Jewish Opportunities & Learning for Teens (JOLT) will begin its third trimester on Feb. 9, featuring eight Thursday evenings for students in grades 8-12 to socialize and learn with other teens. 

Trimester three includes a special Purim celebration where participants will bake hamentaschen, enjoy entertainment by the JOLT Drama class and perform a mitzvah to benefit the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry.  JOLT takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. but students have the option of coming at 6 p.m. for dinner before class.  Students choose one or two classes from nine that are offered. 

Some of the classes to choose from include: 

• Cooking Jewish Classics: Cook up traditional Jewish dishes, learn a few tricks for microwaveable meals in a college dorm and develop basic cooking skills, while exploring the many “tastes” that Jews have made uniquely their own. For juniors and seniors only.

• Hebrew Chat Room: Students keep their Hebrew fresh by expanding vocabulary and conversation skills. Students will be exposed to Israeli music, newspapers and other forms of media as a way to further develop Hebrew language, conversation and comprehension skills. 

• Hidden Stories in the Bible: Students will discover some of the wonderful stories hidden in the Tanach, beyond the often thought of hit parade of stories: Adam and Eve, Noah’s flood and Joseph’s coat.

• Israel through Cinema: Students will explore Israeli films and the multimedia arts through an educational portal. Through films and interactive activities teens will explore the diversity of Israeli society.  

• Difficult Dilemmas: What Would Jew Do: A teenage friend has vodka in their water bottle, a classmate is being harassed…Making decisions on ethical issues is often a challenge.  This class will discuss the tough ethical decisions facing Jewish teens today.  

• Jews “R” News: This class uses a Jewish lens to analyze current and recent news. Learn how to seek out a balance of news stories and how articles reflect the politics of the writers. 

• Mitzvah Projects & Beyond: Students participate in interactive service learning both inside and outside the classroom. Receive community service credit while learning about the Jewish values of appreciation, kindness and empathy.

For more information, or to register, contact Maxine Weil at [email protected] or 314-442-3757, or go to www.cajestl.org  and download a JOLT registration form.