JUST SAY KNOW
During the past year, I have kept you informed about the work of our Human Sexuality Task Force. This amazing, thoughtful and energetic group of Temple Beth El congregants and staff have tackled the difficult assignment of creating a curriculum for our youth to help them confront some of the most difficult challenges they face in today’s social climate. Addressing issues of self-respect, showing respect for others and making healthy choices, the Task Force has created Temple Beth El’s first program for sixth grade students and their families called “Just Say Know.”

In preparation for creating this curriculum, members of the team collected materials from other institutions, attended comparable local programs, and consulted experts in the field both in the Charlotte area and around the country. A highly recommended teen health expert met with the Task Force to help us understand the challenges and give guidance as to how to proceed. Last spring, we brought in two representatives from what is commonly acknowledged to be the country’s leading human sexuality program to spend a weekend training members of our Task Force. The Task Force then spent the summer creating the “Just Say Know” curriculum.

The curriculum is made up of three parts. On October 16th, there will be a parent orientation. We will present the program, answer questions, and give parents the option to enroll their sixth grader in the student session. The student session will take place on Saturday afternoon, November 5th. On November 20th, students and parents will gather together for a follow-up session.

The primary goal of the program is to foster communication between parents and children on what can be a very intimidating topic. We also want the students to know that they can seek information and support from their specially trained teachers and clergy in the Jewish community, and that Temple Beth El is a place of safety for them.

Two key objectives are to foster self-esteem and provide knowledge. The ability to form healthy relationships and make good decisions is rooted in self-esteem. This principle pervades the lessons. A corollary to self-esteem is fostering respect for others. Valuing every human being — ourselves and others — is a core Jewish value. Understanding what it means to be created in the image of God and acting in a way that is consistent with this concept is the way we connect self-esteem and making healthy choices — for ourselves and in regard to our relationships.

Poor choices can also be the result of misinformation. We sometimes say that children are sponges when it comes to learning, but they are generally better at absorbing information than distinguishing between good information and bad.

Thus, one component of the curriculum is the discussion of puberty both with the goal of providing biologically correct facts, and helping students understand that everyone matures in different ways and at different rates. This understanding is intimately connected to the self-esteem issue as well.

The lessons use a variety of formats, including games and role playing. Another important component is the question box — an opportunity for students to ask questions anonymously. We hope that the students will learn while having fun, and that we can make the discussion of human sexuality less intimidating. Being able to discuss these important topics openly is a major step toward healthy maturation.

If you have questions about this curriculum, I am happy to speak with you or to direct you to another member of the Human Sexuality Task Force. We hope that this is a first step in helping our students form the healthy, loving and secure relationships they deserve. We look forward to creating programs for other age groups in our Temple family in the future.

L’shalom,
Andrew Bernard
Cantor