BATY (Beth Am Temple Youth) is a teen designed and led program for 9^th -12^th grade students which is supervised by adult youth professionals. BATY works to help instill Jewish identity and commitment to community through leadership development, Jewish education, religious and social action, worship, personal growth, and fun.

BATY’s leadership board members plan exciting programming for peers throughout the year including social action, religious, cultural, educational, and recreational activities. Each year the group designs and leads a teen Yom Kippur service, coordinates the congregation’s Purim Carnival, and hosts a beach bonfire on Lag B’Omer. BATY’s social action efforts focused last year on educating the public about the genocide in Darfur as well as raising funds and awareness of modern-day AIDS issues. Events included a Pink Floyd Shabbaton, attendance at a comedy improv performance, a city-wide shul-in, a Sukkot pumpkin carving competition, a camping trip, havdallah, movies, mayhem and much more. Many BATY members participate in North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) regional conclaves bringing together Reform movement teens from Alaska, B.C., Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho.

For more information, please contact Teen Director, Dorothy Kahn, 206-525-0915 x 209

jBATY provides activities and informal Jewish education for Beth Am’s 7^th - 8^th graders. Members enjoy events like laser-tag, bowling, havdallah, games, campfires, and much more.

For over twenty-five years the URJ Rabbinic School in Cincinnati has hosted 4 annual conferences for stellar national teen leaders from across North America. Temple Beth Am is permitted to nominate two students for each of these events. If you or someone you know is interested in being nominated to attend one of these conferences, please contact TBA Teen Director, Dorothy Kahn.

• INSTITUTE FOR RELIGIOUS SCHOOL TEACHING ASSISTANTS (IRSTA) - for current Madrichim
• HUC-JIR ACADEMY - Social Action event focused on MLK Weekend
• HUC-JIR/RAC SOCIAL JUSTICE WEEKEND - this year’s topic is War
• HIGH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE (HSLC) - a dynamic and rewarding weekend devoted to exploring how good leaders and good followers are necessary for success

For more information, like an overview of the HUC-JIR Youth Department, a sample schedule of a weekend, or frequently asked questions, check out all the details on the HUC-JIR Youth Department page.

Temple Beth Am is looking for 3-5 teens who are interested in being a part of the Seattle Jewish Youth Council in 2008-09.  These teens work with other youth from all arenas of Jewish life and plan both community service and social events for the greater Seattle Jewish teen community. Interested? Please email TBA Youth Director, Dorothy Kahn.

The Seattle Jewish Youth Council has representatives from every Jewish teen group, movement, and organization. Working together with professional adult staff from the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, this group of teens helps design and lead community events. Their biggest focus has been on J-Serve, the National Day of Jewish Youth Service.

J-Serve is a program created by teens for teens. Upon hearing about Youth Service America’s Global Youth Service Day, a teen leader in the Jewish community asked us, “Why don’t we have something like that?” Five months later, J-Serve was born. Since 2005, Seattle has partnered with Youth Service America and Panim, to bring the Jewish component of Youth Service Day. Temple Beth Am has had teen leaders on every Jewish Youth Council Board, working hard to help bring change to the world.

J-Serve provides Jewish participants with the opportunity to fulfill age-old Jewish values. By engaging in community service, J-Serve participants are fulfilling the ideals of: gemilut chasadim, acts of lovingkindness; tzedakah, just and charitable giving; and tikkun olam, the idea that Jews are duty bound to help fix a broken world.