2018/2019
TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents... 2 Education at Temple Beth El... 2 Shabbat Chai... 3 Shabbat Chai Parent & Me... 3 Kindergarten Consecration... 4 Hebrew School... 4 The Relationship between Hebrew School & Shabbat Chai... 4 Grade Level Curricula... 5 B nai Mitzvah Program... 5 6th Grade Family Retreat... 5 Teen Programs... 6 An Invitation... 6 Program Costs... 7 Religious School 5779/2018-19 Calendar... 8 EDUCATION AT TEMPLE BETH EL OF SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY Jewish learning is an exciting endeavor that continues throughout our lives. Our mission is to educate both children and adults in the beliefs and practices of Judaism so that they will feel passion and pride in being Jewish. As such, we promote an educational climate in which each individual can discover and cultivate his or her own strong and lasting Jewish identity. Temple Beth El s Religious School fits into the larger array of lifelong educational learning programs we offer. It is composed of two programs: Hebrew School and Shabbat Chai. 2
SHABBAT CHAI Shabbat Chai means Live Shabbat. Through our Shabbat Chai experience participants, come together as a community to learn Jewish by living Jewish. Programs are open to families with young children through high school. The Shabbat Chai curriculum follows regular sessions that include learning Torah and Rabbinic stories, Jewish values and lifecycles rituals, symbols and prayers, and culminate in several Shabbat Chai 1 st Day Friday, September 7 th Please join your student for Opening Ceremony activities 4-7pm All-School Crescendo Moments of celebration centered around holidays: Sukkot, Hanukkah, Tu B Shvat, Purim and Passover. During these holiday celebrations, various grade levels showcase their learning with the entire Temple Beth El community. Because Shabbat Chai is held on Friday afternoons, the last hour of the program includes attending Shabbat Services, which start at 6pm (immediately prior to services, students are offered a light dinner.) Service honors are given to students attending these services, such as leading a prayer, opening the ark, blessing the challah, singing the closing song, etc. In addition, we celebrate birthdays monthly with a blessing on the bimah. Annually, each grade level has at least one family Shabbat experience. On these special days, students and their family members enjoy learning and Shabbat Dinner together during regularly scheduled Shabbat Chai sessions, followed by integration of the grade level into the Shabbat Service. We also include our teachers in these with an opportunity to share their experiences, specifically influential Jewish moments in their lives. SHABBAT CHAI PARENT & ME Shabbat Chai Parent & Me is a special space designed for babies and toddlers together with their parent(s), grandparent(s), and/or caregiver(s). Shabbat Chai Fridays for our families with young children will include holiday celebrations, singing, stories, activities, building community relationships, and introduction to Shabbat Katan. Shabbat Katan A Special Shabbat Experience Preschool-2 nd Graders 4-4:30pm Preschool-2 nd grade Shabbat Chai programming includes Shabbat Katan, a special Shabbat ritual offered every Shabbat Chai Friday from 4-4:30pm. This special time includes: Shabbat prayers, blessings, tzedakah collection, time to say goodbye to the week we are finishing and welcome in Shabbat with candle lighting, Kiddush and Challah. 3
KINDERGARTEN CONSECRATION Each year, we mark the entrance into formal Jewish learning with a consecration service for kindergartners and their loved ones. Please join us during our Simchat Torah celebration as we mark time in ritual together on Monday, October 1st for this year s celebration. Kindergarten Consecration Monday, October 1 st 6:30pm HEBREW SCHOOL Learners in 3-7 th grades participate in Hebrew School on Mondays from 4:30-6:30pm. Our curriculum is designed to bring students to fluency with prayers, their recitation and meaning. Over the course of the years, students acquire the ability to read Hebrew, understand many of the key words, and chant various prayers in preparation for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Moments of mindfulness and prayer, gratitude, and a reflective practice are infused into each session. Three times throughout the school year, the entire Hebrew School gathers all together in an all School T fillah Crescendo Moment wherein each grade level leads the prayer or prayers they have been working on. Occasionally, clergy from other faith traditions will be invited to experience their leadership and ask the students questions about content. This will empower students into positions of teacher and guide, and solidify their learning. After all, learning in order to learn is one thing, but learning in order to teach is an entirely different kind of learning. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEBREW SCHOOL & SHABBAT CHAI Our goal is simple: learn through authentic leadership, preparing for Crescendo Moments of prayer services and holiday observances. As the year progresses, the Hebrew School and Shabbat Chai programs will become more and more organically integrated, with Hebrew content knowledge serving to support the learning of Shabbat Chai, and the learning of Shabbat Chai infusing the Hebrew School with meaning, depth and purpose. Our staff is invested in the integration of learning across both programs. 4
GRADE LEVEL CURRICULA As we embark on new innovative curriculum designed to intentionally meet the needs of our community we want to insure that every student has the opportunities to feel connected, knowledgeable and proud of their Jewish identity. The curriculum follows this thematic structure. Grades Theme Pre School-2 nd Grades Building Community and the Building Blocks of Jewish Fluency 3 rd Grade Jewish Symbols, Genealogies, Places and Stories 4 th Grade Honoring, Preserving and Increasing the Light of Jewish Tradition 5 th Grade Telling your Story and the Story of the Jewish People 6 th Grade Defining what you Believe and Standing up for it 7 th Grade Being a Blessing in the World B NAI MITZVAH PROGRAM Religious school participation in both Shabbat Chai and Hebrew School over four years is designed to prepare students to become B nai Mitzvah at Temple Beth El. Intentional and integrated curriculum through content learning, context, real engagement in community practices, and leadership in Temple programs has been created to guide our students towards successfully becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Additional, individualized engagement with our clergy team supports students on the cusp of such a transition. Our entire team celebrates all of our students. For more information, contact our B nai Mitzvah Coordinator, Wendy Yesharim wyesharim@tbesoc.org. Save the date! 6 th Grade Family Retreat Friday, October 19 th 4-7pm Saturday, October 20 th 9:30am-6pm SAVE THE DATE for our 6th Grade Family Retreat: Strengthening our Community & Making Becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah More Meaningful Who Attends: 6th graders and at least one parent What: Enjoy a wonderful weekend of community, learning, song, and celebration! Families will spend Shabbat together preparing for the meaningful journey ahead. When: October 19 th and 20 th, 2018 5
TEEN PROGRAMS Teens make significant contributions to our synagogue community and the wide world. Enrollment in the BEMSY youth group is space designed specifically to the post B nai Mitzvah Students. Temple Beth El s Teen Programs include: 8 th Grade Tzedakah board & BESTY 9 th -12 th Grade BESTY Tzedakah Board is a Youth Philanthropy Board experience for 8 th graders. This program bridges the experiences associated with our Shabbat Chai curriculum and then with a bar/bat mitzvah project in the form of the group choosing values that they want to see acted upon in our world. They then seek out non-profit organizations whose mission addresses the value(s) identified by the Tzedakah Board, and then they administer a grant funding process. The year culminates in the presentation of grant funds to the organizations selected by the Tzedakah Board, presented at the Mitzvah Recognition Shabbat with the proud accomplishments of b nai mitzvah students mitzvah projects, t12th grade Temple seniors sharing their wisdom with the congregation during services, and more. BESTY is our Beth El Senior Temple Youth program, geared toward building the relationships and fun experiences amongst our 8-12 th graders. Supported by the wisdom of our Jewish tradition, teens continue to make memories with their fellow Jewish students in the context of fun and even helping out in programs/activities with our youngest congregants. Check out more information on our website. AN INVITATION Post B nai Mitzvah students Fulfill Community Service Hours at the Temple! Make arrangements with Wendy Yesharim at wyesharim@tbesoc.org Our curriculum is an evolving guide. We continually strive for new and innovative ways of bringing our holiday and worship experiences to life, while providing students with solid content knowledge, meaningful understandings and empowered leadership opportunities. Parents are welcome and encouraged to co-create our children s learning experiences by contacting Rabbi Miller at rabbimiller@tbesoc.org or by joining the Religious School Education Committee by contacting the VP of Education, Dayna Herz at daynaherz@gmail.com. Join the Religious School Committee Attend & actively engage in Grade Level Programs Volunteer your time & talents Additionally, please prioritize attending opportunities during the year for parents and children to live and learn Jewish together in each grade level. Your active participation is vital in making these experiences a true success. A variety of volunteer opportunities are available to contribute your time and talents to your child(ren) s Jewish learning and your Temple Beth El community as a whole. These opportunities will be described at our parent orientation on the first day of Shabbat Chai, Friday, September 7th. If you would like to contribute by volunteering before the start of the Shabbat Chai year, please contact our Program Director, Wendy Yesharim (wyesharim@tbesoc.org; 949-362-3999, ext. 214.) 6
PROGRAM COSTS Cost through June 30, 2018 Cost after July 1, 2018 Friday Shabbat Chai Parent and Me $185 $185 Friday Shabbat Chai Parent and Me *non-member cost* $371 $371 Friday Shabbat Chai (Grades Preschool-2) $675 $706 Friday Shabbat Chai with Monday Hebrew (Grades 3-7) $968 $1015 Required Fees Fee per Child Materials Fee (Grades Preschool-7) $82 Earthquake Kit Fee (For new students only) $21 Earthquake Kit Replenishment Fee (For returning students only) $5 Payment Options Pay 50% of tuition at registration time and the remaining 50% by December 2018, or pay Fees are paid 100% at registration. Tuition can be paid as 9 monthly installments on the first day of each month (e.g., July through March.) The monthly installments must be charged to a credit card on file. Fees are paid 100% at registration. Pay 100% of full tuition and fees by July 1, 2018 and receive a 5% discount off of the tuition amount. Please know that no child will be excluded from Jewish engagement and learning opportunities at Temple Beth El due to financial concern. Please contact our Executive Director, Bonni Pomush, if your family has financial need regarding Religious School tuition or if you would like to help a family in need by making a donation to the Mirsky Scholarship Fund: bpomush@tbesoc.org 949-362-3999, ext. 213 7
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL 5779/2018-19 CALENDAR September 2018 Date Time Event Friday, September 7 4-7pm Shabbat Chai Opening Ceremonies & Family Learning Monday, September 10 10am-12:30pm ***Rosh Hashanah Wednesday, September 19 10am-12:30pm ***Yom Kippur Friday, September 28 4-7pm *Shabbat Chai & Dinner in the Sukkah October 2018 Monday, October 1 6:30-8 Simchat Torah & Kindergarten Consecration Friday, October 5 4-7pm Shabbat Chai & Birthday recognition at Shabbat Services Monday, October 8 4:30-6:30pm First Hebrew Session & Parent Orientation Monday, October 15 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Friday, October 19 4-7pm Shabbat Chai & Birthday recognition at Shabbat Services 6 th Grade Family Retreat Saturday, October 20 9:30am-6pm 6 th Grade Family Retreat Monday, October 29 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School November 2018 Friday, November 2 4-7pm Shabbat Chai Pre-School and Kinder Family Learning & Shabbat Monday, November 5 4:30-6:30pm **Hebrew School/All School T fillah Friday, November 16 4-7pm Shabbat Chai 5 th Grade Family Learning & Shabbat Monday, November 26 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Friday, November 30 4-7pm Shabbat Chai & Birthday recognition at Shabbat Services December 2018 Monday, December 3 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Friday, December 7 4-7pm *Shabbat Chai/Hanukkah-palooza Monday, December 10 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Monday, December 17 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Friday, December 21 4-7pm Shabbat Chai 1 st Grade Family Learning & Shabbat Service 8
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL 5779/2018-19 CALENDAR CONTINUED January 2019 Date Time Event Monday, January 7 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Friday, January 11 4-7pm Shabbat Chai & Birthday recognition at Shabbat Services Monday, January 14 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Friday, January 18 4-7pm *Shabbat Chai/Tu B Shvat-a-palooza 6 th Grade Family Learning & Shabbat Services Monday, January 28 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School February 2019 Friday, February 1 4-7pm Shabbat Chai & Birthday recognition at Shabbat Services 2 nd Grade Family Learning & Shabbat Service Monday, February 4 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Monday, February 11 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Monday, February 25 4:30-6:30pm **Hebrew School/All School T fillah March 2019 Friday, March 1 4-7pm Shabbat Chai & Birthday recognition at Shabbat Services Monday, March 4 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Monday, March 11 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Friday, March 15 4-7pm Shabbat Chai 3 rd Grade Family learning & Shabbat Service Monday, March 18 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Friday, March 22 4-7pm *Shabbat Chai Purim-palooza Monday, March 25 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School April 2019 Monday, April 8 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Friday, April 12 4-7pm *Shabbat Chai/Passover-palooza & Birthday recognition at Shabbat Services Monday, April 22 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Monday, April 29 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School May 2019 Friday, May 3 4-7pm Shabbat Chai4 th Grade Family Learning & Shabbat Service Monday, May 6 4:30-6:30pm **Hebrew School/ All School T fillah Monday, May 13 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School Friday, May 17 4-7pm *Siyyum Celebrations Monday, May 20 4:30-6:30pm Hebrew School *Shabbat Chai Crescendo Moments ; ** 9Hebrew School Crescendo Moments, ***Temple Holy Days
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