Valley Temple

Required For Valley Temple 9^th Graders: Resetting the Table

Since October 7, differences in opinions and perspectives have come to the forefront of Jewish educational spaces. Join Shelanu 9th graders to gain tools and skills for productive communication across differences.

The program includes 6 Sunday evening sessions in the fall:
October 11, 18, 25 and November 1, 8, 15. The full fall series will take place at Wise Temple from 5:00–7:00 PM and includes dinner. The timing of this class will not interfere with the required First-Year Madrichim Program.

First-Year Madrichim Program

The Madrichim First-Year Program is our newest learning lab designed to help teen madrichim become more effective in the classroom and create a more inclusive world outside of it.

Participants will learn:

• Classroom management skills
• How to build inclusive environments
• Leadership tools that help everyone feel welcome and supported

The program includes:

Fall Sunday Evening Sessions:
October 11, 18, 25 and November 1, 8, 15

The full fall series will take place at Wise Temple from 5:00–7:00 PM and includes dinner. The timing of this class will not interfere with the required 9th grade Resetting the Table program.

Spring Afternoon Learning Sessions (12:30–2:00 PM):
January 10, January 31, February 28, and April 4

Please note: Spring sessions will rotate between various synagogue locations.

If the 9^th graders are not Madrichim, they can pick from: Chavarim M’Israel or Girls in Trouble:

Chavarim M’Israel

In this semester-long course, students will explore Modern Israel with the Chaverim M’Israel. Engage with Israeli game shows, modern artists, technology, food, music, and everyday culture while building meaningful connections with Israeli peers. This hands-on course will be active and engaging for all. Open to students in all grades.

Girls in Trouble

Dr. Caroline Winstel McLeod 

How do stories of women in Torah reflect the complexity of our own lives? How can art can help us deepen our connections to these ancient texts? The Girls in Trouble class brings women in Torah to life through art, text, and personal reflection.

Pick two of the following:  Please note that Returning Madrichim and Moot Court overlap. So they can’t do those two together.

Returning Madrichim Program

The Returning Madrichim Program builds on the foundation and offers expanded opportunities for leadership, teaching, and mentorship. This program is designed to help teens move from supporting the classroom to actively shaping it, while strengthening their role as leaders in both synagogue life and the broader Jewish community. Valley Temple students who complete this course with consistent attendance will receive a $5 a session increase in pay.

Returning madrichim will continue developing:

• Leadership and facilitation skills
• Lesson planning and classroom teaching strategies
• Inclusive community-building practices
• Confidence in mentoring younger students and peers
• Jewish leadership skills that extend beyond the classroom

Maimonides Moot Court Competition (Formerly Moot Beit Din)

Year long competitive debate class

Open to 10-12 Graders

Teacher: Lowell Lustig

Embark on a rich and engaging learning journey with our local teacher, Lowell Lustig. Through this premiere program, students will grapple with contemporary ethics through a prism of Jewish legal tradition. Powered by the Hadar Institute and supported by Maimonides Fund, the Maimonides Moot Court Competition is an international competition for high school and college students, in which participants defend ethical arguments grounded in Jewish wisdom in response to a modern ethical issue. This is a yearlong course that includes travel opportunity in the Spring and extra class sessions.

Girls in Trouble

Dr. Caroline Winstel McLeod 

How do stories of women in Torah reflect the complexity of our own lives? How can art can help us deepen our connections to these ancient texts? The Girls in Trouble class brings women in Torah to life through art, text, and personal reflection.

Pick two of the following:  Please note that Returning Madrichim and Moot Court overlap. So they can’t do those two together.

Returning Madrichim Program

The Returning Madrichim Program builds on the foundation and offers expanded opportunities for leadership, teaching, and mentorship. This program is designed to help teens move from supporting the classroom to actively shaping it, while strengthening their role as leaders in both synagogue life and the broader Jewish community. Valley Temple students who complete this course with consistent attendance will receive a $5 a session increase in pay.

Returning madrichim will continue developing:

• Leadership and facilitation skills
• Lesson planning and classroom teaching strategies
• Inclusive community-building practices
• Confidence in mentoring younger students and peers
• Jewish leadership skills that extend beyond the classroom

Maimonides Moot Court Competition (Formerly Moot Beit Din)

Year long competitive debate class

Open to 10-12 Graders

Teacher: Lowell Lustig

Embark on a rich and engaging learning journey with our local teacher, Lowell Lustig. Through this premiere program, students will grapple with contemporary ethics through a prism of Jewish legal tradition. Powered by the Hadar Institute and supported by Maimonides Fund, the Maimonides Moot Court Competition is an international competition for high school and college students, in which participants defend ethical arguments grounded in Jewish wisdom in response to a modern ethical issue. This is a yearlong course that includes travel opportunity in the Spring and extra class sessions.

Girls in Trouble

Dr. Caroline Winstel McLeod 

How do stories of women in Torah reflect the complexity of our own lives? How can art can help us deepen our connections to these ancient texts? The Girls in Trouble classbrings women in Torah to life through art, text, and personal reflection.

11&12^th Grade Text Class –

Explore timeless Jewish texts through the lens of modern life. In this discussion-based class for 11th and 12th graders, local rabbis will guide students through meaningful conversations about identity, ethics, relationships, justice, and what it means to live Jewishly today. No prior text experience needed—just curiosity and a willingness to ask big questions.

Pick two of the following:  Please note that Returning Madrichim and Moot Court overlap. So they can’t do those two together.

Returning Madrichim Program

The Returning Madrichim Program builds on the foundation and offers expanded opportunities for leadership, teaching, and mentorship. This program is designed to help teens move from supporting the classroom to actively shaping it, while strengthening their role as leaders in both synagogue life and the broader Jewish community. Valley Temple students who complete this course with consistent attendance will receive a $5 a session increase in pay.

Returning madrichim will continue developing:

• Leadership and facilitation skills
• Lesson planning and classroom teaching strategies
• Inclusive community-building practices
• Confidence in mentoring younger students and peers
• Jewish leadership skills that extend beyond the classroom

Maimonides Moot Court Competition (Formerly Moot Beit Din)

Year long competitive debate class

Open to 10-12 Graders

Teacher: Lowell Lustig

Embark on a rich and engaging learning journey with our local teacher, Lowell Lustig. Through this premiere program, students will grapple with contemporary ethics through a prism of Jewish legal tradition. Powered by the Hadar Institute and supported by Maimonides Fund, the Maimonides Moot Court Competition is an international competition for high school and college students, in which participants defend ethical arguments grounded in Jewish wisdom in response to a modern ethical issue. This is a yearlong course that includes travel opportunity in the Spring and extra class sessions.

Girls in Trouble

Dr. Caroline Winstel McLeod 

How do stories of women in Torah reflect the complexity of our own lives? How can art can help us deepen our connections to these ancient texts? The Girls in Trouble classbrings women in Torah to life through art, text, and personal reflection.

11&12^th Grade Text Class –

Explore timeless Jewish texts through the lens of modern life. In this discussion-based class for 11th and 12th graders, local rabbis will guide students through meaningful conversations about identity, ethics, relationships, justice, and what it means to live Jewishly today. No prior text experience needed—just curiosity and a willingness to ask big questions.

Optional Program: Etgar 36

Join your local rabbis and Shelanu classmates for an immersive trip to Atlanta and Alabama from January 15–18 to retrace the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the Jewish role within it. During the Etgar 36 Civil Rights Journey, students will meet with primary sources who were at the center of the Movement, hear their stories firsthand, and experience the sites, sounds, culture, food, and people of the American South.

Registration is not yet open as we finalize payment details and funding opportunities.