Youth Engagement
Congregation Kol Ami is home to a fun and comprehensive youth program aimed at bringing students together for memorable experiences. The Junior (grades 7-8) and Senior (grades 9-12) Youth Groups participate in all types of social, educational and charitable events. Integrating themselves within Temple life and the community at large, the youth groups are an instrumental part of our Congregation. And we don’t stop at graduation! We continue to keep in touch with our college students as well.
Learn more about our Junior and Senior Youth Groups, College program, and Yad B’ Yad,
our Synagogue based initiative for teens with developmental challenges, below.
Our Programs
Junior Youth Group
Grades 7-8
Members of the Junior Youth Group at Congregation Kol Ami participate in exciting and engaging activities and focus on Jewish values of chavurah (community), tikkun olam (repairing the world), and manhigut (leadership). The Junior Youth Group promotes meaningful learning in a fun, inclusive, and safe environment.
Senior Youth Group
Grades 9-12
Kol Ami’s Senior Youth Group provides our high school students with a sense of community and an opportunity to explore their identities through a variety of amazing activities. Students come back to Kol Ami year after year, not only to take advantage of our exciting and inclusive programs, but also because they know the group as a wonderful community in which they have created life-long friendships.
College Outreach
Keeping In Touch
Kol Ami maintains meaningful contact with students while they are away at school by sending birthday greetings and goodies at Hanukkah and Purim, and even with campus visits from Rabbi Weiner. We also publish a student directory to help old friends keep in touch and remain in the community that they love while away at school. Help us stay in touch with your college or graduate school bound student by providing contact information.
Confirmation
10th Grade
Tenth grade at Kol Ami is a special year during which the class studies with our Rabbis. At the end of the year, these phenomenal young students celebrate a public affirmation of their commitment to live as Jews. The entire class leads the congregation in worship on Shavuot, the festival that marks the receiving of the Torah by Moses at Sinai. Confirmation does not mark the end of religious school, but is instead an exciting step along the way.
Yad B’Yad
7th-12th Grade
Yad B’ Yad (Hand in Hand) is our Synagogue-based initiative for teens with developmental challenges. This program was created to fill the void which currently exists for Jewish teens with developmental challenges in Westchester County. This is a population that desperately needs to learn a large repertoire of life and social skills—abilities that most teens understand and take for granted.