Every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM, the basement of the Bukharian Jewish Community Center comes alive with a program designed with teenagers in mind.
«Every Sunday morning we are meeting at 9:30 with the teens — any teens from the community are welcome to join,» said Rabbi David Shushan. The later start time is intentional. «It’s a later minyan to let the teens wake up a little bit later on Sundays,» he explained.
The program begins with prayer, as participants bring their tefillin and tallit to join the minyan. A communal breakfast follows, along with a short Torah class focused on the laws of Shabbat.
«This class is very important to know because it speaks about all kinds of laws — how to keep a better Shabbat — and people love it,» Rabbi Shushan said.
After the learning portion, the afternoon opens up to games, including PlayStation, ping pong, and a pool table. Participants also receive cash for attending. «Every teen gets cash because they came and participated in the program,» he noted.
Rabbi Shushan warmly extended the invitation to the wider community. Anyone interested in joining or learning more can reach him directly at 347-690-5701 or follow him on Instagram: @rabbi_david_shushan.
By Erin Levi