jewish selves.  While our young adults enjoy these activities with their friends, they strengthen the Jewish identities that will carry them to college and beyond.

BJBE has 3 youth groups: SYG, JYG, and KYG.

SYG (Senior Youth Group) for grades 9-12
BJBE's Senior Youth Group (SYG) is an active Jewish community open to all of our high school students. SYG empowers its members to become leaders both within the synagogue and out in their communities. Our Senior Youth Group is run almost entirely by an elected board of teenagers. This group of motivated leaders plans, publicizes and executes each event with guidance from our advisor and clergy. 

SYG meets for lounge nights (the third Thursday of every month from 6-8pm), monthly events, and an annual weekend retreat at OSRUI where we learn, grow and have fun together as a chevra. We are also members of NFTY-CAR region where we are working on increasing our presence. Senior Youth Group is a great opportunity for the teenagers of BJBE to continue to explore their Jewish identities in a fun and supportive environment. 

REGISTER FOR LOUNGE NIGHTS 

REGISTER FOR ALL OTHER SYG EVENTS

SYG Board

Presidents: Jessica Shade, Sophie Cole, Samantha Gordon
Programming Chair: Jonah Prober
Social Action Chairs: Izzy Kiessel & Drew Spiegel
Religious & Cultural Chair: Joshua Horwich
Social Media Chair: Kaila Passmore

Besides having fun leading their friends in SYG and NFTY elected positions or in social action leadership roles, kids who participate in BJBE activities gain a valuable addition to college application forms. Additionally, impressive and meaningful opportunities are available for our teens to develop their leadership skills as teacher assistants (Madrichim) or as mentors.

JYG (Junior Youth Group) for grades 5-8
BJBE is committed to meeting the needs of our children of all ages. To keep our tweens engaged with Judaism throughout their middle school years, we offer opportunities for sacred friendship, connection, learning, social action, leadership, and fun through our Junior Youth Group (JYG). While our young adults enjoy these activities with their friends, they strengthen the Jewish identities that will carry them to college and beyond. 

KYG (K'tanim Youth Group) for grades K-4
KYG is an active Jewish community open to all of our kindergarten through 4th grade students.

We love to meet new friends and have Jewish fun playing games, make creative projects, and celebrate the holidays!

For more information, contact Alek Kopulsky,
Youth Director

REGISTER FOR KYG EVENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


YOUTH TRIPS
BJBE provides its youth with a variety of youth trip options. Each reflects experiential education at its finest, giving teens a unique new perspective on their Judaism and strengthening their identity as Jews.

L’Taken RAC (Religious Action Center) Trip
Every year nearly 2,000 high school students participate in the Union for Reform Judaism Religious Action Center's L'Taken Seminar in Washington, D.C. The program is designed to expose students to a variety of public policy issues, explore the Jewish values surrounding these issues, and teach the skills of an effective advocate.
Contact: Caryn Blomquist

Teen Mission to Kolin & Israel
Summer 2023
Led by BJBE clergy and staff, we’ll tend to the graves of those who once prayed with our Kolin Torah Scrolls in the Czech Republic, visit Terezin Concentration Camp, and stroll the streets of picturesque Prague. We will then journey home to Israel where we’ll savor as much of our beautiful country as possible, from the Knerret in the North, to Masada in the South, and beautiful Jerusalem at the heart. 


NFTY-CAR (National Federation for Temple Youth in the Chicago Area Region)
BJBE is part of NFTY, The National Federation of Temple Youth. NFTY is the Reform Jewish religious youth movement that fosters leadership at the national, regional and congregational levels. NFTY-CAR brings together Reform Jewish high schoolers from the suburbs and surrounding cities of Chicago, as well as northwestern Indiana.

Learn more about NFTY-CAR