July/August 2014

We are proud to announce the RYFTI Board for 5775!

(Grade for school year 2014-15/5775)

Co-Presidents

Sophia Rintell (12) and Mariel Ehrlich (12)

VP of Worship & Culture

Michael Marget (11)

VP of Outreach & Communications

Marc Davis (12)

VP of Social Programming

Rebecca Wishnie (11)

VP of Social Justice

Ella Bunnell (12)

General Members

Charlotte Borden (12)

Rosa Stern Pait (11)

Talia Putnoi (11)

Talia Rubenstein (11)

Marjie Rowe (10)

Louie Goldsmith (10)

Thank you to all who ran for election, and to the 5774 RYFTI Board for a fantastic year!

Mazal Tov v’Kol HaKavod to our Graduates!

The TI community celebrated our nine Graduates at the annual Graduation & 7^th Grade Step-Up ceremony, during erev Shavuot festival services on Tuesday, June 3^rd.  Aaron Sege, Sam Friedman, Gabe Hodgkin, Jonah Pearl, Michaela Schwartz, Jacob Levine, Elie McAfee-Hahn, Jenna Isaacson, and Allie Tearney participated in and led the TI teen community at Monday Night School, in the Madrichim Program, and in RYFTI throughout their high school careers, and especially as seniors.

RYFTI Clergy Weekend

On Sunday, May 11^th, we returned to TI from the wonderful experience of RYFTI's Clergy Weekend, where more than 30 teens from grades 9-12 participated in peer-developed, peer-led prayer, study, fun, and RYFTI tradition. The weekend's educational theme (also chosen by the teens) was "What is the Good Life?” a look at Jewish tradition’s recipe for long-term, sustainable happiness.  Our four thematic programs each provided a look at one aspect of a “good life:” Hard Work, “Reform Hedonism,” Tzedekah, and Simplicity.  We sought to discover the particular kind of happiness imparted by each aspect, and considered how each balanced and moderated the others en route to a happy life.  We also played football and ultimate frizbee, to a ride in a pontoon boat, worked on a farm, jumped in a lake, and spent long hours in once-in-a-lifetime conversations.

RYFTI Closes out the Year… at Walden Pond!

RYFTI could not have picked a better day to spend on the beach at Walden Pond to celebrate the end of this year!  30 teens, grades 8-12, carpooled over to Concord.  They had fun on the beach, swam, and picnicked at Walden Pond, before heading for some great soft-serve at Dairy Joy, where they also made havdalah and said goodbye to a fantastic year. 

Confirmation
 

On Shavuot morning, Wednesday, June 4^th, the 19 members of the TI Confirmation Class of 5774 led our community’s festival service.  They read from our liturgy and chanted from the Torah and Haftarah portions.  The Confirmands also read pieces of their own writing; statements of their personal beliefs about the central Jewish concepts of God, Torah, and Israel.  These 10^th grade students had composed their statements over the previous several weeks, during their preparatory work with Rabbi Zecher and Cantor Einhorn, and had studied these concepts throughout the year with Rabbi Morrison, Rabbi Soffer, and Teen Educator Mike Fishbein.