Today is May 24, 2013 -
Religion/Education
Religion/Education
Bruchim Ha’baim! Welcome to the USY Religion/Education Page!
My name is Andy Weissfeld and I am honored and excited to serve as you 2013 International Religion/Education Vice President. I can hardly wait to see what we can accomplish this year. USY provides so many learning and growing opportunities. The Jew Crew (AKA the Rel/Ed IGB) is here to help you out and will provide some new and exciting programs for the upcoming year. Here are just a few:
- Andrew Gerson, Far West, is working on a transliterated siddur with commentary from USYers from all around North America.
- Daniel Mackler, CRUSY, will be running Torah Bytes, bi-weekley video conferences in which USYers from all across North America will be able to discuss controversial and relevant Jewish topics in a safe and fun environment.
- Gila Fridkis, Seaboard, will create a series of videos, called the AhMEdah project, to help USYers establish a deeper connection with this meaningful tefillah.
- Monica Sass, CRUSY, is in the process of creating a welcome guide for all newly elected Rel/Ed VPs (chapter and regional).
In addition to the Jew Crew’s projects, the USY website already has a lot to offer. I strongly encourage everyone to check out the following resources.
If you are a Rel/Ed VP, you may find the following resources helpful:
- Tefillah script for weekday Services (page numbers, instructions for sitting and standing), Courtesy of Pinwheel USY
- S’fatai Tiftach: Guide to Religious Services
- Tefillah Assignment Sheet- Use this to fill in your convention Tefillah assignments
(If you are a Regional Rel/Ed Vice President, please do not go to convention without these two things!! Everything you need to know about running tefillot is in here.)
- *NEW* That Thing Called Judaism- a Guidebook for handling the challenges we face living Jewishly in a non-Jewish world. Created by Liora Zhrebker, SWUSY Religion/Education/Culture VP 2012-13
To be part of an ongoing dialogue via blog, discussing these “real-life” challenges, email Liora at Swusyrecvp@gmail.com
- USY Self Study program- Is there a topic you’d like to study on your own? Email Amy Dorsch (dorsch@uscj.org) to choose your own “self study” topic. You will receive a one-page document with texts and questions and be able to ask your own questions and comments in response. For a sample (Ethical Kashrut), click here or click on sidebar link or link above.
- *NEW* kavanot for candle lighting- Courtesy of Koach, the Conservative Movement on Campus
- *NEW* Oh, 5773! A Shana Tova song and video created by Sarah Gans, Hanfesh rel/ed vp 2012-13
- *NEW* Want to check the trope and words for your upcoming Torah reading? Download Pocket Torah, the app for Torah Layning!
- List of Websites for learning your Torah Reading- compiled by Nomi Small, Rel/ed IGB 2012
- *New* See a sample Video D’var Torah of Parshat Tetzaveh, courtesy of 2011-12 Hanefesh Rel/ed VP, Micah Fiedler!
- Tools for Regional Rel/ed VPs such as a service outlines, a suggested app for learning your Torah reading and Guide for Gabba’im, can be found on the “Holiday and Rituals How To” Page on the left side-bar.
- Do you find yourself lost during Tefillot and wish you had a better handle on some of the traditional tunes? Here’s one quick resource, helpful to both rel/ed VPs and every USYer. Learn how to daven online with SiddurAudio! Siddur Audio provides MP3 files of traditional Nusach.
- The Heschel Honor Society page: click on the link to the right recertify your membership or join the club!
- A number of “creative” Tefillah outlines: if you have any you’d like to add, please send them to Amy Dorsch.
- A fantastic D’var Torah bank: please submit your own Divrei Torah to Amy Dorsch and she will post them!
- Guidebooks to making standard Tefillah services more creative, interactive and meaningful through activities, discussion pieces and explanations.
- Previous issues of Bo’er Ba’esh: the Heschel Honor Society Newsletter
- A Guide for Gabba’im - learn the choreography of the Torah Service with this guide written by 2011 Rel/ed IGB member and 2011-12 Seaboard Regional President, Jordan Brandt.
- IGB projects from previous years such as a guide for keeping Shabbat in a non-Shomer Shabbat community, “JewTube“, a video series on how to do certain Jewish rituals (both for weekday and holidays!) and iDaven, a series of audio clips of USY “Ruach” songs and Shabbat Zemirot … and more!
- A sample Rel/Ed VP officer packet courtesy of Hanegev Regional Board 2011-12
- Another Rel/ed VP handbook - Courtesy of Pinwheel USY
- Explanations of various Tefillot
B’ahava,
Andy Weissfeld
2013 USY International Religion/Education Vice President
reled@usy.org
