In the face of continuing challenges navigating Jewish life since Oct. 7, Jewish Community High School is hosting an event on March 7 focusing on how families can support their teens. It is open to all parents and guardians of Jewish teens.
JCHS has facilitated similar events for its students and parents since Hamas’ attack on Israel and ensuing war, but this is the first time the San Francisco school is hosting an evening that includes the broader Jewish community.
“Parents are always interested in learning more, but especially since Oct. 7 what we’ve been hearing is the need for community for one thing — to be able to connect with other Jewish families, Jewish parents, and to ask questions and find out more information,” said Mary Ellen Hunt, director of enrollment management.
The event is free, and the San Francisco location is provided with registration.
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Attendees can choose from five workshops, each tailored to address key areas of concern and interest.
“We’re using this workshop model to offer many entry points, in this case for parents, to not avoid but to really get deep into the topic of the war and its reverberations and antisemitism,” said Adi Alouf, JCHS director of Jewish and student life.
Alouf will lead the session “Media, Language, and Context: Unpacking the Slogans and Signs Around Us,” offering parents strategies for engaging in meaningful conversations with their teens about “the messages and images on our city streets, and develop a framework for analyzing them.”
“How to Parent Teens During Heightened Times of Stress and Trauma” will be led by JCHS school counselor Julie Beck, who will discuss ways parents can support their teens, and themselves, during times of stress no matter what the source.
Rabbi Dean Kertesz, who teaches Jewish history, will delve into the “History of Zionisms and Solutions: Various Visions of Jewish Self Determination” in another session.
For families navigating the college search process, JCHS dean of college and gap-year advising Lauren Cook will talk about finding the right fit while considering Jewish cultural and communal factors. Two JCHS alumni who are current students at Stanford and UC Berkeley will join Cook to discuss their experiences as well.
“I’ve spent 25 years in college admission,” said Cook, “and while I certainly don’t have all the answers — and the campus climate for Jewish students is currently challenging — I’m hopeful that this will be a productive discussion for any community members who choose to attend.”
Roni Ben-David, JCHS director of social justice and inclusion, will facilitate a safe community space where parents can share their experiences and insights with one another on how these past months have impacted them as parents.
“We hope that this event will really start a conversation among Jewish parents who are looking for ways to talk about some of the tougher issues,” Hunt said.