B'yachad Electives

Holocaust and Human Behavior: Holocaust and Human Behavior uses the unique methodology of Facing History and Ourselves to lead students through an examination of the history of the Holocaust, while fostering their skills in ethical reasoning, critical thinking, empathy, and civic engagement. By focusing on the choices of individuals who experienced this history—through primary sources, eyewitness testimonies, personal reflections, poetry, and images—students are given a lens to thoughtfully examine the universal themes and questions about human behavior inherent in a study of the Holocaust. Students are also prompted to draw connections between history and the world today.

Creating the Modern State of Israel: Teaching about Israel is as important to Jewishness as learning prayer and studying the weekly Torah portion. This class allows students to explore Jewish history and cultural memories of the Jewish past, examine the history and variations of Zionism, and understand religious and political differences within the Jewish community. Throughout this course, students will explore the geography, ancient and modern history, the story of Zionism, as well as the various ethnic and religious groups which make up the mosaic of modern Israel.

It's All About Relationships--The Virtues that Guide Us: Relationships. As children and learners we are told
that life is all about relationships. Yet, where do we learn how to establish meaningful relationships, how we are supposed to act in our relationships, and with whom we are supposed to develop relationships? Jewish tradition provides an all-encompassing guide for how to live our lives, specifically for how to create meaningful relationships and how to conduct ourselves within these relationships. Using our corpus of classical Jewish texts, this elective will explore how these Jewish sources can inform how we interact in our relationships with others, bein adam l’chaveiro. It seeks to answer the questions: what is a sacred relationship and how do we transform our relationships into sacred encounters? The curriculum introduces learners to the concept of middot (Jewish virtues) and focuses on four that guide us in fashioning and maintaining sacred relationships: anavah (humility), chesed (lovingkindness), achrayut (responsibility), and yoshrah (integrity).

You and I Change The World: The Reform Movement considers tikkun olam to be  "repairing the world" through human actions. Humanity's responsibility to change, improve, and fix its earthly surroundings is powerful. It implies that each person has a hand in working towards the betterment of his or her own existence as well as the lives of future generations. Tikkun olam forces people to take ownership of their world. It is them, not God, who will bring the world back to its original state of holiness. In this elective, students will learn the origins of this imperative and have opportunities to participate in projects that will help the Temple Beth Shalom community, the Austin Jewish community and the greater Austin community through tzedakah, action and advocacy.

Song Leading & Band "Club Musika:" The goal of Song Leading & Band "Club Musika" is to connect 5th through 12th grade students to their Jewish identity through the medium of Jewish music and to enhance Judaic knowledge and leadership skills through Jewish music learning, performance, leading and teaching. Song Leading & Band "Club Musika" aims to have fun and connect with other kids while making Jewish music, from camp tunes to traditional melodies, to prayer music, to Israeli and other "World Jewish Music."