AMUSY & CHUSY Programming

AMUSY & CHUSY Programming

Am Yisrael Youth Board

President: Sivan Belkind

Ruach Vice President: Zachary Brown

Outreach Vice President: Shayna Kamm

Communications Vice President: Liora Appel

8th Grade Representative: Nina Oldfield

 

About our Am Yisrael Youth Chapter

Our Am Yisrael Youth Chapter is open to all members of our youth community in the congregation. We hope to provide our children and teens with many fun opportunities to spend time with their Am Yisrael peers beyond the classroom and Sanctuary settings. Youth Programming is available to all ages from 2nd Grade through senior year of High School, as follows:

  • Chaverim – 2nd-5th Grades
  • Gesher – 5th-7th Grades
  • AMUSY – 8th-12th Grades

Note: 5th Grade overlaps between both Chaverim and Gesher.

Our Am Yisrael 3rd-12th Graders can also participate as a part of CHUSY, affiliated with our national movement, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ).

8th-12th Grade AMUSY & CHUSY Programming

AMUSY (8th-12th Grades) lounge nights are held at the synagogue on Wednesday evenings, immediately following SJS. Lounge nights include a kosher dinner. CHUSY incorporates synagogue youth chapters from Chicagoland, Milwaukee, Madison and Northwest Indiana.

Please save the following dates:

Facilitated by AMUSY

  • Wednesday, September 18, 2024: AMUSY Lounge Night at Am Yisrael, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, November 20, 2024: AMUSY Lounge Night at Am Yisrael, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, January 15, 2025: AMUSY Lounge Night at Am Yisrael, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, March 19, 2025: AMUSY Lounge Night at Am Yisrael, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, May 14, 2025: AMUSY Lounge Night at Am Yisrael, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Facilitated by CHUSY

  • Thursday, October 24, 2024: CHUSY Lounge Night at Beth El in Highland Park
  • Friday, November 8 – Sunday, November 10, 2024: CHUSY Convention, Details TBD
  • Wednesday, December 11, 2024: CHUSY Joint Chapter Event, Details TBD
  • Friday, January 17 – Monday, January 20, 2025: CHUSY Weekend of Greatness (9th-12th Grades)
  • Wednesday, February 5, 2025: CHUSY Lounge Night in the City (7th-12th Grades), Details TBD
  • Wednesday, March 12, 2025: CHUSY Teen Community Purim Party, Details TBD
  • Friday, April 4 – Sunday, April 6, 2025: CHUSY Spring Convention (7th-12th Grades), Details TBD
  • Sunday, May 18, 2025: CHUSY/Gesher/Chaverim End of Year Event (5th-12th Grades), Details TBD

5th-7th Grade Gesher Programming

As part of the build toward involvement in AMUSY and CHUSY, we facilitate programs for our Middle School students. There are some times during the year when Gesher is invited to join the 8th-12th grades, which are noted below. Gesher Lounges include a kosher lunch.

Please save the following dates:

Facilitated by AMUSY

  • Sunday, October 20, 2024: Gesher Lounge at Am Yisrael, 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, January 26, 2025: Gesher Lounge at Am Yisrael, 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 4, 2025: Gesher Lounge at Am Yisrael, 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

Facilitated by CHUSY

  • Saturday, November 16, 2024: Gesher/Chaverim Undernighter (2nd-7th Grades), Details TBD
  • Friday, December 6 – Sunday, December 8, 2024: Gesher Convention, Details TBD
  • Wednesday, February 5, 2025: CHUSY Lounge Night in the City (7th-12th Grades), Details TBD
  • Monday, February 17, 2025: Gesher/Chaverim Snow Tubing (3rd-7th Grades), Details TBD
  • Sunday, May 18, 2025: CHUSY/Gesher/Chaverim End of Year Event (5th-12th Grades), Details TBD

2nd-5th Grade Chaverim

For our elementary school students (2nd-5th grades), we offer our Chaverim Group. Three Sundays each school year, Chaverim will take a field trip after SJS, which will include a kosher lunch. Past locations include The Painted Penguin and Nickel City in Northbrook, and Bowling in Wilmette and Buffalo Grove.

Please save the following dates in your calendars, all taking place on Sunday afternoons from 12:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m.:

Facilitated by AMUSY

  • Sunday, January 12, 2025: Chaverim Program (2nd-5th Grades) 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Details TBD
  • Sunday, April 27, 2025: Chaverim Program (2nd-5th Grades) 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Details TBD

Facilitated by CHUSY

  • Monday, October 14, 2024: Chaverim Lincoln Park Zoo (3rd-5th Grades), Details TBD
  • Saturday, November 16, 2024: Gesher/Chaverim Undernighter (2nd-7th Grades), Details TBD
  • Sunday, December 15, 2024: Chaverim Immersive Game in Oakbrook (2nd-5th Grades), Details TBD
  • Monday, February 17, 2025: Gesher/Chaverim Snow Tubing (3rd-7th Grades), Details TBD
  • Sunday, March 2, 2025: Bella’s Bouncies – Lake Villa (2nd-4th Grades), Details TBD
  • Sunday, May 18, 2025: CHUSY/Gesher/Chaverim End of Year Event (5th-12th Grades), Details TBD

More about CHUSY

USY is USCJ’s youth movement for Conservative Jewish teens across North America. For more than 70 years, USY has taught young Jews the values and skills they need to become exceptional leaders in their religious and secular communities. USY empowers youth to develop friendships, leadership skills, a sense of belonging to the Jewish People, and a commitment to inspired Jewish living through meaningful and fun experiences rooted in Conservative Judaism’s approach to learning, spiritual expression, and social responsibility. Through year-round programming and domestic and international travel opportunities, USY inspires in teens a deep sense of pride and love for their Jewish identity. To learn more, visit www.usy.org.

CHUSY covers the Chicago area as well as Madison, Milwaukee, and Northwest Indiana. CHUSY programs give Jewish teens a chance to learn and grow as a Jew and most of all to have fun with other Jews. Teens learn about Judaism and Israel, do social action projects, give tzedakah, and enjoy other social programming like bowling or just hanging out.

Contacts

For more information about our Am Yisrael Youth Chapter (AMUSY, Gesher & Chaverim), please contact:

  • Mr. Charlie Sherman: csherman@amyisrael.org or 847-708-1805
  • Morah Sandra Mieli Kamm: smielikamm@amyisrael.org or 847-721-2137

For more information about CHUSY, please contact:

  • Parker Weber: pweber@uscj.org

Updated July 3, 2024    27 Sivan 5784