The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston's Bureau of Jewish Education (BJE) offers a variety of programs and services for teens:
Gesher Houston
 Gesher Houston gives eighth and ninth grade students at suburban synagogue religious schools the opportunity to participate in an innovative approach to Jewish education, designed to create a bridge between the teens' Bar and Bat Mitzvah training and Confirmation. Gesher Houston offers an interesting and meaningful weekly Religious School curriculum which is shared among the participating schools as well as Kallot held throughout the year. In addtion, Gesher Houston provides exciting opportunities for participants to meet and exchange ideas with other teens from across the suburban Houston Jewish community. Together, these programs offer teens the opportunity to learn more about themselves, explore their Jewishness, meet new Jewish kids from across the community, and have a lot of fun in the process. At the present time, eight suburban synagogues are bringing the Gesher Houston program to their eighth and ninth grade religious school students: Congregation Beth El in Missouri City, Congregation Beth Shalom of The Woodlands, Temple Beth Tikvah in Clear Lake, Temple Beth Torah in Humble/Kingwood, Temple Sinai in West Houston, Congregation Jewish Community North in Spring, and Congregation Shaar Hashalom in Clear Lake, as well as Temple Emanu El in Beaumont. For more information on Gesher Houston, contact Helen Richard, Gesher Houston Director, at (281) 362-1100, or click here.
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Gift of Israel
 The Bureau of Jewish Education’s Gift of Israel savings incentive program provides a unique opportunity for families to save for their child’s future teen trip to Israel. Enrollment is open to children in third through seventh grade who are affiliated with a synagogue and attend either a Jewish day school or religious school. Families are required to deposit a minimum of $150 into the child’s Gift of Israel account annually from time of enrollment through 9th grade. Additional community dollars from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston are set aside each year to augment that amount. Many Houston area synagogues also contribute funds as part of the Gift of Israel program.
Enrollment:
If your child is currently in the 3rd through 7th grade, the time to enroll is NOW.
To download a 2007-08 Gift of Israel Enrollment Packet, click here.
Contact Information:
Ellen Ellison, Gift of Israel and Special Projects Coordinator
Bureau of Jewish Education
Phone Number: (713) 729-7000, ext. 328
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Teen Israel Experiences
There is a wide variety of summer, semester and year-long Israel experiences available for teens. To download a list of Trip Providers, click here. To download a list of Yeshivot where many Houston teens have studied, click here. For more general information, contact Lori Actor, Israel Experiences Coordinator at (713) 729-7000, ext. 329 or click here.
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March of the Living
March of the Living offers 11th and 12th grade teens a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the Holocaust with thousands of other Jewish teens from around the world at Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camps in Poland. The experience continues in Israel with the celebration of the anniversary of the State of Israel on Yom Ha-Atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) with hundreds of thousands of Israelis in the heart of Jerusalem. March of the Living 2008 will take place April 28 - May 11, 2008. March of the Living 2009 dates are April 19 - May 3, 2009. for more information about this life-changing experience, contact Lori Actor, BJE Israel Experiences Coordinator, at (713) 729-7000, ext. 329 or click here.
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birthright israel
birthright israel offers young adults between the ages of 18 and 26 who have never participated in a peer-group trip to Israel the opportunity to travel to Israel--FREE. birthright israel trips are scheduled annually during both the college winter and summer breaks.
For information regarding birthright israel trip providers and/or to register, go to birthright israel.
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Scholarship Information
The BJE offers scholarships to families who need assistance in order that their children are able to participate in Jewish educational experiences such as semester or year-long programs in Israel. To download a scholarship application, click the appropriate scholarship type below:
Contact Information:
Paulette Walden, Administrative Assistant
Bureau of Jewish Education
Phone: (713) 729-7000, ext. 309
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