Children, Teens, and Families

We welcome and encourage families to join us on the farm for Sukkot.  At our festivals, we have an exciting opportunity to share the responsibility of caring for our children as a village.  We believe that it does “take a village to raise a child,” and we seek to create an atmosphere where children and teens receive the support they need to find their unique place.

Children’s Village

There will be a Children’s Village where children will spend their time in the outdoors, exploring, playing games, making natural crafts, helping on the farm, and having a great time.  Modeled after our B’hootz program, Ariela Ronay-Jinich, will direct a program that creates structure yet allows for creative and spontaneous play and exploration on this beautiful piece of land.  Families with young children are invited to camp in our Children’s Village, where families can cluster their tents and share nighttime supervision of sleeping young ones.

Children’s Village is supported in part by PJ Library

Behira Teen Village (*new this year!)

This year for the first time we will create the Behira Teen Village, which supports teens in deepening their connections to themselves, the Earth and the generations that gather at Wilderness Torah festivals. Facilitated by dedicated members of our community, teens will be both integrated into the whole community and have activities specifically for them.  Teen activities will be fun and adventurous and will also provide opportunities to share, ask questions, and explore the meaning of Sukkot while harvesting, learning, and hiking.  Some of our most inspirational teachers and mentors will offer special teen classes that include skills such as basket-weaving, song/jam sessions, a hike to chalk mountain, and sharing circles.  Each teen will choose an elder chaver(ah) (friend) in the community, creating inter-generational sharing, exchange, and connection.

 

For children under 13 it is imperative that parents ensure that when not in the Children’s Village their children are under adult supervision at all times.  For the teens, it is important that parents know where their children are at all times.