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