Ruth SchapiraDec 4, 20202 minWhat Exactly is Jewish Identity? For years, I’ve used the term “Jewish identity”, and never gave it too much thought. As a Jewish educator, the talk among my colleagues...
Ruth SchapiraApr 25, 20182 minParents: Don’t let summer choices drive you crazy. Ask these questions.Summer camp. Arts classes. Internships. Specialty Sports Camps. College Prep Programs. Travel programs. SAT summer prep classes....
Ruth SchapiraAug 25, 20152 minNow Is The Time To Start Writing Your College EssayWhat Should I Write About? Writing Your College Essay Is Never Easy! The time to begin your essay has never been more perfect. Your...
Ruth SchapiraFeb 13, 20153 minJewish Teen Engagement: Do We Want to Win or Lose the GamePlace your bets on teens! The Jewish community is the throes of change that at times seems to be at a dizzying pace, yet there are still...
Ruth SchapiraFeb 6, 20152 minDo Jewish Teens Need an Ethical Tune-Up?How ethical are today’s teens? When given the chance to cheat, what would the teenagers you know do? A recent New York Times article on...
Ruth SchapiraFeb 6, 20153 minthe challenge of raising teens in a country missing moral clarityEthical clarity? Clueless The year is newly born, yet through the lens of ethics things feel quite stale. The clarity that should come...
Ruth SchapiraApr 27, 20143 minJewish Teen Education by the HourHow much time is too much? How many hours does it take to become knowledgeable about something? I know, it’s a very broad question….but...
Ruth SchapiraFeb 11, 20142 minWhat 7 of today’s top headlines tell you about teens todayWhere’s the good news? When it comes to teens, it seems that “Headlines” are usually “Dead Lines”….yes….news about deaths, teenage thugs,...
Ruth SchapiraApr 30, 20132 minJewish Teen: A view of rights, responsibilities, and radicalizationThe Ten Commandments, In SVG (Photo credit: Wikipedia) A while back, I was listening to a televised lecture by Joseph Telushkin on Shalom...
Ruth SchapiraApr 24, 20132 minTeens: Watch Your Social Media Presencetwitter logo map 09 (Photo credit: The Next Web) “Treat every conversation you have on Twitter or Facebook as if it were a nationally...
Ruth SchapiraMar 14, 20133 minParent Conversations With TeensWe need to tune in to teens Life is busy, so how do we get the time to interact with teen-aged kids when everybody is literally on the...
Ruth SchapiraMar 1, 20132 min“But I’ve already been to the museum!”Negotiating with teens when they say “been there, done that!” The entire school was taking a trip to the relatively new National Museum...
Ruth SchapiraDec 27, 20122 minIsraeli teens use cell phones in class: What we can learnCell phones: not an opt-out tool for most teeens According to a recent University of Haifa poll, over 94% of Israeli High School students...
Ruth SchapiraOct 27, 20122 minWho are you on the web? If you’re applying to college, you should knowShould colleges check you out on Facebook? For Teens, Their Parents, and Jewish Educators: An article in Education Week noted what most...
Ruth SchapiraSep 12, 20122 minParents of Teens: Do You Miss Those Parent-Teacher Conferences?I just read a quick blog about how elementary school parents should prepare for Parent-Teacher conferences. For parents of teenagers:...
Ruth SchapiraSep 6, 20122 minJewish Parents: How to choose your teen’s summer activitieswhat is the ideal summer experience for your teenager? Jewish summer camp. Arts classes. Internships. Specialty Sports Camps. College...
Ruth SchapiraAug 26, 20122 minAre we reaching middle school students?When did things get so serious for middle-schoolers? A new Gallup poll studied factors related to student engagement, optimism, and...
Ruth SchapiraAug 22, 20121 minOne minute, three reasons why Jewish education helps teens focus on what’s importantOne minute. Three reasons. Why just three reasons? Simple. Your time is valuable. Plus everyone’s way too busy getting ready for the...
Ruth SchapiraJul 18, 20122 minRead what one teen says about teachersFrom the 1950’s, but great teachers create impact no matter the year This summer I’m working with an intern through a program that...
Ruth SchapiraJul 6, 20121 minParents, Social Media & Boundaries: Read These Hard,Cold Facebook FactsLack of Parental Controls on FB? Implications for Teens? For parents, it’s becoming harder and harder to create boundaries of safety...