A Note from the Director

Summer JAM has got off to a great start!

After getting to know each other, singing together and laughing together on Monday, students had a JAM packed second day: we visited the White House and heard from Jeremy Katz, White House Liaison to the Jewish Community; we studied together as a community in a Bet Midrash (traditional house of study) and dived into passionate discussions of controversial topics in classes on Economic Justice, The Crisis in the American Classroom, Global Warming and Ethics of War and Peace.

On Wednesday, students started their service projects tutoring students at Washington Middle School for Girls in South East Washington DC; assisting in classrooms at Bright Beginnings- a kindergarten for homeless children; facilitating a day camp for refugee children at Arlington Refugee Services; and assisting in an emergency tree saving mission in Anacostia.

Working with refugees was a powerful experience for JAMers: "I am speechless! Full of joy", said Adam A, NJ, "I felt like they were teaching us," said Ilana H, FL. After tutoring at the Middle School, students were inspired and empowered: "It is really helping me appreciate things I took for granted like integration in the education system, which for me was a historical fact but for these students is an essential part of their lives," explained Max L, NJ. Erica S., IL said: "It amazes me how attached to us the middle-schoolers are already, and how much of an impact we already have had. I also realize how privileged I am'.

In Bet Midrash sessions, students discussed the value of learning with a chavruta – a study partner, and its connection to pluralism. Shira T, NY, said: "learning with someone else forces you to articulate your thoughts and gives you a deeper understanding of your own perspectives'. Cara L., NJ added, "this kind of learning helps us to be humble… you realize there are other ways of seeing things and other perspectives." Jordan H, IL explicated a Talmudic text, saying: "When two people have different views it is like metal clashing against metal. When metal clashes it creates a spark, just like when fire was first created by hitting two rocks together. So when two people disagree with each other that spark can lead to something as amazing as fire."

The value of pluralism and diversity have continued to be addressed throughout the JAM program: on Wednesday evening, a panel of rabbinic students from different denominations was followed by intense and personal discussions in covenant groups where students explored their personal beliefs and practices and challenged each other to think about religion from new angles.

Students also have formed committees to run different aspects of the program such as entertainment (the Kef Committee); services (the Tefillah committee); yearbook; Shabbat; and Governance Council which is currently discussing how to reduce waste on the program, and improve recycling efforts.

A bike tour of the monuments and memorials yesterday was a refreshing opportunity to get to know DC and learn about American history; the thunderstorm in the middle enhanced the experience!

We are looking forward to a relaxing Shabbat together as a community and a fun field trip, inner tubing, on Sunday. It is thrilling that JAM has got off to such a fantastic start. We are lucky to have such sincere and motivated students to work with and are excited for the month ahead!

Shabbat Shalom,

Debbie

Service Projects & Courses

JAMers have had their first visits to the service sites for their first course. The students are already exploring the Judaic content of each topic and eagerly learning about historic and current legislation.

Ohev Tzedakah u'Mishpat – Economic Justice

Every time we buy a coffee, a new shirt, or groceries, we are engaging with the economic system. But we don’t often stop to think about the people who make the products we use or sell them to us. When we enter our schools or use public transportation systems, we rarely take the time to get to know the people who clean them or build them. In this course, we will be exploring what Judaism has to say about how we treat each other in economic relationships. We’ll be studying texts from our tradition, meeting with workers, talking to activists working for fair labor and affordable housing, and learning about the hot topics in the fight for economic fairness. We’ll be asking: What does it mean to be a responsible employer? What are the justice issues involved in how our communities are organized and who can live in them? And what are our own obligations in all this? In our service project, we learn first hand the results of economic inequality and its link to the lack of affordable housing, as we volunteer with homeless children at the Bright Beginnings Child Development Center in DC’s Sursum Corda neighborhood.

In the first class, students explored their own families history of immigration to America and related this to stories of recent immigrants. Through these borrowed eyes, they recognized the systemic nature of poverty.

Oseh Ma’aseh Bereishit: Global Climate Crisis

We have a responsibility to take action both as human beings, and as Jews, inhabiting the earth. If we continue on our current path, using too many of the earth's resources, and using them in a way that pollutes the atmosphere and contributes to climate change, the earth will become uninhabitable. The US has yet to set the necessary standards for automobiles, find alternative energy sources, or encourage the development of new technology to reverse the damage. In this course, we will explore some of the major environmental issues, such as pollution, global warming, and sustainable agriculture. We'll try to understand the importance of protecting the earth and its resources for future generations through the lens of Jewish texts. Most importantly, we will use our learning as a springboard for action! Reversing the damage that we have caused to the earth requires both large-scale and small-scale changes. On the one hand, we need to work toward changing government policies, which we will do by lobbying about environmental issues such as fuel efficiency standards. On the other hand, we can make a difference through changes in our daily habits and through small-scale efforts. At our service site at the Student Conservation Association, we will get hands-on experience with conservation work, such as removing invasive plant species, to create a more balanced environment in the Anacostia watershed in Washington DC.

The Environment class has been focusing their service on the river clean-up. During class, in order to better understand the interests of various parties, they held a mock trial over development of the Anacostia region.

Oseh Ha-Shalom—Ethics of War and Peace

"Was the US invasion of Iraq just?"
"Is there ever a place for torture?"
"Can there be peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians?"
"Should the US step in to stop genocide in Sudan?"

In our course, we will seek out Jewish wisdom—ancient and modern—that will help us to think about these, and other, challenging questions of war and peace. In pursuit of answers, we will be joined by experts and national leaders and take part in many debates and simulations.

Beyond the classroom, we will create and run a day camp for refugee youths from around the world at Arlington Refugee Services. By doing this work, we will learn first-hand what it means to live in a conflict zone and we will provide real, meaningful assistance to the survivors.

JAMers are interacting directly with refugee children from African countries. During their first class period, they debated the issues of news coverage and Tzelem Elohim (everyone is created in the image of God). The students were left wondering why African conflict is 20 times less likely to be covered than American conflict.

Honen Hada’at – Crisis in the American Classroom

When asked which was greater, study or action, Rabbi Tarfon’s answer was action and Rabbi Akiva’s was study. The talmidei chachamim ( the learned yeshiva students) agreed with Rabbi Akiva because studying Torah leads to action.

In this class we will pair our study with action as we uncover the deep connection between poverty and education. The American education system is plagued by large classes, low teacher pay, dangerous hallways, and a lack of funding. What are the solutions currently in practice attempting to fix this situation? And why is this important? Throughout our class we will look at different proposed educational reforms, probing beyond statistics to see how successful schools directly impact the lives of their students. This will be informed by our service project at the Washington Middle School for girls, where we will provide one-on-one tutoring for students from low income neighborhoods. Throughout our conversation we will have one lens on the American educational system and the other on Jewish texts, jumping back and forth between the Jewish tradition and the American tradition, drawing forth values that inform our views as Jews in America.

While studying education policy, the students are gaining experience in an inner-city classroom. At the Washington Middle School for Girls, JAMers are tutoring and reading to classes of summer school.

Chavruta: Learning with Friends

In Bet Midrash yesterday, we learned about the concept of chavruta--studying with a partner. Chavruta, from the Hebrew root for the word friend, is a great way to build relationships and maximize learning. Here are some of the things students said about learning in chavruta (these are not direct quotes but a summary of what they said):

Cara - This kind of learning helps us to be humble. Hearing different perspectives humbles you in a way, because you realize there are other ways of seeing things.

Shira - That learning with someone else forces you to articulate your thoughts and gives you a deeper understanding of your own perspectives.

Jordan - (in reference to a text about how iron sharpens iron just like two scholars sharpen each other minds) When two people have different views it is like metal clashing against metal. When metal clashes it creates a spark, just like when fire was first created by hitting two rocks together. So when two people disagree with each other that spark can lead to something as amazing as fire.

Sara F. - (in reference to a text that compares words of Torah to fire). Fire is one of the things you can give away without losing anything for yourself. Learning works the same way.

-Tamar
Teacher, Global Climate Crisis

Jews and the White House

Today JAMers got to tour the White House and have a briefing with Jeremy Katz, the White House Liaison to the Jewish Community just yards from the Oval Office! This was an amazing way to kick off our first full day at JAM.

Picture of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where the JAMers had their briefing!

First Day!

The students arrived yesterday and we were ready for an exciting summer and were super excited to see them here in D.C. Our orientation began with games and ice breakers, acitivities to get to know the staff, a campus tour, some freetime to unpack and settle into the dorm rooms. After dinner, we had had an opening ceremony, during which we celebrated George Washington and his legacy. We also had our first Covenant Group meeting this evening. Covenenat Groups are small discussion groups in which mentors and students meet together to discuss important topics that will arise during the course of the summer. This first meeting was an opportunity for the students to meet each other and their mentors. What's a first day of a summer program without ice cream?!! So we wrapped up our first evening with an ice cream party. The first day was "JAM" packed and lots of fun. Stay tuned for frequent updates!!!

-Rebecca
Head Mentor

Staff Week is underway and couldn't be better! Everyone on staff is fascinating, and everyday I am learning more about each one of them. Each brings something unique to the program, but everyone is as excited as I am for the JAMers to arrive. Tomorrow the staff is headed to the Hill (that's Capitol Hill for you first time DC visitors!) to meet with Steven Brown about energy policy. In the afternoon, we're going canoeing on the Potomac! Don't you wish you were here already?

Move In Day

We have officially moved into our summer office at the GW Hillel! Staff Orientation begins on Monday, and we can't wait for the participants to arrive on June 25th! To reach us, call 202-994-4759.