The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah was able to restart its annual tradition of taking its confirmation class on a trip to New York City.
As a continuation of the students’ formal religious school education at B’nai Jehudah, the trip teaches teens about their Jewish history and heritage through a tour of Jewish New York.
After a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, this year’s trip was a return to normalcy for the confirmation class of 2022. The trip also had many new aspects. B’nai Jehudah’s Senior Rabbi Stephanie Kramer and Abby Magariel, educator/curator of the Michael Klein Collection at B’nai Jehudah, were first-time trip leaders. The trip had a new itinerary, which included Jewish food and culture.
The trip was also open to 2020 and 2021 confirmation students, who missed the opportunity due to the pandemic. In total, twenty-three 10th and 11th grade students participated in the four-day trip.
“The teens were amazing on this trip,” Rabbi Kramer said. “They had the most positive attitudes and were a joy to be around. I am so happy they had a chance to strengthen their friendships with one another, and that Abby and I had the chance to get to know them better.”
With just four days to cover the city, the group kept very busy. Their tour of Jewish New York included a ferry ride and a visit to Ellis Island, where they shared stories about their families’ immigration routes. They also experienced a Jewish Heritage tour of the Lower East side, an Erev Shabbat service at Central Synagogue — one of the largest Reform synagogues in the country — and a Shabbat morning service at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
The teens enjoyed pickle tasting, black-and-white cookies, bagels, New York-style deli, and shopping at an iconic Jewish candy store.
“Since so many of our ancestors passed through Ellis Island, we wanted to give students an engaging, hands-on look at where they came from,” Magariel said. “But we also kept an eye to giving students space to reconnect with their friends after the pandemic’s disruption of their high school year.”
With that in mind, the trip’s itinerary left time to support social connection between students. Together, they shared some quintessential New York experiences: discovering great restaurants, watching “SIX” on Broadway, riding the subway, eating food from street vendors, and exploring Times Square, Washington Square Park, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Battery Park, and Top of the Rock to see the city views at night.
“A special thanks to Abby for guiding the way, and to Kelley Cowman, B’nai Jehudah’s religious school and events coordinator, for handling all the details involved in planning such a phenomenal trip. There were so many new people and elements involved, but the results were worth all the work,” Rabbi Kramer said.
“I will never forget this trip. We made so many memories, and it was a great way to learn about Jewish culture,” said 10th grader Marissa McLain.
The teens’ parents agreed. After seeing the smiles on the teens’ faces and hearing the stories, parent Aimee Bernstein said, “Our hearts are full.”
