An Introduction to RYFTI Kallot
Dear Temple Israel Teens and Parents,
The Reform Youth Federation of Temple Israel, or RYFTI, is
our phenomenal Temple Youth Group and teen community. RYFTI is a very active
youth group; every school year, it organizes and runs at least one event per
month, including social events, gatherings at TI Shabbat and festival services,
the annual Purim Carnival, and more, all of which are conceived, developed, and
led by teens, for teens (and occasionally for the larger community as well!). RYFTI is led by an elected board of 12
sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and by many other RYFTI members, and it is
supported by the RYFTI Advisor (Roberta Bergstein) and the Director of Teen
Education (Mike Fishbein).
By far, the RYFTI events that are the most exciting, most
engaging, and most central to the teen community are the RYFTI kallot:
Fall Kallah and Clergy Weekend. Kallot are weekend retreats – we board a
bus and depart from Temple Israel on a Friday afternoon (3:30pm), travel to a
regional camp, spend the weekend together, and return to TI early Sunday
afternoon. What happens during that time, kallah after kallah, is
fantastic: the teens lead each other in learning, in prayer, and in fun. They
deepen familiar relationships and build new ones. Perhaps best of all, they
renew their community as a safe, inclusive, supportive, and joyful place to
explore who they are as young American Jews, and to be their most genuine,
whole selves.
All RYFTI kallot follow the same basic schedule, but
the content of each kallah is very different. Every kallah has a
theme. The theme is developed into approximately six hours of peer-led learning,
divided into four programs. The programs are designed to facilitate the teens’
exploration of the theme through the lens of Jewish tradition, through the
perspectives of their peers, and based on their own experiences. Kallah
themes originate from the teens themselves; they emerge from questions the
teens are asking or from ideas they are exploring in their daily lives. A given
theme is brainstormed, debated, and chosen by a group of teens that often
includes the RYFTI Board, the “Overalls” (program planners from among the RYFTI
membership), or the senior class. Recent kallah themes include
Leadership, D’veikut (the mystical concept of a direct experience with
the Divine), Love, Yetzer HaRa (the “evil inclination”), and Conflict.
The most recent RYFTI kallah, Clergy Weekend 5774 (May 2014), was an
exploration of long-term happiness – its programs were about simplicity,
pleasure, hard work, and tzedekah – and it was among the best kallot anyone
(including Rabbi Friedman, who has seen quite a few) can remember.
After a theme is chosen, the program teams discuss a variety
of different ways the theme might be explored. Through a creative,
collaborative process and a good deal of hard work, each team will eventually
develop a 60-90 minute program (one might also say, “lesson plan”), which the
team will lead for their peers during the kallah. Programs have utilized
text study, discussion, debate, art, media, writing, nature, dance, farm work,
and a variety of other interactive, experiential learning modalities. By the
end of a kallah, RYFTI teens have had a substantial opportunity to
explore an idea of immediate relevance to their lives, and to consider how they
might incorporate that idea into their own Jewish identities.
In addition to the four programs of thematic learning, RYFTI
teens will also innovate and lead their own Shabbat services for Friday evening,
Saturday morning, and havdalah, and they will create and hold an
original community “social program” (an epic, complex game of dodgeball based
on the Hunger Games trilogy was particularly memorable). Kallot
have also included great games of football or ultimate frisbee, amazing song
sessions (the collective musical talent of this teen community is staggering),
impromptu dance parties, beautiful bonfires, and more. And of course, some of
the best moments at any kallah happen during meals, between programs,
and in cabins, when the teens have time to just “be,” to just be themselves,
and to really get to know one another. Clergy Weekend, the pinnacle of the
RYFTI year, concludes with a unique RYFTY tradition called “Senior Line,” in
which every attendee has a private, one-on-one conversation with each and every
RYFTI senior at the kallah. Many RYFTI participants and leaders have
listed Senior Line among the most meaningful and memorable moments of their
high school careers.
After most kallot, the attendees are asked to
complete an evaluation that includes a 1-5 rating of each program and service,
and of the venue, and a request for written reflections. After a recent kallah,
the following reflections were submitted:
-(Regarding the havdalah service)
[1-5 rating:] 5, 10, 20. So great. This was my favorite part. The change of
scenery was nice, and the little walk was really good. the space was great,
sitting close felt right. The singing. I’m so glad we were singing so much. The
intensity of havdalah smears me with emotion and that night time candle
lit room is all the difference and is the best. That is when I felt my
best, my most close to everyone.
-I don’t go to overnight camp, but this
was my best experience away from home. It is welcoming, comfortable, warm in
personality and really does feel like a home. Terrific. The fact it is
in nature and we see stars – couldn’t have been better.
-I thought this kallah ran like
clockwork. Really nice. I think we did a good job at being inclusive.
-the programs were really interesting
and meaningful. I had a great time.
-Great experience , great way to explore my ideas about
Judaism and become closer to my peers.
-Best. Time. Everrrr. Got so close to
new people I didn’t know that well, I challenged myself and felt like myself. I
was doing me and doing things I didn’t know I could, just BEING. I was finally
present. Best. Time. Ever.
I look forward to welcoming our teens as they attend their
first kallah. I know that they will be entering a space in which they
will feel safe, happy, and welcome, that they will have a great time, and that
they will be return home with a deeper connection to this special, wonderful
community.
Please don’t hesitate to be in touch with questions – I love
talking about RYFTI kallot!
L’shalom,
Michael
Fishbein
Director of
Teen Education
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