Kulanu: Creating Intentional Community Together

The stone passes, from student to teacher and back to the student again. They speak softly and listen well. Seated on meditation pillows in the light of a large candle, they talk about their past week – the blessings they saw, and the challenges they faced. This is how we, at Kulanu – the Cincinnati Reform Jewish High School – begin our time together on Sunday evenings. Creating a sacred space. Rather than one long teacher in-service, we hold hour-long gatherings for our team of staff and student leaders, prior to each session of classes. Every voice matters, every voice is heard.

Over the past four years, Kulanu (translated as “all of us”) has been working toward creating an intentional community. Through active engagement with our students, families, teachers and board members – we strive to honor “all of us” who come together on Sunday evenings. We choose books to study as a community, including ones on mindfulness in the classroom, Jewish meditation, lovingkindness, the neuroscience of the teenage brain, and relationship-based teaching. We try to live our name in everything we do and in every interaction we have.

The health and welfare of all our people is of primary importance. We recently returned from a weekend retreat that included students, parents, teachers, and board members. Why the focus on wellness? Because, like many communities around the country, we are facing a crisis among teens today. In addition to immediate access to abundant (and sometimes overwhelming) information, teens are trying to navigate their way through a time in their lives that is full of significant pressures, changes, and choices. Our students are looking for positive places where they can let their guard down and relax.

And they can find that in a Jewish space. Our curriculum includes classes in yoga and meditation, stress management and mindfulness, and even a course this year simply called “Happiness.” We weave Torah and text into relevant lessons about life, love, intimacy, and the truths inherent to being a Jewish teen. And so, like the Mishkan of our tradition, we open our doors and arms, to our teens’ gifts and appreciate them for who they are, and who they are becoming. We gather and share a communal family-style dinner and serve each other. We listen to each other’s voices and let them chart their own paths.

Our teachers serve as guides. Our goal at Kulanu is to uncover the Judaism that has been living inside these teens all along. The seeds planted by excellent religious schools, tended by youth advisors, educators, caring rabbis, and parents – now begin to bloom in our garden. They reach toward the sunlight and we watch over them, marveling at their unique and vibrant colors.

To teach teenagers is a sacred calling. We realize it and honor it. This creation of intentional space takes commitment from our staff. It can be challenging when dealing with larger groups. This being said, it is an opportunity to bring the most of ourselves to the process. The setting of such space, changes the atmosphere of our school. Honoring prayer and self-reflection teaches our students by example, how Judaism can impact their lives far beyond our walls.

Rabbi David Burstein has been the director of Kulanu since 2003. He has taught meditation for over 20 years and has led over 15 spiritual retreats for teens and adults. His spiritual path is to be the best husband and father he can be and help others find their personal path in Judaism.