Jewish Student Connection branches out

Jordan Kaplan, Staff Writer

Jewish Student Connection (JSC)  has been a club at Creek for four years now.  The club had trouble with attendance when it met after, school because students had sports and other clubs. So, last year, the club met during fifth hour, making it hard for underclassmen to be involved. This year, they are trying something new.

Meetings are held during 4th, 5th, and 6th hour. The upperclassmen and underclassmen clubs will meet on different days. The hope is that with the hours the club meets being extended more students will be able to attend.  The different subgroups of the club are brought together in outside of school events, such as the barbecue that took place a few weeks ago.

In the meetings that have taken place so far this year, many new faces attended. Most of the members have stuck with the club throughout the years, despite trouble with membership. “I think at a school like Creek that is so large it would be a shame not to have a club like this” Tamara Hammerman, one of the club’s co-presidents, said.

The club focuses on culture and not religion. A typical meeting involves discussing current events in Israel and the background behind a specific Jewish tradition. Hammerman said “It’s not a prayer group. You can still get something out of the club no matter what background you’re from.” While club programs are typically led by the adult supervisor, Rabbi Michael Sunshine, club members are encouraged to plan and lead programs and activities. These adults work for Jewish Student Connection itself, which runs and sponsors the club at most of the major high schools across Colorado.  As of now, the JSC clubs of different schools are not involved with one another.

Jewish Student Connection attended Ethnic Fest as a club for the first time last year. This year, they plan to go again and hope to get a club picture in the yearbook. Last year, the club did a project of decorating a mannequin to represent a someone they thought of as a Jewish hero; they chose Debbie Friedman. A singer-songwriter of Jewish songs and melodies. This year the club plans to get more involved with the local Jewish community.