Tikkun: 8th + 9th + 10th Grade

Shaare Emeth Religious School’s 8th-10th Grade Program

Affirming Your Jewish Identity

We believe that Jewish learning is a lifelong journey that should grow with you. So, here’s the big question: what comes after b’mitzvah at Shaare Emeth? The journey continues in Tikkun! Imagine your teen…

  • Learning about food justice, then getting to work the next week on making grocery packages at a food pantry and harvesting at an urban farm to feed those in need.
  • Spending the morning at church with their rabbis and friends to experience the shared values and diverse traditions of their Christian neighbors.
  • Finding their own connections between the text of the Torah, rabbinic commentaries, and the current conversation about environmental justice and caring for the earth.

We hope all of this and so much more speaks to you (and your teens) as you plan for their 8th-10th Grade experience. Our goal is to meet our teens where they are. We know their lives have been impacted in so many ways by COVID-19, the rise in antisemitism, pressure and anxiety from school, and so much more. Participating in Tikkun is our way of responding to their needs and providing a space for actively developing Jewish community and identity.

The Tikkun Vision Statement

Members of the Tikkun program at Shaare Emeth will discover a community of peers and trusted mentors with whom they will…

  • Develop curiosity and learn about the values and traditions of Reform Judaism.

  • Encounter a variety of joyous Jewish experiences that are practical and relevant.

  • Cultivate Jewish pride, creativity, and commitment to one another and the larger community.

Tikkun will meet weekly on Sundays from 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Each year of this three-year journey builds on the others, but it’s never too late to join.

Our Themes Are:

  • 8th Grade

    Mitzvah Corps
    Focus on Social Action Experiences

  • 9th Grade

    Reform Jewish Values (RJV)
    Values through Advocacy & Decision-Making

  • 10th Grade

    Confirmation • Kabbalat Torah
    Exploring God, Israel, and Affirming Your Judaism

  • 8th Grade

    Mitzvah Corps
    Focus on Social Action Experiences

  • 9th Grade

    Reform Jewish Values (RJV)
    Values through Advocacy & Decision-Making

  • 10th Grade

    Confirmation • Kabbalat Torah
    Exploring God, Israel, and Affirming Your Judaism

Each year also has some shared components that weave together including built-in community meeting time each week (with food of course!), annual group travel locally or to other cities, and hands-on opportunities to learn Jewish “life skills” for holidays and mitzvot.

While our Tikkun program spans 8th, 9th, and 10th grades, each is unique. Use the tabs above to explore more about the individual, grade-level programs in depth.

Mizvah Corps

Our 8th grade students have the opportunity to be a part of a hands-on, service-learning experience that meets weekly on Sunday mornings.

Our year is dedicated to social justice, a core value of Reform Judaism and at the heart of who Shaare Emeth is as a community. For each unit, we focus on specific social justice themes, including poverty and hunger, racial justice, inclusion, and more. After our students gain a strong foundation in the issues, including a study of Jewish texts and values, they move into action to create change about the issues they are studying. We don’t just talk about hunger—we help our local food pantry prep for the winter months. Along with each interactive experience, we reflect and help our students find the lessons for their own lives.

We hope that this experience gives our 8th grade teens a broader perspective on the need to pursue justice and a strong belief that every person can make a difference.

Reform Jewish Values (RJV)

The 9th Grade invites our students to engage with the wider community and society around them by looking at social justice issues through a Jewish lens.

They begin their journey by defining Reform Judaism, its principles, and exploring the history of the movement. We then find the issues that our teens care about all over the spectrum, including climate justice, gender equity, gun violence, and more. Participants have the opportunity to look at a wide variety of issues from a Jewish perspective, studying ancient and modern texts together. They also have the chance to engage in debate and wrestle with these texts to understand their own beliefs better. Our program becomes a place for questioning what is and imagining what could be.

Confirmation | Kabbalat Torah

In 10th Grade, our students are asking big questions about who they want to be in the world and what they believe in. We capture that energy as we spend the year exploring what Jews believe. Our participants start by learning about the various movements and forms of Judaism and what it means to be a Reform Jew. With that foundation, they spend some time looking at different Jewish theologies to help them articulate what they believe (or what they do not believe) about God and spiritual matters.

As the year progresses, we widen our lens as students go on a multifaith journey. Grounded in Jewish ideas and values, they look outward at other religious groups within our community, including Christianity of all stripes, Islam, Hinduism, and more. They have the chance to hear from local faith leaders, visit houses of worship in St. Louis, and share their reflections with one another.

We hope this year immerses them in questions of identity, faith, personal choice, and more to prepare them for the next steps in their journey.

In the spring of their 10th Grade year, our Confirmation participants inspire the entire congregation by participating in their Confirmation service. The service is planned, written, and created by the class in partnership with our Clergy and Worship team. Students have the chance to share what they have learned over the years and mark the end of this phase of their formal Jewish learning. Students continually speak about how Confirmation is one of the highlights of their Jewish educational journey at Shaare Emeth, and those memories last a lifetime.

ABOUT

Madeleine Elkins & Harvey Wallace

2025 Harris Frank Community Service Award Honorees

Madeleine and Harvey have been cherished members of Congregation Shaare Emeth since 1996. Shortly after their wedding, they began “shul shopping” and quickly found a spiritual home at Shaare Emeth—a community whose warmth and values resonated deeply with them. Since then, they have become pillars of both the congregation and the broader St. Louis community.

Madeleine Elkins built a distinguished 45-year career in the corporate world, with leadership roles in medical supply distribution and law firm financial management. Alongside her professional accomplishments, Madeleine has always made time for meaningful volunteer work. She served on the board of the St. Louis Breast Cancer Coalition and was part of the organizing committee for the JCC Senior Olympics in its early years. Her dedication to Jewish community life is evident in her service on various committees for the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, including co-chairing the 2017 L’Chaim Event. In 2022, she and Harvey co-chaired the JCC’s J’la gala, raising vital funds for scholarships. At Shaare Emeth, Madeleine is a compassionate member of the Caring Committee, and in 2025, she joined the board of the American Jewish Committee, continuing her lifelong commitment to advocacy and service.

Harvey Wallace is a trailblazer in the accounting world and a passionate community leader. In 1973, he co-founded Brown Smith Wallace, a firm that grew to become the 77th largest CPA firm in the United States, with 340 team members at the time of its 2021 merger with Armanino LLP. He now brings his expertise to Private Fiduciary Solutions. Harvey’s professional success is matched by his extraordinary record of community service. He has held leadership roles on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Federation of St. Louis (where he served as Chairman from 2015 to 2017), Jewish Family Services, The Magic House (Chairman, 2013–2014), Wyman Center, and the Chancellor’s Council at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. His civic engagement also includes board service with the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the St. Louis Community Foundation, and the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center. Harvey has been a dedicated member of the St. Louis Men’s Group Against Cancer and was honored with the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants Outstanding Public Service Award.

Madeleine and Harvey are blessed with two sons and daughters-in-law, Brad & Elizabeth Wallace and David & Melissa Wallace, and four grandchildren Emma (23), Katie (19), Miriam (13), and Aaron (11).

Together, Madeleine and Harvey exemplify the spirit of generosity, leadership, and compassion. Their decades of service have touched countless lives and strengthened the fabric of our community. We are proud to honor them with the 2025 Harris Frank Community Service Award.