The Youth Religious Education Program of Ahavath Achim Synagogue

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1 The Youth Religious Education Program of Ahavath Achim Synagogue

2 means CONNECTION Connection to Community Connection to Friends Connection to the AA Connection to Heritage Connection to Family Connection to History Connection to Culture Connection to Ritual Connection to Traditions Connection to Hebrew Connection to Prayer Connection to God Connection to (previously FLLI or School of Judaism) is the religious education initiative for children ages three years old through 12th grade. Through our program, children will be inspired and curious about Judaism as they encounter a variety of topics through camp-like enrichment activities. Children who are a part of AA s Sunday Jewish learning experience are placed into age-appropriate groups called eidot (Hebrew for groups. Each eidah (group) is guided by a dynamic and experienced educator, or rosh eidah (head of the group). Eidot with children 2 years old to 7th grade will aslo have, at least, one madrich (teen counselor) as part of the group. Our madrichim serve as role models for continued Jewish learning and assist our educators in small group activities. Our central eidot, GAAn B Ahava (3 s and 4s eidah), TAAlit Atzmi (8th - 10th grade eidah), and AAtid (11th - 12th grade eidah) will begin developing their own identity on day one through the creation of their own group names, rooted in the year of learning they are about to embark on. We can t wait to see what they come up with! Sundays Community Building: a designated time within each eidah to build deep connections amongst friends - old and new. T fillah Lab: exploring of Shabbat morning prayer and liturgy including meaning, structure and choreography. Learners will utilize games, music, technology, creative writing, and more in order to explore and experience T fillah. Middot (character development): time set aside for developing mensches through Jewish values. Parashat Hashavuah: a weekly encounter with the Torah portion through drama, discussion, stories, and more. Judaics: each eidah will be exploring a specific theme for the year using camp-like enrichments such as, art, photography, technology, drama, project-based learning, games, cooking, etc. Hebrew Vocabulary: tied into their eidah learning theme and T fillah, children will build their Hebrew vocabulary. Rikkud and Ruach: each Sunday will end with a -wide dance and song session.

3 Learning By Eidah GAAn B Ahava (3 s, 4 s and Pre-K) Gan means garden and is a place where our littlest sprouts grow their roots and begin their Jewish learning experience. In this eidah, through creative learning methods and the natural inquisitiveness and exploration of children, we develop a sense of Ahavat Yisrael. Ahavat Yisrael encompasses a love for the people and traditions of Israel. K - 1 Free to be the Jew in Me In this eidah, we focus on developing the foundation each Jewish person needs to live a fruitful Jewish life. These building blocks include the AlefBet (Hebrew alphabet), brachot (blessings and blessing structure), Jewish holidays and Jewish symbols. Additionally, these students learn about what makes a synagogue a special place, what makes it an integral part of Jewish learning, what makes it a home for our community. 2nd - 3rd Grade My Jewish Community: Kol Yisrael Arievim Zeh L Zeh - All People Are Responsible For Each Other In this eidah, we teach children to have ownership and pride in being a Jewish person in the modern world. This means not only looking out for those within our community and who are similar to us, but for all humanity and for all people in need. Students learn about what makes being Jewish unique, about organizations that help our Jewish community, about global Jewry, Jewish family, Jewish leaders and about themes of Jewish responsibility and Jewish heroes in our Bible stories. 4th - 5th Grade People of Israel and People of the Book We center this eidah on personal identity established by historic connections to the Land of Milk & Honey and the Book of Life. The land of Israel and the Torah serve as two pillars which sustain Jewish existence, and we dedicate these two years to uncovering the roles they play in Jewish culture. One key question guiding this eidah s learning is how we engage with a collective history and how we bring that history into our everyday lives. 6th - 7th Grade Bein Anashim At its core, Judaism is about relationships. How we relate to others, to God, to our planet, and most importantly to ourselves. The main focus of these two years is the act of introspection, along with evaluating how we engage with the others in our lives. An interaction that we gloss over quickly could have a lasting impression on the person we are with, so our students will uncover the values that guide the way we interact with each other, and how we give a sense of purpose to their relationships as they move into young adulthood. TAAglit Atzmi (8th - 10 Grade) My Personal Discovery Journey What does it mean to be a Jewish person in modern American culture? How is being a Southern Jewish person different from other American Jews? We dedicate these three years to the story of American Judaism, as students are able to uncover their own roots and make tangible connections with their past. In students first years after their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, these classes help hone the students Jewish identity as it relates to their immediate surroundings, and to develop a sense of pride as they uncover their own narratives. AAtid (11th - 12th Grade) American Jewish Teen Teens in this eidah will explore: current events through a Jewish lens, American holidays as a Jew, the Jewish experience on college campuses, the relationship between religion and government, Judaism in pop culture, and Jewish denominational differences in North America. Madrichim Teens in 9th-12th grades are eligible to participate in our Madrichim (counselor) program where they serve as group assistants in an assigned eidah. Madrichim will receive community service hours and earn money towards scholarships for Jewish programming (youth group programs, Israel trips, summer camp, etc.). Madrichim are strongly encouraged to participate in TAAglit or AATid. Eighth graders who wish to be in the madrichim program in the future, can enroll in our Madrichim in Training (MIT) program.

4 Hebrew Education Skill Level Groups Children in 2nd - 6th grade will be evaluated by a Hebrew language expert and placed into appropriate skill level groups. These groups will be called Ramah (level) Aleph, Ramah Bet, Ramah Gimel, and Ramah Daled. 7th grade students will begin B nai Mitzvah preparation with a tutor. Group Meetings With the intention of cultivating stronger im (connections) amongst our students, nurturing their Jewish roots and associations with their AA community-at-large and fostering a thirst for a well-rounded Jewish education, we decided to bring Hebrew learning on Sunday afternoons. Skill Goals In order for our students to be active participants in Jewish rituals - blessings and prayers - our Hebrew program teaches children to read Hebrew fluently and become comfortable with a variety of pieces of Jewish liturgy. Sunday Times & Schedule Times 3 years - 7th Grade 9:00 am - 11:30 pm Lunch for Hebrew Students Hebrew (2nd - 6th grade) Madrichim in Training (MIT) Madrichim TAAglit and AAtid August 20, 2017 August 27, 2017 September 10, 2017 September 17, :30 am - 12:00 pm 12:30-2:00 pm 9:00 am - 12:30 pm *once a month 8:45 am - 12:45 pm 12:45-2:45 pm Schedule *more info about family programs on next page October 4, 2017 October 15, 2017 October 22, 2017 October 29, 2017 November 5, 2017 November 12, 2017 December 3, 2017 December 10, 2017 December 17, 2017 January 14, 2018 January 21, 2018 January 28, 2018 February 4, 2018 February 11, 2018 February 25, 2018 March 4, 2018 March 11, 2018 March 18, 2018 March 25, 2018 April 15, 2018 April 22, 2018 April 29, 2018 May 6, 2018 May 13, 2018, TAAglit, AAtid, TAAglit, AAtid, TAAglit, AAtid, TAAglit, AAtid, TAAglit, AAtid, TAAglit, AAtid s Sunday, October 4 5:00-8:00 pm Erev Sukkot Program Sunday, November 12 8:30 am - 12:30 pm Breakfast & Military Social Action Program Sunday, December 17 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Family Chanukah Experience Monday, January 14 TBD for MLK Day Sunday, January 28 1:00-4:00 pm Tu B Shvat Tree Planting Sunday, February 25 TBD Purim ExtravaganzAA Sunday, May 13 4:30-6:30 pm Lag B Omer/Mother s Day Picnic

5 Register Register online at Questions? Marc Silberstein Director of Education Stay Ahavath Achim Synagogue Ahavath Achim Synagogue 600 Peachtree Battle Avenue, NW Atlanta, GA

Shabbat Chai & Hebrew School

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