Temple Israel Youth House (High School)

Waxman High School/Youth House

Rabbi Seth K. Adelson. Director of the Waxman High School and Youth House

Joseph Pearlman, Director of Youth Activities
Itamar Futterman, Director of Religious Activities

The Waxman High School and Youth House is a long-standing program which combines a Hebrew High School and youth activities for eighth through twelfth graders.

The High School meets Tuesdays, Thursdays and occasional Sundays, for two hours each day. The school year is composed of two semesters, with a three week intensive, mini-mester in January. Course offerings include: Humash, Midrash, Talmud, philosophy, history, prayer, ethics and Jewish identity, Hebrew language, literature and more. The Tuesday-Thursday sessions provide the core curriculum classes. Sunday classes are an opportunity for intensive serious study and lighter, special interest classes. These include various text study classes, as well as play rehearsals, klezmer band rehearsals, art and chess classes, and a special mitzvah program, where students visit local community groups to provide service to the residents. This class also involves the study of related Jewish laws of tzedakah. Some examples of the "Mitzvah Madness" visits are making breakfast at Ronald McDonald House, visiting local nursing homes, and homes for mentally challenged adults, and helping out at an animal shelter.

During school break, the students socialize and the Youth House/USY board announces and advertises USY and youth activities programs.

TIGN Youth House and High School Building

The Youth Activities program is a combination of monthly activities for Youth House members. (Although teens do not have to be members of the High School in order to be members of the Youth House and active in the activities, most of them are enrolled. We are actively trying to reach out to the "unaffiliated" teens of the community.) Monthly programs include Saturday night at the movies, trips to the city, bowling, baseball games or just "shul-ins" in the Youth House.

We continue to actively encourage our teens' involvement in USY, and have had increasing attendance at dances and kinnusim. We have taken special interest this year in increasing our USY involvement and have had good results thus far.

Major Youth House youth activities programs for the year include: Shabbat teen services, a fall Shabbaton at Camp Ramah in Nyack, the Winter Shabbaton/Ski Retreat in January, running the synagogue Purim Carnival, leading the service in the main congregation on Hol Hamoed Shabbat of Pesach, and a Tikun Layl Shavuot.

Our High School/Youth House membership is about 100 students with about 10- 15 students just in USY/youth activities.

Waxman Hebrew High School

The Waxman High School runs an interactive Hebrew High program. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, we get together from 4:30-6:30 (5:30-7:30 for those who play sports) and run semester long discussions and activities with topics ranging from Jewish cooking and art to the inner lives of Israelis, Hebrew, a taste of Talmud and more. On occasional Sunday mornings there is an informal "class," focusing on social action projects, text study, Jewish arts/music/media, Jews around the world, and social Sundays. The best thing about all of our classes? No homework, no tests, no report cards - we are here for Torah Lishma - learning for the sake of learning and not for grades. Through each of these different topics and approaches, we lay a solid groundwork for what lies ahead in college. For more information see the Youth Group/USY info!

Joseph Pearlman

Joe Pearlman has been teaching and staffing events at the Waxman Youth House for five years in a wide variety of topics. Along with being a third-generation Temple Israel member, Joe is also a 2001 graduate of the Waxman Youth House. He has worked in Special Education for the Great Neck Public School District and currently works with handicapped adults in private sectors. As Youth Activities Director, Joe brings the experience of working under three previous directors, and has become a favorite over his years of teaching. Joe is currently teaching a music class called “Make A Jewish Noize” in which the students will be arranging their own religious music for the purpose of recording and performance.

Itamar Futterman

Bio Coming Soon

For more information about the Waxman High School and Youth House, contact Joseph Pearlman at (516) 482-7800 ext. 2100 or by email at iheartyh@tign.org.

Visit the Youth House website at www.iheartyh.org.