A Week in the Life of UJIA JAMS

Monday

The week kicks off with a two sessions. In Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls in Elstree, the youth movement LJY-Netzer run a session for thirty year 7-9s (11-14 year olds) called "Every Kippah Tells a Story". After explaining how different kippot might say something about the different denominations or political views of the wearer, the session gets "hands on" as the girls make their own kippot! Much fun is had by all. Over at Highgate School, their Jewish Assembly is taken by Jewish Care, who explain their work to the Jewish pupils. UJIA JAMS is a fantastic way for Jewish communal organisations to reach a new audience, and the presentation goes down well.

Tuesday

A bumper day for UJIA JAMS with six sessions today! At City of London School for Boys, Alex Cohen, Mazkir of youth movement Bnei Akiva and Rabbi Dr Belovski, of Golders Green Synagogue, discuss "Women in Judaism" from a modern orthodox perspective, drawing over 30 young people to eat, discuss, debate and digest. J*Link, who used to operate independently but are now under the auspices of UJIA JAMS, present at Haberdashers' Aske's School for Boys, whilst Magen David Adom discuss their work in Israel at Henrietta Barnett in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Meanwhile, over at North London Collegiate School, Rabbi Celia Surget of the Movement for Reform Judaism does a Q&A about being a female rabbi, and the youth movement BBYO run a session about Jewish gangsters in America in the early-20th Century at UCS in Hampstead. To cap things off, youth movement RSY-Netzer head over to one of UJIA JAMS' newest schools, Watford Grammar School for Boys, and over pizza discuss the parashat.

Wednesday

Things kick off early at Bancrofts School, in Essex, where Redbridge JCC lead the Jewish assembly, discussing the parashat hashavua. Watford Grammar School for Girls, receives UJIA JAMS Education Manager Anthony Ashworth-Steen to discuss the same topic. Getting out of our offices in Camden Town and delivering Jewish and Zionist education are some of the most rewarding parts of our jobs as professionals. Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls, have a UR UNI LIFE campus preparation session, hearing from UJS about the risks of extremism on campus. As always, the focus is not on causing alarm, but on giving Jewish young people the information, skills and confidence to face university life and enjoy all it has to offer.

Thursday

Another six session day for UJIA JAMS, kicking off with the Jewish assembly at Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls, (the third Jewish educational experience UJIA JAMS has facilitated at the school this week!). Nikki from JAT comes in to discuss the emotive issue of HIV-AIDS and stigmatisation from a Jewish textual perspective, to over 200 young people. Michael Pollak, UJIA Informal Education Department Jewish Education Consultant, heads off to City of London School for Boys, to deliver a session about the parashat hashavua, whilst in Moor Park, another member of the department, Royi Gutkin, talks to the J-Soc at Merchant Taylor's School , about the history of Zionism. Rabbi Natan Levy livens up Mill Hill County High School, with a session about being green and Jewish, whilst J*Link head to QE Boys School, in Barnet, where they are always well-received. Finally, at St Helen's School, in Northwood, Jewish Women's Aid tackle the hugely important and much-neglected issue of domestic violence within our community. Not the most fun session, perhaps, but amongst the most important they will have all term.

Friday

Fridays are quiet days for UJIA JAMS, and this week two sessions are delivered. To link to World Human Rights Day, Rene Cassin discuss the issue of children in detention at Highgate School,, whilst at South Hampstead High School, the J-Soc run a Channukah party for over 40 people. Mini-donuts aplenty are delivered, courtesy of UJIA JAMS, and much fun is had by all. As Shabbat begins, a week of 19 sessions at 15 schools, to over 600 different pupils comes to an end - and UJIA JAMS gears up to do it all again next week!