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Mosaic Law 10th Grade Confirmation Program

Since 2004, all of the synagogue 10th grade confirmation classes have been taught by the rabbis of our community as part of the Yachad Community High School which meets on Wednesday evenings at the Federation Campus on Wyda Way. Rabbi Taff teaches the 10th grade students of families of Mosaic Law and it is a weekly class that encompasses a interactive curriculum of topics that will enable the students to grow in Torah learning and Jewish wisdom. The following is an overview of the Confirmation Program:

1. Torah Facts---Each session we will take a little bit of our time together each week to review one of 500 facts about the Torah and discuss its inner meaning.

2. "Everything Is Jewish Stuff." During our sessions we will learn "Everything Is Jewish Stuff" principles. "Everything Is Jewish Stuff," is not about Jewish identity or Jewish literacy--it’s simply a way to get young people to envision their life's journey as a path inextricable from the Jewish tradition and wisdom path. Our principles of discussion will be:

  • Everything Is Jewish Stuff (Judaism has an impact on and an answer for everything)
  • Hebrew is Your Key to the Jewish Universe (Without Hebrew Judaism doesn't make sense)
  • We are One People (Although we have different colors, nationalities, languages, abilities and beliefs, we are one family and one people
  • Wherever you are Israel is your Location (Israel--the people and the land and the idea are one of the major ideas that center our lives)
  • History is Now, Not Then (Every moment is a part of history, and we are affected by history and affecting history at every moment)
  • In Judaism, How we Treat Others is as important as how we treat G-d (There is no Judaism without Ethics)
  • Every Voice Counts, But So Does Every Ear--- (It's important to balance the sacredness of debate with the sacredness of listening in Jewish discourse)
  • You're Going to Need this in the Real World----(Judaism can serve as a spiritual, emotional, moral and intellectual guide/benefit as one navigates daily life and life's problems)
  • Be Responsible For Your Judaism---(Nobody can be Jewish for you—not your fellow Jew, not your Rabbi or other clergy, or your teachers, Judaism like citizenship and survival are on us, not on others)
  • Be a Mentsch No Matter What They Say---(We have to resist the temptation to “be like everybody else” when it comes to basic Jewish ethics—we have to avoid teasing, gossip, cheating, stealing, lying to protect negative behavior, and tolerating those behaviors on the parts of other people---we have to always be the best people we can be)
  • Ask the Right Question, Don’t Scream the Wrong Answer---(In Judaism, questions make the journey of learning and life, not answers)
  • Being Jewish Means Thinking Outside the Box---(Being Jewish is about seeing things from a different perspective, taking an opposite approach, and weighing things in terms of Jewish tradition---the same creative well that many of history’s Jewish greats drew from and revolutionized the world!)

In order for a student to be confirmed our requirements include:

  • Regular and Consistent Attendance
  • Participation in Class Discussion
  • A Personal Essay on one of 10 Jewish Topics

Each year one or two parent volunteers to be our Parent Liaison to the Confirmation Class.  The Confirmation Shabbat is usually held on a Shabbat in May of each year with the students all participating in leading the service.  For further information about the program, please contact Rabbi Taff.  He can be reached by e-mail at rabbi@mosaiclaw.org, or at the office, 916-488-1122 x13.