Thousands of students from Community, Conservative, Orthodox and Reform Jewish Day Schools throughout the country have been transformed by their Teva experiences. We take pride in the diversity of our participants and in our flexibility to meet the unique needs of each group. We will work with you to create a program that addresses your logistical and educational concerns, regardless of your denominational affiliation or philosophical perspective. Contact us today to bring Teva to your school.
Shomrei Adamah - 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade
Achdoot - 7th and 8th Grade
Shomrei Chayyot - 4th or 5th Grade - Residential
Yitziah - Backpacking & Wilderness Adventure 8th Grade to Adult
Shomrei Adamah
The Shomrei Adamah program is for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students. This program takes place over four days at one of three locations. In the fall, students join Teva at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, CT, and the spring programs take place at either the Pearlstone Conference & Retreat Center in Reisterstown, MD or at Surprise Lake Camp. The ecological emphasis is on energy flow, cycles, bio-diversity, and interdependence. Students also explore the Jewish concepts of Bal Tashchit (the biblical injunction against wasteful behavior) and Tikkun Olam (healing the world) in light of current environmental problems.
Achdoot
The Achdoot program is for 7th and 8th grade students. This program immerses participants in the natural world over the course of a three day camping trip in a state forest or park. The goals of Achdoot are four-fold: (1) to foster group cohesion and community development, (2) to teach wilderness skills, (3) to develop self-esteem, and (4) to engender Jewish environmental ethics.
These two programs serve over 1,000 students from at least 50 different schools. Recently, Teva has welcomed the following new schools to these programs: North Shore Hebrew Academy of Great Neck, NY, Metrowest and Maimonides of Boston, Community Day School of Pittsburgh, Gross Solomon Schechter of Cleveland, and Brandeis Hillel Day School in San Francisco. See the full list of our partner schools here.
Shomrei Chayyot "Guardians of the Animals"
The Shomrei Chayyot program for 4th or 5th graders is designed to give students an introduction to the natural world through the eyes of native vertebrates. Ecological concepts such as adaptation, competition, and symbiosis come to life as students learn to see forest, lake, and meadow ecosystems as homes. The program culminates in an "all-species parade" as students transform themselves into the mammals, fish, birds, amphibians and reptiles of the Northeast.
Jewish teachings about the intrinsic worth of each species and the prohibitions of Tzaar Baalei Chayyim, in their development of an appropriate relationship with non-human creatures. Through their Brit Chayyot, a covenant with animals, students pledge to make both personal behavior changes and communal commitments to protect local animal habitats.
Yitziah
In Joy shall you go out, and in peace shall you be led.
The mountains shall burst before you into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
—Isaiah 55:12
Inspired by yitziat mitzraim—the Exodus from Egypt—yitziah means “going out” and is an invitation to an adventure that is both physical and spiritual. Teens from ages 13 to 15 spend a week hiking the Appalachian trail and paddling the scenic Housatonic River, carrying by backpack everything they need for the round-trip journey. Kids learn wilderness and survival skills, prepare their own meals, live in tents and share responsibility for all aspects of outdoor communal living.
This program is guided by master educators from the Teva Learning Alliance and takes place at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. It is appropriate for advanced and beginner hikers who can carry weight on their backs.
