I have found a deep passion and enthusiasm for education for all ages, with a specific soft spot for working with teens and young adults. I believe in the transformative power of a Jewish journey and a relentless pursuit of a more just and holy world guided by curiosity and compassion.
Strategic Program Development
I have leveraged my leadership and management skills to develop innovative youth programs and to ensure their long-term success. This included strategically restructuring the Youth Programs department, redesigning it from a one-person role into a multi-staffed team that served nearly 200 K-12 students and 75 families with young children. I also designed and implemented new operational processes for communication and registration while managing the youth budget. These efforts led to tangible results, including generating nearly $16,000 in gross revenue for the Temple Youth Fund from the 2025 Purim Carnival.
Curriculum and Engagement
I believe that education should be an engaging, hands-on experience. I have designed and implemented a strategic portfolio of youth educational programs, including creating a four-year rotating T’filah curriculum in collaboration with our cantor. I also redesigned the 8th-9th grade curriculum to include experiential learning, such as field trips to key community landmarks. For teens, I have designed and led a decade of Confirmation retreats, creating a safe environment for them to explore their Jewish identity and personal relationship with God. I have also developed and facilitated Post-Confirmation classes on critical topics such as body image, Jews of color, mental health, and combating antisemitism.
Pre-Confirmation Lessons
I believe in providing engaging and thought-provoking lessons for all age groups. Here are some examples of lessons I have taught for almost a decade and continue to teach:
Leadership Development
A key aspect of my work is cultivating a pipeline of future professional and lay leaders. I have fostered strong relationships with religious school teachers and managed the madrichim training program. My collaborative efforts and professional support resulted in key teachers being hired as Youth Group Leaders and serving on the Board of Trustees, demonstrating a long-term commitment to leadership development.
High-Impact Initiatives
I have a strong commitment to empowering youth to speak truth to power. I conceived, designed, and implemented the #MitzvahQuest program , a multi-faceted initiative that focuses on direct service and community building. I also guided small groups of teens on high-impact advocacy trips to Washington, D.C. and Austin, Texas, empowering them to speak directly with elected officials and successfully secure support for key initiatives.
#MitzvahQuest
After evaluating the impact of the original #MitzvahQuest, I am currently working on a revamp to shift its focus to direct service and community building. These are the resources we are using until December 2025.
Teachers and madrichim for the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year. 
Confirmation Retreat: Team-building and challenges at the ropes course (2023). 
Helping students read at the Community Seder (2024). 
Teaching our 3rd-6th graders about Torah (2025). 
At the Honeycomb Facilitators’ Training to learn how to bring the program to our teens (2023). 
Teaching our 3rd-6th graders about Torah (2025). 
Purim Carnival 2024 
Helping a student act our a role during our Tour of Torah for Simchat Torah (2024). 
Religious School teachers for 2024-2025. 
Confirmation Retreat: Helping families of children with disabilities have equine therapy (2023). 
Teaching our 3rd-6th graders about Torah (2025). 
Teaching Pre-Confirmation Class (2021). 
Leading Havdalah on our Confirmation retreat (2021). 
Taking some of our high school students to Austin for a day of lobbying, tourism, and meeting with non-profit organizations (2022). 
Confirmation retreat with the 2018 Confirmation class (2017). 
Volunteering with the Confirmation class at ChildSafe, an organization helping San Antonio families who are dealing with abuse (2024). 
Teaching our students about Sukkot during religious school sukkah visits (2024). 
With part of the Consecration class during their ceremony (2023). 
Teaching our families about the themes of the High Holy Days while acting out a script (2024). 
Teaching our students about Sukkot during religious school sukkah visits (2023).
Rabbi Marina Yergin 