Midrasha Community High Schools

The CJLL coordinates 5 Midrasha Jewish community high school campuses and provides curricula and teacher training for this program. The CJLL runs informal educational programs for Midrasha students including six weekend Shabbat retreats and 4 value-added programs that engage over 700 students throughout the school year.

The purpose of CJLL’s Youth Program is to provide Jewish supplementary education to Jewish teens who live in the Greater East Bay. The primary focus of the program is to form a community of Jewish youth and to positively impact our students on an intellectual, social, cultural, and spiritual level. CJLL youth programs bring together young people from every major Jewish movement. In order to serve our diverse community and to enact the value of Klal Israel (Jewish unity), CJLL retreats and youth programs promote Jewish pluralistic and creative expression while maintaining a respect for Jewish religious traditions. CJLL classroom curricula and retreat programs promote the Jewish values of Torah (study), Avodah (worship and service), and Gemilut Chasadim (acts of kindness), as well as a connection to the land and the people of Israel. Faculty and student leaders serve as positive role models: young adults with strong Jewish identities who effectively integrate Judaism into their secular world and demonstrate a commitment to Jewish learning and the Jewish People.

Gesharim 8th Grade Program
Gesharim includes weekly classroom lessons, one camp-style retreat weekend and two overnight wilderness hiking programs. The focus of the Gesharim curriculum is “Jewish Ethics in Action”

Etgar 9th Grade Program
Etgar includes weekly classroom lessons and three camp-style retreat weekends. The focus of the Etgar curriculum is “Jewish Identity”

Kesher 10th-12th Grade Program
Kesher includes weekly classroom lessons and three camp-style retreat weekends. The focus of the Kesher curriculum is “Israel”; “Jewish Spirituality”, and; “The American Jewish Experience.”

The CJLL provides pathways for teens to get involved in Jewish life. For further information, contact retreats@jfed.org