In mid-August, Ben and Hannah Book will be stepping down as youth directors of the Young Israel of New Rochelle. The Books began their stint as youth directors in the summer of 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic, just as the shul was re-opening.
Ben recalled the high level of creativity that was needed for the job when they started. “We were challenged right at the get-go. How were we going to engage a community that wasn’t allowed to really be engaged for the first year and a half?” The Books explained that it was challenging to create different types of group environments and build relationships with the YINR youth in a remote COVID world.
Once COVID restrictions began to be lifted, the Books described the youth events they built, beginning with the end of summer kickoff event. “It is the first event of the year where everybody’s able to be together; we recapped the previous year to build on the coming year.” The Books noted that at the event they would have the opportunity to meet everyone who had moved in over the summer and highlight the new families on a screen. The event also gave families the opportunity to meet other families who had kids of similar ages. The event always had a video montage. “It was fun and definitely engaged kids and made them feel a part of the program.”
The Books also listed the group leader shabbaton they implemented as an accomplishment. They explained, “We started doubling down on staff training, especially in the past year and a half, when the entire department overall doubled if not tripled in size.” They recalled how when they started, they had about 10 kids to a room each Shabbat morning, “and now it’s at least 30, 40 and sometimes even 50.” The Books realized that they needed to expand the staff and the staff needed to be trained. “We developed a training shabbaton to start the year, so group leaders knew exactly what the expectations were. They weren’t walking in without any training prior to interacting with the kids.”
Comparing how camps are constantly posting pictures and videos of kids participating in sports and activities, the Books tried to up their social media game. “It’s not our strongest suit, but we hired a YINR youth for the past few events, who has a passion for photography to take pictures and post them.” The Books always felt their role was to engage all the youth of the YINR community. “It’s something we’ve been working to make everybody feel that they’re part of the program. If somebody doesn’t want to be a group leader, there are other opportunities within the youth department to be successful and to help out.” In addition to being the youth photographer, high school student Akiva Hoffman is the Cocoa Club rebbe. On Shabbat mornings, Hoffman learns Mishnayos with third and fourth grade boys who come early every week to have some doughnuts and hot chocolate during the winter season. They learn for 45 minutes, then begin their davening. Since the group started, they have learned five Masechtos of Mishnah.
Knowing that they will be leaving, Hannah revealed that some of the youth have asked for their jobs, or they asked their parents to become youth directors. “They really want unlimited YINR winners (YINR’s famous prize tokens), and access to the prize closet.”
Acknowledging that the prizes are an important aspect of the job, Ben noted that his favorite prize was when they gave out drones at the weekly V’shinantam Motzai Shabbat learning program. The Books did learn that some parents would get upset when their kids won slime. “We have done less and less slime over the years. We have taken the feedback, but it’s always funny hearing the stories from parents after their kids have taken the slime home.” Hannah added, “I think probably the best prizes, though, are the goldfish at the Purim carnival.”
Offering advice to the next YINR youth directors, Hannah expressed, “They are going into a great community, we loved our time here, and they are choosing a great place to be youth directors.” Ben added, “Prepare, prepare, prepare; always be prepared.”
Ben will continue his connection to the New Rochelle community, as a faculty member of SAR High School and his involvement with the New Rochelle Torah Center. Hannah is currently a nurse at Greenwich Hospital, with plans to become a lactation consultant. Looking to the future, the Books are hoping to make aliyah in the next few years.
