Brandon Jewish Youth Academy

07/29/2025

We are excited to share the information video we presented at our Grand Opening event on July 27th!

Grand opening information video for the Brandon Jewish Youth Academy

07/25/2025

The big weekend is here! Shabbat Shalom! The BJYA is so excited to swap in a new sign that no longer reads “Coming Soon” as we celebrate our Grand Opening!!! Reach out for more info.

07/04/2025

Brandon Jewish Youth Academy to Open This Fall With Free Tuition for Members

Brandon, FL – Congregation Beth Shalom of Brandon is thrilled to announce the grand opening of the Brandon Jewish Youth Academy (BJYA), a new Hebrew school offering a modern, meaningful, and memorable approach to Jewish education — with free tuition for all members in good standing.

After successfully piloting the curriculum with two students—who will celebrate their Bar and Bat Mitzvah this October—the Academy is now enrolling students for Fall 2025. BJYA offers two parallel tracks: a Hebrew program focused on reading fluency and prayer, and a comprehensive curriculum covering Jewish history, culture, traditions, and Torah study.

“Our goal is to have our kids fall in love with their heritage,” said Neil Spindel, Director of Jewish Education. “We’re trying to grow Brandon’s only Jewish synagogue by offering a phenomenal
educational experience for children looking to become Bar and Bat Mitzvah, right here in the heart of Brandon so local parents won’t need to schlep into Tampa any more.”

The school integrates innovative teaching strategies, in-house built textbooks and learning materials. BJYA also uses AI tools, including ChatGPT (“Shlomo”), to develop curriculum and textbooks tailored to each student.

“We’ve needed to work at a fast pace to build this curriculum at the same time live students were piloting it. AI was incredibly valuable in helping us keep ahead of their learning while
building something amazing,” Spindel noted.

BJYA will host a Q&A and Info Session on Sunday, July 27 at 1:00 PM at Congregation Beth Shalom, 706 Bryan Road, Brandon, FL. Families are invited to meet the educators, learn about the curriculum, and enjoy an afternoon of hospitality and community:
• Pizza, Ice cream, and activities for the kids
• Wine, cheese, and refreshments for adults

Security is a top priority. A uniformed Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy will be on site. Names will be checked against an RSVP list.

To RSVP, please email [email protected] or call/text (813) 438-3914 by July 25.

For general inquiries, contact [email protected]. To learn more about Congregation Beth Shalom and the Brandon Jewish Youth Academy, visit https://brandonjewishyouthacademy.org.

Call now to connect with business.

05/09/2025

🌟 Special Youth-Led Shabbat Service – Friday, May 16 at 7:00 PM 🌟

Come be part of something joyful and inspiring at Congregation Beth Shalom at 706 Bryan Rd in Brandon!

Next Friday night, we’re handing the mic to the next generation. Our Hebrew school students — Jack and Abby, the first participants in our newly launched Brandon Jewish Youth Academy — will be leading much of our Kabbalat Shabbat service.

They’ve been working hard, preparing for their b’nai mitzvah, and stepping up as leaders in our community. This special evening is a celebration of their dedication — and a glimpse of our synagogue’s bright future.

If you have kids, grandkids, or know a Jewish family looking for a place to belong, this is the perfect Shabbat to join us. We’re building something real and meaningful — right here in Brandon.

📖 Family-friendly service using Mishkan T’filah for Youth

🎶 Spirited music and joyful prayer

🍪 Oneg to follow!

Let’s fill the sanctuary with song, support, and the sound of new voices rising.

11/26/2024

Congregation Beth Shalom in Brandon is thrilled to announce that we have re-launched our Hebrew School! With an all-new self-built in-house, in-person Bar/Bat Mitzvah curriculum already in full swing, plus this brand new course for younger kids starting in January! For more info give us a call at (813) 438-3914 or email to [email protected].

09/22/2024

YAY!

09/21/2024

Coming soon coming soon!

09/21/2024

Little things mean a lot. We are on the map!

09/07/2024

Proud to announce something I’ve had in the works. When the rabbi left my synagogue a few months ago, I was asked to step in to teach his two bar/bat mitzvah students. Little did I know, this would spark the creation of something much bigger. With my AI assistant 'Shlomo' (yes, we even trademarked “Powered by Shlomo”!), we’ve built a custom curriculum to relaunch Jewish learning at Congregation Beth Shalom in Brandon, FL. Today, I'm proud to announce that the Marjorie Richter Spindel Brandon Jewish Youth Academy has been officially launched! We are prototyping our curriculum with two students this year and will be taking enrollment for the Fall of 2025. We are ready to inspire the next generation of Jewish learning here in Brandon!