And the Youth Shall See Visions

While the Reform movement has always prided itself on the activities provided to its youth, no portion of Temple programming has had a more profound change in the last 25 years than youth activities. Our Religious School, once relegated to double shifts on Sunday, has increased first to a two-and-a-half hour religious school and now to an additional 45 minutes, while incorporating the second day of Hebrew, which was previously held on Monday. The Temple has added a number of programs to involve our youth for more years, and in a more spiritually enriching way. These include the following:

• Adding a year to the Hebrew program so that it now begins in third grade.
• The Ma’aseh program, in which high school students act as assistant teachers in our Religious School and assist in our retreats.
• The Ezra program, in which high school students serve as assistant teachers in our weekday Hebrew program.
• In both the Ma’aseh and Ezra programs, there is a component of continued study as well as teaching.
• Shabbat Shelanu and Ah-Hah, in which the very young, with their parents, regularly come to the Temple and share worship, learning and, most importantly, the love of Judaism.

The Temple has a retreat program in which all of our Religious School students, from third grade through Confirmation, have a weekend of worship, study and spiritual involvement. Many of these retreats are held at UAHC Greene Family Camp. Greene Family Camp has been a central part of Jewish youth activities for Reform children in Texas for 23 years. We have the opportunity in the State of Texas to provide our children with a summer of fun and

Judaism together with other children of their age from all over Texas and Oklahoma. Many children from our Temple attend Greene Family Camp every year, while many more of our young people serve as counselors through their college years. Perhaps the most memorable part of the program is the Garin Greene Summer in Israel program, primarily for immediate post-confirmands.

Our Temple also sponsors attendance for our children to worship and study both at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and at UAHC Kutz Camp. The Temple also sponsors a program for preteens known as BEST (Beth-El Super Teens).

One of the most important parts of our youth activities for many years has been San Antonio Federation of Temple Youth (SAFTY). SAFTY is affiliated with the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY). Many of our Temple leaders and Rabbis have come out of the NFTY movement. SAFTY offers to Temple teenagers the opportunity for cultural, social action and social activities in a wholesome Jewish environment. In a number of Temple families, the husband and wife first met as teenagers at a NFTY conclave.

SAFTY holds the Purim Carnival annually. The Selichot ceremony, begun at the Temple in recent years, is assisted by SAFTY. SAFTY is particularly proud of it efforts with the Temple in community service . The concept of Tikkun Olam - Healing The World - is a central part of its activities.

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