Youth Activities

Beth David Synagogue prides itself in the emphasis that it places on the lives of the congregation's young people. Our youth are our future, and our world will one day be theirs. To prepare them, we must nurture them, encourage them, guide them and support them. Beth David is true to this mission in a variety of ways.

Beth David has affiliated its division of youth oriented activities with NCSY (National Conference of Synagogue Youth), a department of the Orthodox Union. NCSY operates as collection of regions spread out across North America. West Hartford is assigned to the New England Region-NER. Aside from it's name, ner also means "flame." We believe that our children are the light onto the future. It is through our children that our families and our community will achieve continuity. As an eternal flame, ner tamid, burns resplendently in the front of our sanctuary, so too must we protect the spiritual flame of hope, optimism and confidence that burns in the heart of every child.

Beth David youth groups are divided by age with Junior NCSY providing activities for children in the older grades of elementary school and Senior NCSY providing programming for high school age students. Junior and Senior NCSY provide local events as well as opportunities for travel to weekend events in neighboring cities. In addition to events, NCSY provides our youth with telephone Torah study partners, timely newsletters, inter-regional social occasions and other fun-filled opportunities. Beth David in particular offers teens a special youth lounge, designed for and by our teens in conjunction with our youth director, Rabbi Eitan Maazari.

On a weekly basis, Beth David provides Shabbat enrichment for toddlers and young children. Every Shabbat morning, two groups convene. The first is for pre-school toddlers and is called Tot Shabbat. During Tot Shabbat professional child care adults supervise the children in play. Within the Tot Shabbat program is Mini-Minyan. For Mini-Minyan, parental volunteers share Shabbat stories, songs and games with the children. The second group is Junior Congregation. Junior Congregation is an educational experience for elementary school age children to learn about the weekly parsha (Torah portion) and to learn songs and rituals of the sanctuary service. Tot Shabbat has its special meeting room in the synagogue's educational wing and Junior Congregation convenes in Beth David's specially dedicated Young People's Chapel.

We proudly train our young people to actively participate in synagogue services. Each Shabbat, pre and post bar mitzvah boys lead portions of the service. Girls are encouraged to prepare D'vrei Torah (words of Torah) and deliver them before the entire congregation.