By Jacob B., 6th grade student, Krieger Schechter Day School of Chizuk Amuno Congregation
Judaism is a lifelong religion. It should not end after 8th grade or following one’s bar/ bat mitzvah. Instead, students’ Jewish paths should continue to be formed and paved forever, which is the main reason Rabbi Stuart Seltzer, Director of Congregational Education at Chizuk Amuno Congregation, and Dafna Tasch, former Hebrew department head at Krieger Schechter Day School co-founded Netivon about 25 years ago.
Rabbi Seltzer and Tasch wanted to give students who did not attend Jewish high schools an opportunity to continue their Jewish studies. Netivon students, comprised primarily of Krieger Schechter Day School graduates and alumni of the Rosenbloom Religious School, meet once a week at Chizuk Amuno Congregation. This program enables students to continue their Jewish education by analyzing texts, learning history, studying the Hebrew language, and discussing current events.
Netivon began in 1994 with a vision. Dafna Tasch, one of the co-creators of Netivon, explained that the word ‘Netivon’ “is a combination of two words: netiv, which means a path and navon, which means wise. Together, Netivon means ‘The wise path.’”
Isaac Moss, a KSDS alum and a current Netivon student, expressed interest in continuing his Jewish education. “I want to be able to keep up with everything that is happening in the Jewish world today,” he said. “I also do not want to lose the Judaic and Hebrew learning I gained through my nine years of KSDS.” Moss hopes to learn more about Jewish history while in college.
Netivon teachers and administrators introduce students to more complex and even controversial Jewish topics, so they can learn more about Jewish life and connect the information to their own lives. Rabbi Seltzer is dedicated to planning creative and thought-provoking programs.
This year, for example, he organized an activity that enabled students to reflect on the past year’s events. “We looked back on all of the past events this year. The students traveled from room to room and had to identify how these events impacted their lives,” Rabbi Seltzer said.
Also, HaMorah Lilach Arie, a Netivon Hebrew teacher, reflected on the gun program Netivon recently held. “It was important to have a program on gun violence to make sure students are aware of how guns are being used in the world. We spent time teaching the students about guns in Israel and guns in America. I really hope the students learned how to be more aware from this program.” Students also studied biblical texts related to gun violence to gain another understanding of their reality.
Furthermore, Netivon has always been famous for its trips, including college tours and Broadway shows “that we try to connect to the curriculum,” Rabbi Seltzer explained.
Netivon helps students continue their Hebrew and Judaic learning through college and beyond. Netivon is the wise path for Jewish students to take if they want their Hebrew and Judaic knowledge to help them flourish in life.
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