I just came back from visiting a synagogue with an enviable number of teens in their Confirmation Program.
What number, you ask, counts as being worthy of envy? About FORTY.
I was talking to them about continuing their Jewish education and framing it in the context of choices they make.
For example, I asked and the majority answered, that they play sports or a musical instrument.
I asked them if faced with a choice about whether to practice scales, do drills, or go to the movies, what they would choose.
Most chose the movies. No surprise there. I then asked which activity they thought was the most important.
The answers were very rich and textured.
They mostly all opted for the drilling and practicing. They talked about those activities as building character, teamwork, responsibility, and doing something for their future. The felt it was time well spent.
I then facilitated a conversation with them about how being involved in continuing education might be a little like that. Like it would build character and identity. Things that would make them better people, but that take some time.
They GOT IT.
Do you think their parents get it? When thinking about how or what these teens might say to parents about what we just talked about–continuing their Jewish education—-I wonder how many parents will say:
“Wow, that makes a lot of sense” or what I often hear instead: “How can you possibly do one more thing, you’re already overbooked!”
What do you think the parents you know would say?