The Jewish Youth Encounter Program, JYEP, is a Hebrew School in Teaneck where, in addition to the children learning in a classroom with their peers, they are paired with a Big Brother or Big Sister—a teen mentor who tutors them in Hebrew reading and language and serves as a Jewish role model. The following is an essay written by Zehava Rothberg, one of the Big Sisters. It is a reflection on her time spent at the JYEP.
Throughout my JYEP experience I was fortunate to be a big sister to two amazing girls, Sabrina who has been my little sister for the past four years, and Emilia who was my little sister for two years. My first day being a big sister was probably one of the most memorable. I was walking with Debby Rapps so she could show me who my new little sister was, and she walked me over to this little third-grade girl with long brown hair and a knapsack draped over her shoulder. I was expecting the first week to feel stiff and a little uncomfortable, since we knew nothing about each other and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to do; but Sabrina didn’t let things feel uncomfortable. Sabrina was outgoing and warm, and at that moment I realized that this was going to be a great experience.
Throughout that first year, Sabrina and I learned the aleph bet together. We got really close; we became friends. She would talk to me about her life and asked questions about being Jewish and what it is like being an observant Jew. She was always eager to learn and wanted to learn more. She reviewed at home, and would apologize when she forgot. We played bingo and matching games and we would even make some games up.
The following year at orientation I found out that I would be having two little sisters that year, Sabrina and Emilia. I was nervous about how that would work out because Sabrina and I were already working together and Emilia had no idea who we were. However, I quickly realized when meeting Emilia that just like Sabrina was outgoing, she was too. After the first week it was like I was always the big sister of Sabrina and Emilia. We taught Emilia all the games we made up, and included her in all our jokes. Over the two years all three of us worked together; we read different stories and learned how to read and translate sentences and phrases.
My siblings and parents at home loved being involved as well. When we invited Sabrina and Emilia over for Chanukah, they got to meet and know them. We all lit the candles together, each one getting to light their own menorah and reciting the blessing that we learned in JYEP together. Afterwards we sat down for dinner with tons of yummy fried food. While we ate, we talked and laughed and really had a great time. Before last Passover, I decided to get them excited about learning the story of the splitting of the sea. They each got to create a cake in which we made the splitting of the sea. Sabrina and Emilia got really into it as they iced the cake blue and decorated it with assorted candies.
The Shabbatonim with JYEP were memorable in so many ways. I was able to share my love for Shabbat with Sabrina and Emilia by them experiencing it first hand. I was able to show them all the different customs that we talked about in JYEP. It was another opportunity for me to get to know my littles better, and to hang out with them outside of the school setting. The Shabbatonim also give the littles a chance to interact with one another to create one big family filled with many little brothers and sisters and big brothers and sisters.
JYEP has been an incredible experience. I may have taught Sabrina and Emilia Hebrew and about Judaism, but they taught me many things, if not more. They gave me a different perspective on life and on Judaism; they made me realize many different things about myself that I didn’t know before. I am happy that they were my littles and I will miss them next year. It made me realize how much we have in common with all Jews, and there is so much more that unites us than separates us.
For more information about the JYEP, or to register your child, please call Dr. Debby Rapps, Director, at 201-833-JYEP(5937), or email her at [email protected]. You can also check out the program online at www.jyep.org.
By Zehava Rothberg
