Our youth groups are an important part of our educational program at Congregation Beth Shalom. Youth groups provide an opportunity for socialization within a Jewish context. We are members of the Pinwheel (Pacific Northwest) Region of United Synagogue Youth, encompassing Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alberta, and British Columbia. Youth Group Membership is included in Religious School and Prozdor for grades 2nd-7th.
We offer four youth groups based on grade.
Matanot – For youth grades 2nd and 3rd. This group holds one event per month. Events include activities such as Shabbat dinners, a Chocolate Seder, and mini-golf.
Chaverim – For youth grades 4th and 5th. This group holds one event per month. Events include improv, laser tag, board games, ice cream parties, and volunteering.
Kadima – For youth grades 6th-8th. This group holds 1-2 events per month and participates in the Regional Shabbaton at Camp Solomon Schechter. Post B’nai Mitzvah students may also attend the monthly USY Youth Minyan. Events include Masterchef Jewnior, Israeli Movie Nights, and Kadima only Shabbat dinners.
USY (United Synagogue Youth) – For youth grades 9th-12th. Regular events for this group include a monthly youth minyan, board meetings, participation in Regional and International programs, and other social and religious events. Popular events include: Into the Night, Havdallah, Movie Nights, and more!Follow our USY Chapter, Seattle Nimratz, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/seattlenimratz/
COVID UPDATE for 2021-2022 academic year- For each of our 4 youth groups, Matanot (2nd-3rd), Chaverim (4th-5th), Kadima (6th-8th) and USY (9th-12th) the main goal of the programming is to build community! Since in-person activities are best for this, we aim to offer monthly, in-person, events for all 4 of our youth groups. If it is not deemed safe to meet in-person, events will take place virtually with an emphasis on getting to know each other and having fun together.
Beth Shalom Youth Groups require a yearly registration and membership fee. Here are the prices for each of the youth groups 2020-2021:
| Youth Group | Membership Fee |
| Matanot (2nd & 3rd Grade) | $50 |
| Chaverim (4th & 5th Grade) | $50 |
| Kadima (6th-8th Grade) | $60 |
| USY (9th-12th Grade) | $110 |
For overall youth department questions, please contact Rachel Wachtel, Director of Education by email.
