Noar Night
Noar Night is our Wednesday night teen school (8th -12th grade). It is a place where teens unplug from their cell phones, Instagram, and Snapchat, and experience significant face to face interactions. It is a time where homework is temporarily set aside for meaningful conversations, community building, and the opportunity for self-discovery. Through the support of their peers, teachers and clergy, teens feel connected and realize that they are not alone as they encounter a world of challenging questions and elusive answers.
Noar Night begins with some relaxing - having an informal dinner together in a safe environment lets the stress of the day take a back seat to laughter and conversation. As we divide into grade-levels, each group participates in what we call “check-in” - a time to reflect on the week and connect with one another. Each grade has a dynamic curriculum that explores the intersection of Jewish tradition and contemporary issues, which helps teens develop a relevant and personalized Jewish identity. We also incorporate activities that support their mental health and well-being. Our evening concludes with Siyyum, a time to put our arms around each other as we sing songs and evening prayers.
6:45: Dinner (Panda, Pizza, Pasta, Baja and More!)
7:10: Grade Level Check-In and Learning
8:25: Siyyum (Songs, friends, etc.)
8:30: L’hitraot (See you next week!)
To learn more about our programs for teens contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (925) 284-9191.
2023-2024 Noar Night Sessions
September 13, 20, 27
October 4, 11, 18, 25
November 8, 15, 29
December 6, 13
January 10, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 28
March 6, 13, 20, 27
April 10, 17
May 1, 8
May 15 Confirmation Rehearsal
May 17 Confirmation
May 22 Graduation
- Noar Night Curriculum
Grade-Level Curriculum
8TH GRADE
As they begin their “adult” Jewish life, 8th grade is a time of changes- physically, emotionally, maybe even spiritually. Through art, music, videos, movies and thoughtful discussion, we explore those changes ask and answer the question: “Mi anochi?” or “Who am I?”
They will focus on exploring tolerance, peer pressure, prejudice, friendship and who we are at the core of ourselves. Eighth graders begin a two-year cycle that will be continued in the ninth grade year. They will also have special programs with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Shalom Bayit.9TH GRADE
Ninth graders embark on a deeper journey of self discovery. On the path to unraveling their Jewish identities, they tackle Jewish perspectives on gender, sex, sexuality, dating, drugs and alcohol, race, privilege and more. Along the way they will have the amazing opportunity to learn about themselves and bond as a class.
In the fall of 9th Grade, they will go on a weekend 9th Grade Escape in the Bay Area to decompress, bond and explore the themes of happiness, success and individuality.10TH GRADE: CONFIRMATION
During the year of Confirmation, students will learn with our rabbis. This will be a year of questioning and empowering the inner Jew as they develop a connection with their teachers and their peers; and affirm their Jewish understandings. At the end of the year, the 10th graders will craft their own Shabbat Service of Confirmation.10th Grade Washington DC Trip: Religious Action Center’s L’Taken Social Justice Seminar
The highlight of Confirmation is an extended weekend trip to the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, D.C. They’ll travel with Rabbi Miller and other of our teen staff for an intense four-day kallah focusing on public policy and social activism through a Jewish lens. They will visit Capitol Hill to lobby their Senators and Representatives on issues they have studied, and they’ll have an opportunity to tour the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and experience Havdalah services at the Jefferson Memorial.11th & 12th GRADE
Otherwise known as “Everything I learned at JQuest/Noar Night but didn’t pay attention because I was talking to my friends, flirting, texting, not attending, or going to get a drink of water AND now I actually care.” The 11th and 12th graders, we be choosing topics that relate to what is happening in their lives and strengthen their Jewish knowledge. The 12th grade year culminates with a meaningful graduation ceremony.Biennial 11th and 12th Grade Civil Rights Trip
They will follow in Martin Luther King Jr’s footsteps through Alabama and Georgia! Partnering with Etgar 36 (https://www.etgar.org/),this trip is an opportunity to discover what it means to be a Jew in the South, interact with our nation’s history of civil rights, and grapple with the Jewish tradition of justice.