Beyachad

TBK BEYACHAD

A partnership of 

Temple B'rith Kodesh
and
The William and Mildred Levine Foundation

TBK Beyachad is an exciting partnership between TBK and the William and Mildred Levine Foundation. It is an initiative in innovative Jewish education, with the goal of building, establishing, and deepening connections to Judaism, Temple B'rith Kodesh, and the greater Jewish community. The project is made possible by a $1 million, five-year grant from the William & Mildred Levine Foundation to TBK.

TBK Beyachad, meaning “TBK Together”, focuses on programming that strengthens and builds a proud, cohesive community for kids and their families. The goal is to build, establish, and deepen connections to Judaism, Temple B’rith Kodesh, and the greater Jewish community.

"Temple B’rith Kodesh has been the spiritual home to five generations of our family. We are pleased to support transformational programming to benefit the community. Our goal is to provide opportunities for the community to interact in modern ways at TBK and throughout the community, thereby building on their Jewish identities in inviting, fun, and enriching ways.”

 - Todd Levine, President of the William and Mildred Levine Foundation
 

"We are so grateful and excited to be partnering with the Levine Foundation. This will open doors to connections and community through a myriad of engaging and new opportunities. We want every person who participates in any TBK Beyachad program to feel that they are part of something bigger than just that one program itself.”

- Rabbi Rochelle Tulik, TBK Associate Rabbi & Director of Education

The program focuses on three Pillars of Innovation:

• Musical Enrichment
• Intergenerational and Family Programs
• Expanded Educational Opportunities for Teens
   

Musical Enrichment

Our music program embraces modern Reform Judaism and the interactive, inclusive, communal model central to engaging families and congregants of all ages.  Music has become the heartbeat of our community. Monthly visits from National Songleader and Jewish Educator Rachel Wolman animate Shabbat services and Sunday morninng Religious School alike, bringing joy, energy, and sacred connections to all alges.

Our High Holiday Family Tent Services drew more than 325 participants each morning, creating a welcoming and spiritually rich environment where children, parents, and grandparents celebrated together. 

Intergenerational Programs

Our Intergenerational and Family programs offer many doorways into the TBK community.  Creating opportunities to gather, learn, and pray together, in low-key, no pressure environments, helps build our families’ sense of confidence and connection to TBK and the broader Jewish community.

From our Mazel Tots baby play group to Sunday Funday for preschoolers, to multi-generational challah bakes and our 3rd Grade visits to the Jewish Home, TBK Beyachad has woven new connections across generations. This spring, we look forward to hosting Artists-in-Residence Isaac and Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik for a Paper Midrash experience—an intergenerational art and learning celebration that will unite families of all ages in a creative Torah experience.

Expanded Educational Opportunities for Teens

Our teen programming - options for students past B’Mitzvah age - offers hands-on learning experiences and opportunities to connect with one another in truly meaningful ways. Each of these programs reflects a commitment to building an enduring Jewish identity and pride through experiential, relationship-based learning.

The grant has made possible several new or expanded educational pathways:

• B'nai Mitzvah Preparation Program: Two years of personalized one-on-one tutoring for each student ensures that every child approaches their milestone with confidence and joy.

• 8th Grade Jewish Rochester Program: Students explore our local Jewish history and community landmarks while collaborating with a muralist to design a permanent mural for our school halls—connecting their story to TBK’s enduring legacy and encouraging healthy and robust Jewish identity formation.

• Teen Learning: Our partnership with the American Jewish University’s Jewish Learning Experience has launched a college-credit course for high-schoolers; the two courses we've offered so far have welcomed 15 participants. The first course was titled "Introduction to the History, Culture and People of Israel"; the second is "Introduction to Community Dialog" and is teaching teens how to engage in civil disagreements through the lens of our robust history of Talmudic conversation.

• Jewish Heritage Trip: This fall, we introduced our first Jewish Heritage Weekend
  Trip to Philadelphia, where 10 teens explored Jewish life, culture, and history beyond Rochester.  We expect future trips to include a Civil Rights trip to the South, Environmental Awareness and Repair opportunities, and the Religious Action Center's L'Taken Seminar.