Home > Learn > Religious School > Beyond the Bimah
This innovative program engages 8th and 9th grade students through memorable experiences both inside and outside WHC’s walls.
REGISTER NOW
Questions? Let us know.
Beyond the Bimah is a weekly program for our post–b’nei mitzvah students to deepen friendships, strengthen their connection to the Washington Hebrew community, and continue their Jewish learning alongside their peers. The program also gives our clergy and education team the opportunity to share subjects that inspire and excite them personally.
Through engaging discussions and interactive experiences, students are invited to explore Judaism in greater depth and complexity while wrestling with issues that matter in their lives. Topics may include Jewish values and ethics, Jewish identity, Israel, antisemitism, Jewish peoplehood, and the study of Jewish texts, among many others.
Our goal is to create a welcoming and supportive environment where teens can ask questions, share perspectives, and develop their own Jewish identities within a caring community. Beyond the Bimah meets on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 – 8:30 pm, alternating between our two campuses each month.
8th Grade Civil Rights Trip
Beyond the Bimah experiences include participating in interfaith service projects, spending a meaningful day visiting D.C. memorials, helping run our Temple Purim Carnival, and much more. Our 8th graders have a weekend retreat with the opportunity to participate in our Parent/Child Civil Rights Trip, as well as regular evening programs featuring authors, movies, special programs, and more.
9th Grade Sexuality and Healthy Relationships Retreat
Our longstanding annual Sexuality retreat is an important and meaningful experience for our teens, and provides a weekend of bonding and community building for them as a cohort. Washington Hebrew welcomes guests including staff from Keshet and a social worker/sex educator to teach a comprehensive sexual education curriculum, including (but not limited to) STI’s, sexuality in the LGBTQ community, and healthy relationships. Our goal is to provide the most informative and engaging experience possible. This is a very unique and transformative experience for our teens!
"I really like upper school because I feel like I don’t need to be with my friends to have fun ... we are encouraged to talk to other people and make new friends."
Beyond the Bimah is an elective-based model, which our Religious School students will be familiar with. This model gives students agency as they embark on this special post-b’nei mitzvah chapter; it also allows our clergy and Religious School team to teach from a place of deep passion. These electives will invite participants into a more sophisticated and nuanced conversation about and within Judaism, helping them explore relevant issues that they grapple with as teens. Just as importantly, it will be a safe and caring place for them to explore their own Jewish identities among community.
