When I was in Jewish High School, once in while we used to ditch our Monday night class and sneak off to the corner McDonalds. It wasn’t that my classes were boring or my teachers uncaring, it was more about what high schoolers do when they can get away with it! My memories of those excursions are a mixture of joy and wry humor. The corner McDonalds became a camera shop the year I graduated from High School and I remember feeling a sense of loss as I drove by. Memories of my Jewish learning were tied to those familiar golden arches – conversations and discussions about growing up Jewish did take place, though not in the traditional sense and not with an appropriate guide. However, friendships were formed and Judaism was part of that context. The fact that we got away with it serves as a joyous entry point for reunions years later with old friends and former classmates but the lessons learned remain above and beyond the mischievous behavior.

I recently returned home for a family funeral and as I drove by that corner I noticed that a new McDonalds was under construction next to the camera store. I pulled over and cried tears of joy because I knew the excursions of my youth were once again available to the next generation of Jews! Now don’t get me wrong – I am not advocating ditching class. I am advocating the creation of a culture where our students can find the same joy that I found at McDonalds but find it within the walls of the synagogue. I do not condone or accept students in my current congregation sneaking off to the corner McDonalds, (though I am amazed when they tell me that I can’t possibly comprehend why they are doing it!) I do realize what has motivated them to do so. The time has come to do something to keep them within the safety and security of our walls and provide for them a place perhaps without french fries, but with a bunch of reasons for them to engage with and celebrate their Judaism and their connections to other Jewish youth.

In my work as a Jewish educator I have always thought of the aims of a sound and lasting Jewish education being to enable our children to participate intelligently and effectively in American Jewish life. I am hopeful that the students I work with achieve personal growth and development as individuals and leave our congregation happy and well-adjusted in their role as members of the greater Jewish community. My Jewish education that took place at McDonalds constantly reminds me that while I expect our students to achieve a foundation of knowledge embracing Jewish history, the Bible, holidays and ceremonies, more than that, we are raising them up to live a life infused with Jewish values in a social context with other Jews.

I believe that we must provide our children and young adults with safe and satisfying Jewish experiences, both formal in informal that take place within the walls of our synagogue in the context of a caring community. The courses held in the dining room of the corner McDonalds enriched my character and personality by virtue of contact with my peers and the discussions we shared.

As a Reform Jewish Educator, I view the Jewish education of our children through these perspectives. We are trying something different beginning this fall with our students in grades seven through twelve. The past twenty years has instilled a belief system that I will follow as I endeavor to make a difference in my current congregation. Hopefully, joy will be part of the process and hopefully our students will want to be here, with us, more than a chocolate shake. Stay tuned!