Monmouth Torah Links launched its first series of classes for the Jewish Boy Scouts NerTamid badge requirements. A group of six boys of Bar Mitzvah age joined and learned about Jewish History, Israel, famous Jews, Jewish contributions to society, American Jewish culture and the Jewish home. All of the boys passed the test with flying colors! The scouts performed community services such as helping at a synagogue or Hebrew school office and collecting food or money for charity.
These are some of the essays they wrote about their achievements.
If you’d like to sign up to the Jewish Boy Scouts of MTL, click here.  

Jacob Meiskin
Monmouth Torah Links Hebrew High

The Ner Tamid project helps a Boy Scout become more reverent for many reasons. The word reverent means to deeply respect, which is part of one of the Ten Commandments- respect your parents. Respect and honor One G-d. The Ner Tamid project helps Boy Scouts around the world become respectful or more respectful to their religion.

Respect your parents, is saying a lot of things at once. One is that you are supposed do whatever your parents tell you to do, clean your room, make your bed, etc. The other, that Hashem is the only G-d, is another very powerful thing. Hashem is saying that all statues, idols, etc. are not real and that you must only pray to Him. These are some reasons the Ner Tamid Boy Scout program helps Boy Scouts become more reverent.

Sam Silverstein
Monmouth Torah Links Hebrew High

The Ner Tamid emblem has helped me learn a lot in scouting and the ways it connects to Judaism. This opportunity gave me time to reflect back on how my journey through scouts has helped me be reverent in scouting activities and my personal life. Not only does scouting teach me important traits such as leadership and communication but it also teaches me a lot about myself: my strengths in woodwork and leadership and my weaknesses in knots and lashings.

Scouting has also given me a way to learn religious morals and give back to the community. In the Jewish religion you are suppose to do mitzvahs or good deeds and scouting is a great way to fulfill those duties. Another way scouting has let me involve religion is at summer camp. There are not many places where you can be deep in the woods and singing prayers and reflecting on what you’ve learned.

During the Ner Tamid emblem classes I was amazed on how much I remembered from Hebrew school and the lessons learned for my Bar Mitzvah. Not only do these experiences give me great memories but they also give me chances to enjoy my religion in a different state of mind.