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August 20, 2004
New youth leader at BI
Tovah Altman says programs promote independence.
KYLE BERGER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
There is a new supervisor for the future leadership of Vancouver's
Conservative Jewish community. Tovah Altman, 23, recently took over
as the new youth director of Beth Israel Synagogue and has high
hopes for her contributions to the community's youth.
Her position includes leading the congregation's United Synagogue
Youth and Kadima programs for teens, the Atid program for elementary
aged kids, as well as helping to guide and teach the b'nai mitzvah
classes. She is extremely passionate about the role she will play
with these kids.
"My love for working with children of all ages comes from the
fact that I get to see the impact of what I do and what my programs
have on each child," she said. "I also get to be a kid,
working with kids, and I love it."
Altman said she knew she wanted to work with young people when she
took a babysitting program in Grade 7. She spent several years at
a Jewish overnight camp in Ontario and then spent several years
as a camp counsellor.
"When I think about my campers on their first day and then
think about how much they changed by the end of camp, they were
like different kids," she said of the impact youth experience
can have on kids. "I think that these programs are important
in terms of gaining independence. And I like being part of that
growth."
Altman said she plans on running an all-inclusive program where
she expects anyone involved to take an active role in the programming.
"I believe that no matter how old a child is, they should be
treated the same way and they should be respected as individuals,"
she explained. "I want as much help from the Atid kids planning
programs as I get from the USYers. I want to know what they think
works or doesn't because they can have a voice at eight years old
the same as they can at 18 years old."
Altman also wants the parents to become more involved by joining
the shul's youth commission.
"[The youth commission] is a way for the parents to have a
say and to know what their child is doing when they're dropped off
at the synagogue," she said.
For more information about youth programming at Beth Israel or to
join the youth commission, contact Altman at 604-731-1346.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer
living in Richmond.
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