Contra Costa County Midrasha
Contra Costa Midrasha is THE place to be on Wednesday nights for Jewish teens to cut loose, relax, hang-out with friends, learn new things and make a difference in a Jewish environment. CCM is a supplementary program for Jewish teens, grades 8-12, in Contra Costa County, meeting weekly in Walnut Creek, CA. Retreat weekends are also a key component to the Midrasha program, occurring 3 times per year. Weekend retreats happen at retreat sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
CCM two other key programs aim to engage Jewish teens in Judaism. Our Hamsa Fund empowers teens to “be the change they want to see” through building a Foundation. It meets once a month on Sunday evenings. Our Mifgash program is a cultural exchange between our Jewish-American teens and Israeli teens from the Mozenson High School in Hod HaSharon, Israel. Israeli teens come to the SF Bay Area in June for a 10-day bus adventure with our teens. In the winter, CCM teens go to Israel for a 9-day home-hosted tour with Israeli teens.
Wednesday Nights
Wednesday nights at Midrasha are THE place for Jewish teens in grades 8-12 to be in community with other Jewish teens, connect to their Jewish identity and learn about Judaism through hands-on classes. The evenings begin by grade with curricula that includes Judaism Around the World, Rodef Shalom (Pursuing Peace) and Israel and You. Electives (during the 2nd hour) often include Jewish Cooking, Jewish Humor and Film, Jewish Art and more.
Retreats
Midrasha retreats are the glue of our program. Teens spend a Shabbat weekend in community meeting new Jewish friends from all over the Bay Area. Enjoying nature with hikes, campfires and star-filled Havdalah celebrations. After a weekend relaxing in pajamas, CCM teens only want more!
Better Together
Better Together is our intergenerational program where teens are paired with senior citizens from the community to connect and learn from one another. This program also informs teens about what it means to be a senior citizen in today’s world. Volunteer hours are available for this cohort. Follow us on Instagram @bettertogetherinabox!
The Hamsa Fund
(The East Bay’s Jewish Teen Philanthropy Board) empowers teens to “be the change we want to see in the world.” Through monthly meetings, teens learn the 4-1-1 of philanthropy and tzedakah (justice), in order to choose a cause, raise money, and pick organizations to support through grant funds.
Follow our journey on Instagram @hamsafund!
Impact Builder
Our newest civic engagement program allows teens to pick an issue they are passionate about and learn how to advocate for it through education, advocacy, and service. Not to mention an end-of-cohort Spring Break Impact Learning Trip!
Follow us on Instagram @projectezrach!
Mifgash
CCM’s “Mifgash” (Hebrew for “encounter”) program brings together Israeli and American teens for 10 days of adventuring in the SF Bay Area in the summer, followed by a reciprocal trip to Israel in the Winter. Mifgash grows our Jewish teens’ connection to Israel by building friendships between our teens and their Israeli peers through hosting and shared experiences in the Bay Area and in Israel.