Announcing a New Year of Programming for
Congregation Beth Am's
Visual and Performing Arts Program:
B.A. Jewish Star !

Mark your calendars with the following important dates for another spectacular year of B.A. Jewish Star, Beth Am's educational theater program.

Now in its 13^th year, B.A. Jewish Star (BAJS) remains one of the many sparkling jewels in the Beth Am crown. Having reached hundreds of students and countless more families and audience members, BAJS is pleased to continue its mission of providing students the opportunity to work hand–in–hand with fellow students and theatre professionals while learning more about Judaism, Jewish values and ethics, and simultaneously building wonderful friendships with other students of varying ages and interests.

Each year, BAJS reaches over a thousand people with its unique approach to Jewish education and entertainment. This year’s program will be no exception. Thanks to the foundation laid by the success of “Golden Dream!”, “Hero Rock!” and “Piece of the Puzzle”, the BAJS educators and families are about to premiere yet another original production.

About the Production
"Schoolhouse Rock" made learning times tables and American history easier for millions of kids when it went on the air in the 70s. Now, Beth Am families can hop on the bus and come down to the "Shul-house" for a new musical which will explore Jewish ethics and values using the music made famous by “Schoolhouse Rock”. Premiering March 23, 2006 at Congregation Beth Am, this original rock-n-roll musical will set the theme, “What is Jewish Law?” to music, giving young and old alike a new approach to Jewish laws and ethics.

Congregation Beth Am’s "B.A. Jewish Star" program will explore a wide range of themes, including Anger, Responsibility, Friendship, Courage, Equality, Visiting the Sick, Feeding the Hungry, Honoring Parents/Respect for Elders, Seeking Peace, Guarding Your Tongue, & Compassion to Animals to name just a few, through a diverse and delightful collection of songs and scenes. This musical experience will take both the participants and their audience on a delightful journey of self-discovery and invites guests to consider Jewish values and ethics as they take part in this 90 minute musical feast.

The BAJS staff looks forward to welcoming new and returning participants to this year’s program, which begins in October with auditions and an orientation for new students.

Who: Aspiring Artists, entering 3rd grade through 10th grade. Participants will meet as a company for four months.

What: 100+ hours of instruction, inspiration, and innovation culminating in a fully mounted musical production.

Why: To promote confidence and creative thinking; to provide professional instruction in the arts and Jewish history and ideology; to provide our students with an understanding of what it takes to create a stage production; to assist budding theatre artists to experience their dreams and develop discipline in a supportive, professional atmosphere.

We asked Director Scott Guggenheim to answer some frequently asked questions about BAJS. Here are his answers:

Frequently Asked Questions

We asked Director Scott Guggenheim to answer some frequently asked questions about BAJS. Here are his answers:

 “I just turned 13 years old. Am I too old for BAJS?”

Contrary to popular belief, the age cap for BAJS is not 13, but rather 16 years old. BAJS does appeal to younger participants since most 8 year olds watched their older siblings grow up in the program. However, the program is always designed for those participating. Meaning, we write the scripts and choose songs and other material based on the talent and age of the cast for the given year. So just because you may have seen a lot of younger kids in a previous production, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for you. BAJS is designed to have the older students serve as role models for the younger ones as they all work together as a family to create a great piece of theatre.

 “How does the new Sunday Program schedule impact BAJS?”

The new schedule should compliment the BAJS schedule quite well. Since SP students will already be at Beth Am in the morning, we’ve scheduled BAJS to begin just after religious school, from 11:45am to 2:45pm. This should help parents who were traveling to the temple two or three times each Sunday. We will have a lunch break between SP and BAJS so the cast has a chance to eat and gear up for a great workshop. A parent volunteer will be on hand to hang out with the kids prior to the start of our Sunday sessions. Our Thursday night meetings will continue as always, from 5:45-8:15pm, with dinner served from 5:30-5:45pm.

 “I really want to play the lead in this year’s production. Does everyone get a good part?”

We get this question a lot and our answer is always the same: BAJS is a great place to spend four months if you want to make new friends, have a wonderful theatrical experience learning from professionals, and being with other people like you –Jews who love performing arts. BAJS is NOT the best place for an aspiring thespian looking only to build their resume with leading characters. There are plenty of theatre companies offering that kind of experience; we’re not here to compete with that. We’re here to ensure students experience theatre dreams, dedication and discipline in a supportive, professional, ensemble atmosphere. As a result, regardless of acting ability, our students learn to draw on their own resources, becoming “stars” in all their endeavors – including those beyond the stage.

 “What’s the ‘fine print’? I want to know everything about this program before we get involved.”

We really appreciate parents who want to gain all of the information about this program before jumping in. That’s why we hold a parent meeting before the program begins. We also provide a detailed handbook for each family to read prior to signing-up so you can really see what goes into a program like BAJS. Here are some of the major points:

Company members meet twice weekly for a total of five and one half hours per week from late October 2005 to March 2006; this time commitment increases during “Tech Week”, the week of the first performance. As well, we meet a little longer on the Sundays when the religious school does not meet.

Participating families are expected to sell tickets, advertisements for the playbill and will be required to perform volunteer duties. You can volunteer your time or your money toward the success of the production.

Students will be provided dinner at evening rehearsals. On Sunday schedules snacks and drinks will be provided. Each student will receive a T-Shirt. Each student will receive a voucher good for free admission to the National Jewish Theatre Festival’s production of “The MeshugaNutcrcker!”.

A number of partial scholarships are available based on merit and need. To request scholarship consideration please submit a letter stating your need and student’s merit. Scholarship families will be expected to provide additional volunteer hours if possible.

All of this information is detailed clearly in our handbook. You can view a copy by clicking here.

 “We’re ready to sign-up. What do we do now?”

 Obtain a Registration Form and send in your deposit to reserve a space in the program. You can download a PDF here, visit the Beth Am office or call us to have a copy faxed to you. Once you complete the form, send it with your deposit check to the address on the form. Then, you’re all set! We’ll be in touch from there about the parent meeting schedule, the auditions, and the first workshop.

What Rabbi Marder says about this program

It is an honor to write this letter in support of the BAJS program. The Guggenheim’s work at Beth Am has become an integral part of our education program here because of the power it has to involve our kids in Jewish learning in such a positive and joyful way. Every time I experience a “Be A Jewish Star” production organized by Scott and Shannon and their colleagues, I come away incredibly impressed at the way they have inspired and motivated these young people, taught them so much about essential Jewish values, and brought them together as a team.

The BAJS program not only strengthens Jewish identity; it promotes Jewish friendships and builds community, which I believe is critical to an effective Jewish education experience. They consistently find ways to engage children’s imaginations and awaken their creative spirit, to call forth their best efforts and energize even those who have never seen much point to Jewish education.

Embedded within all the fun of a Guggenheim production is significant and substantive Jewish learning: the children discover the drama of Jewish history, get acquainted with important Jewish heroes and heroines, come to understand central Jewish concepts such as “mitzvah,” “chesed” and “tzedaka,” and absorb essential lessons about what it means to live a committed Jewish life. Most important, they learn to connect personally with these lessons and to see being Jewish as exciting and meaningful to them.

I truly believe that some of the most important Jewish learning that goes on at Beth Am occurs through the musical theater productions that Scott and Shannon developed. I always wish that our entire congregation could witness these shows, as they are truly a highlight of our programming year.

What parents say about their child’s BAJS experience

“First, as a parent I want to thank you for the wonderful learning, the wonderful sense of community that was created among the kids, the wonderful enthusiasm that everyone exhibited in the last week and through out the last four months. I truly have not seen her have more fun and more drawn in than she was with this show. As an educator, I think the way the kids learned, the focus, seriousness and joy they brought to this endeavor is amazing and exciting.  I only wish we could infuse that into all the teaching and learning we do.  I heard more than one parent comment on how much their child had learned and how much they felt a part of the community in a way they never had before.” ~ Ellen Stromberg

“How you produced such a creative script from all those great songs, and gave so many of the children a chance to shine, you truly are masters at what you do!  And it couldn't be clearer that you all seem to have a genuine love of working with kids!  How lucky we at Beth Am have been to have you share your talents with our children these past years.  I only hope and pray that you will continue to share yourselves with us again.” ~ Debra Laybhen

“We were so pleased with every aspect of the highly professional production of Piece of the Puzzle.  Samantha learned so much about Judaica in just four months in such a painless, enjoyable format.  I am very impressed with your teaching style, patience and dedication to detail. It was a huge job and you did it beautifully.” ~ Robin Press

More information

For more information about BAJS or to schedule an audition appointment, please contact Kimberly at (510) 795-0570 or by email at bajs@njtf.org.

Click here for a PDF of the BAJS Handbook