"Kesher Konnections" to Expand Program With Baron Hirsch Congregation

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Memphis, TN (7/28/2010) – “Kesher Konnections,” the successful program which informs, educates and inspires the teens and pre-teens of Memphis about Israel – the culture, the State, the people and the land – will soon partner with Baron Hirsch Congregation to bring its message to the Memphis Jewish community. The unique program allows teens to connect in real-time with their counterparts in Israel via videoconferencing equipment. Baron Hirsch Congregation, with its unique ability for video-conferencing, will have real-time connections between Israeli teens and Memphis teens, further enhancing and solidifying the ties between this age group to Israel. Teens will have the opportunity to gain a greater appreciation of the culture and people of Israel as participants share thoughts and ideas with Israeli teens on various matters. Kesher Konnections is funded, in part, by a generous grant from the Lemsky Endowment Fund of Memphis Jewish Federation.

“Kesher Konnections” will target and include all Jewish youth who are part of the Reform, Conservative and Orthodox denominations, as well as non-affiliated Jewish teens. Rabbi Shai Finkelstein, senior rabbi of Baron Hirsch, said “We could not be more thrilled or proud of the recognition and confidence that the Lemsky Committee and the Board of Directors of the Memphis Jewish Federation have shown in the program and our synagogue’s ability to execute it. The program will continue to be open to the entire Jewish teen community and is free of cost. Kesher Konnections is an informal, fun and interactive atmosphere that is definitely ‘kool!’ We plan to continue the excellent work started by Memphis Jewish High School in creating a community wide teen board to assist in suggesting topics of interest to the Memphis teen community,” added Rabbi Finkelstein.

Andy Groveman, chair of the Kesher Konnections Committee, said, “There are approximately 500 Jewish teens in Memphis. Since the program’s inception to date, there have been 300 participants which represents a market penetration of 60%. We continue to be very pleased with the reception of this program by the Memphis Jewish community teens.”

A major innovation for the 2010-2011 year will be to expand the program to have a separate track with special sessions for adults. Real-time videoconferencing with notable Israeli scholars, politicians and peers provides an unmatched opportunity to learn about issues and topics that affect the Jewish people.

The target audience for the youth component includes all preteens and teens of the Memphis Jewish community. All teens affiliated with Reform, Conservative and Orthodox congregations, day schools, BBYO, NCSY, Hillel, or members of the Memphis Jewish Community Center will be targeted through both formal and informal educational programming.

The target audience for the adult component includes adults affiliated with any of the Jewish agencies and synagogues in Memphis. Topics will focus on a variety of interests, including, but not limited to, political, military, technology, business and social topics. While many individuals may be interested in the entire series, it is hoped that new participants may also be attracted to single sessions because the topic of interest speaks to them.

Groveman continued, “This is a perfect way for our shul to give back to the community. We are excited about the potential for this program to reach a wide cross-section of our Jewish teens and adults and, at the same time, leverage our technology for the benefit of our community. We are reaching Jewish teens in Memphis who otherwise would not have any exposure to such issues as these, or to Israel, and we look forward to making these same inroads to adults who have not had the exposure that this program can bring.”

Leading the program will be Yael and Emmanuel Elstein, Grossman Scholars from Baron Hirsch who were brought to Memphis though the Jewish Agency. The Elsteins are responsible for the implementation of the program and are looking forward to working to create more and more connections between the community and its counterparts in Israel.

For more information on the “Kesher Konnections” program, please call Baron Hirsch Congregation at 901.683.7485 and ask for the Kesher Konnections program.