For students, involvement within their place of worship sometimes goes beyond the routine trips to the synagogue or church. Instead of the standard of going every weekend for a few hours, there are students who play a larger role in their faith-based community. Senior Allison Quantz, who has attended Piedmont Community Church since 2nd grade, convinced her parents to start going to church after a Sunday School visit with a friend.
“We became members, but then my mom started working there. This really got me involved with just being around the church,” Quantz said.
Senior Dan Meade has been involved in B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO), a nationwide Jewish youth organization, since March of his freshman year. When three of his friends brought him to a meeting, Meade was not expecting much, but after the first meeting, he had a blast and has continued ever since, he said.
Since beginning to be involved with BBYO, he has not only served on the regional board for a year, but has just ended his term as the Bay Area BBYO President.
Meade said that the Bay Area chapter of BBYO, which has 47 kids mostly from Oakland and Berkeley, holds meetings every week where they tell funny stories and plan events, which are held every Saturday.
Sophomore Sarah Marcus has also volunteered for her synagogue, for the past three years. In addition to her work at her temple, Marcus has been involved with BBYO since moving to Piedmont from Maryland last year.
“At the synagogue I [volunteered] because I wanted to help younger kids have a closer connection to Judaism,” Marcus said. “The Jewish faith promotes helping the less fortunate with mitzvoth. I wanted to help a cause with people less fortunate or in hard situations of life.”
“[The events] are focused around the five folds of programming, which are education, Judaism, athletics, social, and community service, so we do usually around three of those at each event,” Meade said.
In addition to the meetings and events, the group works at events on Sundays every two to three weeks called Friendship Circle where they spend time with special needs kids, an event that only the Bay Area BBYO group does.
Quantz has had a multitude of responsibilities around the church including teaching Sunday School for the last few years, working in the nursery and main office, and setting up and taking down funerals held at the church.
“I only go to church services probably once a month, but I go to youth group Sunday Nights almost every time, and I’m teaching Sunday School or helping out every week,” Quantz said, adding on that she occasionally attends St. John’s in Berkeley as well.
Religion has been a steady guiding force throughout Quantz’s life, and for that reason she plans to continue to practice her faith, both into college and beyond.
“ I think when I’m in college it’ll be something I think about, but I don’t think I’m going to go hunt down a church right away, but I do think that after college and when I’m older it is something I will participate in and definitely want for my kids,” Quantz said.
Until then, Quantz will cherish her time spent working at the Piedmont Community Church.
“My religion is an important part of my life because it’s what keeps me going, especially during hard times, and church is a place where I can go, feel comfortable around eveyone, be myself, and feel like I’m around family,” Quantz said.
Marcus said that she believes that religion is an important part of her life, not only from a spiritual standpoint but also from a social aspect.
“[My religion] influences the way that I view people and I also have taken up part of the social aspect of being Jewish,” Marcus said. “Being Jewish helps me keep an open mind about things and it made volunteering and helping others really important [in my life].”