Synagogues have struggled for years with keeping youth engaged beyond b-mitzvah. Our Kulam curriculum has changed the ways teens experience Hebrew High School. With 5,000+ teens experiencing Kulam this year, it’s our fastest growing program, and for good reason. We’ve found that it addresses the social-emotional needs of our youth so well at more than 100 Hebrew High Schools, that we’ve expanded its use.  

In summer 2024, we added material to Kulam to train teens as Counselors-in-Training (CITs) at Jewish summer camps and this year we will use it with madrichim (teaching assistants) in Hebrew schools. Through this program, we are meeting a real need for educators and enlisting older youth to help support their peers and younger youth. 

For 2024-25, we are projecting: 

3,000+
^{teens participating in Kulam in the classroom}  

2,000+
^{teen madrichim (teaching assistants) to be trained using Kulam in synagogues} 

1,400+
^{teens experienced Kulam at summer camps both as campers and CITs}

In the past, Moving Traditions’ curriculum didn’t focus on Israel, except for a few sessions on peoplehood and homeland, and some texts interspersed from Israeli politicians and cultural figures. After October 7, we knew we needed to invest our resources to help educators create spaces for Jewish youth to explore their feelings about the Israeli-Palestinian reality and the parallel rise of antisemitism closer to home.    

In response, Moving Traditions created new special edition curricular sessions and hosted webinars for parents and educators. This fall, we engaged thousands of educators and parents looking for support to commemorate October 7. We brought together educators from across North America in a circle of support and shared Yahrzeit: One Year After October 7 to help them facilitate meaningful discussion and ritual with teens in the classroom. Additionally, we released a parent resource by the same name that engaged 1,000+ individuals.  

Moving Traditions continues to create new content on the topic. We are currently piloting a new curricular series on Jewish identity and Israel to test a whole new track of materials before sharing them more broadly. 

• 4,000+ individuals accessed Moving Traditions’ resources and special edition curriculum on the Israeli-Palestinian reality last year

• 400+ educators accessed Yahrzeit: One Year After October 7 curricular materials, 200 of which joined our webinar in a circle of support 

• 1,000+ parents accessed our Yahrzeit: One Year After October 7 resources and ritual materials