Why Bother?
Judaism in the Age of Choice
Teen Multi-Session Course

In this interactive, online course for teens, we invite students to discover Judaism’s special place in the world. For too long, we have treated the choices of modern life as a risk for Jewish continuity. “Why Bother?” flips the conversation. We welcome that wider world – secular and religious alike – to engage with Judaism. The result is a kaleidoscope of new perspectives on Judaism’s vibrant contributions to society.

Curriculum

Session 1: Telling a Great Story

What can we learn about religion from a scientist? It turns out that religion can do at least one thing much better than science can: storytelling. So, it’s not surprising that all religions rely on stories to convey lessons and build community. Judaism, for its part, has a unique storytelling tradition that conveys powerful messages.

Session 2: Making Meaning Out of Death

One of life’s most sensitive topics is death, so we’ve asked Jenna Moerk, a mortician, to help us understand how religion improves our relationship with death. But Jenna doesn’t work on the cosmic questions. Instead, we’re going to talk about the gritty details of death and mourning. What do we do with the body; how do we remember the dead? And most of all, why is all this so important to us? Why does how we treat the dead reflect on the values of the living?

Session 3: Where Judaism Lives

One of life’s most sensitive topics is death, so we’ve asked Jenna Moerk, a mortician, to help us understand how religion improves our relationship with death. But Jenna doesn’t work on the cosmic questions. Instead, we’re going to talk about the gritty details of death and mourning. What do we do with the body; how do we remember the dead? And most of all, why is all this so important to us? Why does how we treat the dead reflect on the values of the living?

Session 4: Religion and the Media

It’s hard to say which is a more powerful force: religion or popular culture. We live with both all the time, even if we’re not paying close attention, and we invest in both, as well. Most of all, they’re related to one another, as well. Religion inspires the stories that drive television, movies and even music. And popular media has the power to shape our ideas about religious communities; that’s why Jews, Muslims, Christians, and everybody else wants to make sure that we present ourselves, rather than having others take control of our messages.