Mechina: 9th-12th Grade
What You Need to Know

Tuition: $1,600

1 day per week:  Wednesdays 6:30-8:30pm

(Dinner option at 6pm – $180 per year)

At Mechina, high school students have an opportunity to be surrounded by their Jewish Family at CBB.  This year, we will offer 2 High School Tracks:

TRACK 1:

16 WEEK COLLEGE LEVEL COURSE:

THIS YEAR, we will be piloting a college level class, led by Rabbi Daniel Brenner, and we need to know if you’ll be joining the course!  Please read about it here:

CBB has partnered with American Jewish University in Los Angeles to pilot a class on Wednesday nights that, if completed successfully, will earn your teen 3 units of college credit. The 16-week class is called “Understanding Israel: Its History, Culture, and People.” This will be an intellectual and high-level seminar to examine and analyze the many facets of Israel’s complexity.  Especially in the wake of campus protests and many months of news, we feel it is urgent and imperative to offer such a deep dive into the topic.

Outside of class time, this course will require about 30 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of reflection weekly, along with a midterm and a final paper.  It is a true college-level course.  Of course we are concerned about adding even more to your teen’s plate, but we see this as a triple win.  High-level learning, college credit for their future, and meaningful time with their Jewish friends!  However, if you a worried that the course-load will be too much but want your teen to participate, we have an audit option that still will require the 30 minutes of preparation, so they come to class ready to discuss, but with no reflections or papers to write.

Our existing Mechina program will run in tandem to this offering, and from time to time the two groups will come together for holiday celebrations and other learning outside of the 16-week course.  The full schedule of Mechina is below, with the mandatory Israel class dates for credit in bold.

September: 25
October: 9, 16 (Orientation), 30
November: 6, 13, 20
December: 4, 12
January: 8, 15, 22, 29
February: 5, 12, 19, 25
March: 5, 12, 19
April:  2, 9, 16, 23, 30
May: 7, 14, 21, 28
June: 4

TRACK 2:

TRADITIONAL MECHINA

Whether you’ve had a decade of schooling together or you’re new to our community, you’ll enjoy this time together to be Jewish, to be who you are, to grow, learn, laugh, eat and play together with other Jewish High School students.

In the midst of your busy lives, it is valuable to take this short time each week to connect in ways that do not happen in your secular school settings.  Step away from the AP classes and academic course loads, take a break from the demands of sports teams and the pressures of teen life, and come to spend a little time with your friends.  It’s good for your soul and your mental health!

On Wednesday nights, there is a great deal of opportunity to socialize and we offer a wide variety of casual learning opportunities in elective fashion throughout the year (Typically 1-2 classes at a time for 5-6 weeks each). Courses are taught in rotation by our Clergy, Laurie Greene, Jen Lewis, Leah Savage, and a host of visiting community members related to subjects such as:

  • Jewish Arts (Painting, ceramics, etc.)
  • Jewish Music (Singing, writing, playing)
  • Jewish Cooking
  • Conversational Hebrew
  • Torah Study
  • Political Discussion/debate
  • Meditation and Spiritual Discovery
  • Community Service
  • Leadership
  • Holocaust
  • Jewish History
  • Jewish Storytelling or Story Writing
  • Courses created by student passion and interest (What do you want to learn?)

We end with a short t’fillah (prayer session), time for sharing or group discussion before saying L’hitraot, and looking forward to the next time we come together.

WITH ENROLLMENT IN MECHINA, High School students can also look forward to these events:

  • Confirmation Class (12th Grade only) will meet monthly with Rabbi Brenner
    • (Wed. 8:00-9:30pm)
    • This opportunity is mandatory for those who wish to become confirmed
  • High School Night Hike with Rabbi Steve
  • 1-2 retreat opportunities during the year. TBD, dependent on the return of NFTY programming
  • Become a classroom madrich/madricha

WITHOUT ENROLLMENT IN MECHINA, High School students can also be invited to join or hold leadership positions in the following:

  • Hanukah Cabaret
  • Purim Carnival
  • Mitzvah Day
  • Continue as classroom madrich/madricha once trained
  • Join SBORTY (High school youth group)
  • Run for leadership position on SBORTY Board
  • Seniors can join “Senior Shabbat” at the end of the year, celebrating all of our CBB High School Graduates

We look forward to helping you discover your Jewish identity and have a positive Jewish experience, through your adolescent years!