New Group Aims to Turn Boys into Menschen with Hiking, Marshmallows and Judaism

It took longer than originally thought, but this fall, boys at Temple Micah will get a program similar to the one the temple's teenage girls have had since 2004. The "Boys to Menschen" group gets underway in October.

"We want the teenage boys at Temple Micah to remain involved in the temple community as well as in the broader Jewish life after their bar mitzvah," said Meryl Weiner, the temple's cantor. "We want to help our adolescents navigate what is often a difficult time in life.

"Judaism can provide the ethical values that can help them do that," Weiner added. "These groups can go a long way toward that end. [Temple Micah] can provide role models they can look up to. We can offer something other than just the images of pop culture. We hope the boys will gain leadership and networking skills, as well as an increased awareness of what Judaism has to offer."

The girls' group, "Rosh Chodesh: It's a Girl Thing," meets at Temple Micah on Tuesday and Sunday evenings to talk about social and personal issues. Weiner expects the boys will combine their discussions with outdoor activities such as hiking, camping and basketball. "We will mesh physical activities that boys like with discussions about Jewish life," she said.

Weiner, who organized and will supervise both the girls' and boys' groups, hopes that about 20 boys from the temple's sixth, seventh and eighth grades join "Boys to Menschen." That's about the same number who participate in "Rosh Chodesh: It's a Girl Thing."

"It's a great idea that's been a long time coming," Rabbi Zemel said. "It will create an environment in which teenage guys can do guy things. The guys should really want to do things with other guys without their parents [having to] shove them out the door."

The "Boys to Menschen" group might have started sooner, Weiner said, but for a lack of adequate training and curriculum materials dealing with the relationship between Judaism and peer groups to help boys get safely through their teenage years. Only in the last couple of years, she added, have sufficient academic papers, reports on programs elsewhere, books and other published materials become available.

Daniel Moss, a June graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, will lead the boys' group. Hired to serve as the group's point person, Moss started at Micah Sept. 9. He was a long-time camp counselor, Hillel staffer and Jewish studies major in college.

"I'm excited to be part of something new," Moss said. "I want every part of the program to be fun. I want them to have fun out in nature, to be able to play ball and to hang out with their friends. I also want to expose them to what Judaism has to say about growing up, social issues and relating to other people. I want the program to be a total experience for them.

"I want to build a relationship with the kids, as their mentor," Moss said. He envisions sitting around a campfire with the boys after a day of hiking, roasting marshmallows and talking about how Judaism can influence their lives. "I'm close to their age, so I wouldn't be an authority figure. I would like the boys to be able to see me as a friend."

By Jeffrey P.Cohn; from October 2009 Vine