Temple Sinai Youth and Teen Learning and Engagement Programs Register Today! See insert or visit templesinaiatlanta.org for enrollment instructions! 2017-2018
Welcome! We are proud to introduce our 2017-2018 Youth & Education Brochure! This brochure was designed by our youth and education team to share all of the offerings we provide our youth, teens and families for grades K-12. We view our education and youth program experiences as complementary to one another, providing an integrated approach to Jewish education and engagement for all of our youth and teens. Jewish education is about creating Jewish memories that will last throughout our lives. Jewish memories are formed in educational experiences, in youth group, on trips and social action days, in family programs, with Jewish friends and more. We view parents as our partners in this work and want to to work with you and be a part of your child s experience. Together, we can continue to create more Jewish memories for our children and for our families. Our entire team wants to inspire our children to learn and grow as Jews as well as help them develop a strong sense of comfort at Temple Sinai and with their own personal Jewish identity. Through innovative curricula, dynamic, interactive teachers and youth staff, and families with a willingness to learn, our Youth & Education Programs continue to grow with creative, fun and ground-breaking educational programs. We look forward to joining you on your child s and family s Jewish education journey! Marisa Kaiser, RJE Director of Education Emily Cohen Director of Youth Education Molly Okun Director of Youth & Teen Engagement Family Engagement To educate a child without educating and involving the parents and the entire family can be compared to heating a house while leaving the window open. Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan Join us for our meaningful and intentional family experiences as a core part of our youth and education programs. These experiences are designed for families to interact with one another, create memories together and build a larger, deeper sense of community at Temple Sinai. Monthly Family Shabbat Services Grade level Family Workshops Family Holiday Experiences Social Action Experiences Monthly Family T fillah services on Sunday mornings
Sinai Tots Pre K Sinai Tots 2 and 3 year olds with a parent or other special adult (Must be age by Sept. 1 2017) Sinai Tots is a parent-child experience that includes hands-on Jewish learning, community-building with other families, and of course, FUN! The class meets monthly to explore Jewish holidays and values through stories, songs, art, games, cooking, and more. You will create fun Jewish memories with your child while also meeting other families in the community. Temple Sinai clergy and educators often come to visit so you can get to know them too. This is a fantastic introduction to Jewish education at Temple Sinai. Religious School Sundays, 9:30 am-12:15 pm Our Kindergarten through 2nd grade students begin to develop their love of Jewish life through our Religious School experience while forming connections and lasting friendships. They will build the foundation of their Jewish identity and deepen their connection to Judaism. Our fun, engaging, passionate, warm teachers are excited to connect with both students and parents as they bring Judaism to life. They will guide our students through experiencing the Jewish holidays, becoming comfortable in the synagogue, learning from stories in the Torah, exploring God, understanding Jewish values and being introduced to the Hebrew alef-bet. Pre-Kindergarten Religious School Our PreK class is all about Jewish fun and new friends! The curriculum focuses on Jewish holidays, which children explore through art, music, stories, games, and more. They also spend time getting to know each other and discovering what it means to be part of a Jewish community. Our PreK class joins the rest of the Religious School for T fillah and music with Beth Schafer, Bunzl Family Cantorial Chair. This is a great way to help your child form connections and create fun memories at Religious School before entering Kindergarten. Kindergarten 2nd Grade SCRAPPY (K-2 Youth Group) SCRAPPY is Temple Sinai s youth group for children who are in Kindergarten-2nd grade. SCRAPPY events are a great way to make new friends and continue to build relationships outside of Religious School or Jewish Day School at Temple Sinai! SCRAPPY events are held four times a year on Sundays! Some previous events have included: Super Mentsch Training, Science Extravaganza, Reptile Party and, Silly Olympics.
3rd & 4th Grades Religious School Sundays, 9:30 am 12:15 pm (AND one of the Hebrew Program Options) 3rd and 4th graders continue to build on their Jewish foundation through the engaging and meaningful exploration of Torah, becoming a mentsch (good person), Israel, and Jewish leaders and prophets. They continue to build upon their love of Jewish life and deepen connections and friendships. Our teachers are fun, engaging, passionate, warm and excited to connect with both students and parents. Our goal is to make Judaism come alive in the classroom! CLUB 34 CLUB 34 is Temple Sinai s youth group for third and fourth graders. The goal of CLUB 34 is to create a fun, welcoming community for everyone! Club 34 events are a great way to make new friends and continue to build relationships outside of Religious School or Jewish Day School at Temple Sinai. Some previous events have included: Master Chef Junior, Ikea Scavenger Hunt, Mystery Bus Ride (Waffle House & Sky Zone), Lock-In (sleepover at Temple), Slingshot Entertainment, and more. Hebrew Program Options for Grades 3-6 We teach Hebrew through prayer and focus on decoding skills, synagogue participation skills, and the meaning of the prayers. With our challenging and engaging curriculum, our goal is for students to be able to lead and participate in prayer with their community, have an understanding of the prayers and be able to connect to them on a personal level. We have three options for our Hebrew Program to meet your family s needs. We strive to make it accessible and convenient while maintaining our goal of creating a strong learning community. Hebrew Option #1: Hebrew School at Temple Sinai Tuesday 4:45-6:15 pm or Sunday 12:45-1:45 (please note, this is replacing the Sunday Hebrew Chavurah option) Our students who attend this program meet at Temple Sinai in grade level classes. There is an opportunity to build community with a larger group, participate in all school programs and activities, and on Tuesdays, have T fillah (prayer service) with our clergy. This experience provides a feeling of excitement and success as we learn and practice together as a community.
5th & 6th Grades Religious School Sundays, 9:30 AM-12:15 PM (AND one of the Hebrew Program Options) 5th and 6th graders begin thinking concretely about how Judaism fits into their lives. The hands-on curriculum guides students through engaging and meaningful exploration of Jewish values, God, Jewish lifecycle events, Jewish history, Holocaust and what it means to be a Jewish adult. They continue to build upon their love of Jewish life and forming connections and enduring friendships. Our are fun, engaging, passionate and, warm teachers excited to connect with both students and parents. Our goal is to make Judaism come alive in the classroom! CLUB 56 CLUB 56 is Temple Sinai s youth group for fifth and sixth graders. The goal of CLUB 56 is to create a fun, welcoming community for everyone and build a strong youth group culture! Club 56 provides a great way to make new friends and continue to build relationships outside of Religious School or Jewish Day School at Temple Sinai. Some previous events have included: Regressive Dinner (dessert first), Main Event, Ice Skating, Slingshot Entertainment, Lock-In (sleepover at Temple), Outside Olympics, and more. Hebrew Option #2: Hebrew Chavurah Groups scheduled throughout the week after school in various neighborhoods! Our Hebrew Chavurah program consists of small groups of 3-6 students who will meet weekly for Hebrew instruction in homes, community centers, or other local schools. Students in the Hebrew Chavurah program will be placed in small groups based on grade, location, day and time and Hebrew levels (if possible). Students in Hebrew Chavurah will have the benefit of small group instruction, along with the opportunity to form connections and bonds with the other peers in their group and of course their teacher. Hebrew Option #3: Private Tutoring We offer the option of acquiring a private tutor (from the approved tutor list) if neither the Hebrew School at Sinai nor Hebrew Chavurah program works for you.
7th-12th Grade Learning Gesher Program: Grade 7- NEW New this year, our 7th grade students will gather six times throughout the year to engage in community service experiences. Starting at 12:30 pm on Sunday afternoons with a pizza lunch and learning at Sinai, we will board a bus and head to a location in the metro-atlanta area to make a difference in our community through hands on social action work. Gesher Program: Grade 8- NEW New this year, our 8th grade students will gather six times on Wednesday evening throughout the year for a Dinner Club with Rabbi Brad. Meeting at dining establishments throughout Sandy Springs, our students will eat, do some learning, and enjoy lots of shmoozing. Dinner will start at 6:00 pm and the evening will conclude by 8:00 pm. The 8th grade dinner club will adventure on a class trip to Cincinnati, Ohio (the birthplace of Reform Judaism) with Rabbi Brad in late January. Pre-Confirmation: Grade 9 Sundays, 11:00 am-12:15 pm Join your fellow high school freshmen peers for this in depth program as you explore what it means to actually THINK Jewish as opposed to DO Jewish. Strengthen old and new relationships in a safe setting, build upon your connection to Temple Sinai with Rabbi Sam, and continue to form your Jewish identity. New this year, our 9th grade Pre-Confirmation class will explore how art can be a form of activism during an incredible journey through Memphis, TN in early December! *9th Graders who choose to serve as Madrichim will leave their Madrichim assignments early in order to attend the Pre-Confirmation program. Confirmation: Grade 10 Sundays: 9:30 am-10:45 am Confirmation provides an ideal setting for students to explore their Judaism together with Rabbi Ron. Confirmation is a great setting for sophomore students to explore the relevance and importance of enduring topics related to Jewish identity such as God, Torah, Israel and more. The Confirmation year includes both an opening retreat in Atlanta as well as a much anticipated class trip to New York in the Spring, and culminates with a special Confirmation service in May. *10th Graders who choose to serve as Madrichim will begin their Madrichim assignments late in order to attend the Confirmation program. EAT: Grades 11 & 12 Join your rabbis for some EAT (Eat and Talk) conversations about a current events topic during the year ahead. These sessions provide a great, easy and engaging way to connect with friends from Confirmation, enjoy a meaningful and relevant discussion and have a good time. Four to five EAT sessions will be scheduled throughout the year on Sunday evenings.
7th-12th Grade Engagement Youth Groups Jr. SCRUFY: Grades 7 & 8 Jr. SCRUFY is Temple Sinai s youth group for 7th and 8th graders. Jr. SCRUFY is intended to be relevant to our teen s lives and be an introduction to older teen youth groups and programs. Jr. SCRUFY will hold events once a month and aims to create a fun, engaging community where everyone has a place and feels welcome. We can t wait to see you! Previous events have included: Regressive Dinner (dessert first), Glow Night at Slingshot Entertainment, Mystery Bus Ride (Waffle House for dinner and monster golf), Rock Climbing, and more. Watch for the amazing teen-planned events we have in store this year! SCRUFY: Grades 9-12 SCRUFY is Temple Sinai s youth group for high school students. SCRUFY is affiliated with of NFTY-SAR, the Southern Area Region of the North American Federation of Temple Youth, which is the reform movement s youth dicision. SCRUFY activities are planned and run by an elected SCRUFY board and appointed committee members. SCRUFY will hold events once a month, typically on Saturday nights. Additionally, once a month SCRUFY hosts a teen lounge at Temple Sinai to encourage members to come, eat dinner, and spend time together building community. Some previous events included: Mystery Bus Ride (Waffle House and Slingshot Entertainment), Regressive Dinner (dessert first), Jumping Away the Exam Stress at Skyzone, Israel Night, Lock-In (sleepover at Temple), and a Pool Party. Be on the look out for some ofthe amazing events the SCRUFY Leadership Board has planned this year! Madrichim: Grades 8-12 Temple Sinai s Madrichim (Teaching Assistants) Program is for students who will be in grades 8th-12th grade in the 2017-2018 school year. The Madrichim program will not only enhance not only your Jewish knowledge and identity, but also enhance the Religious School experience for children Pre-K through 6th Grade. By becoming a Madrich(a), you will serve as a Teacher s Assistant in one of our Religious School classrooms on Sunday mornings, or in our Hebrew program on Sunday afternoons or Tuesday afternoons. Madrichim help teachers with daily activities, such as leading small groups, taking attendance, helping with art projects, working with students who need some extra attention, and most importantly, serving as a Jewish role model for our kids! Teen Action Days: Grades 8-12 The programs provide a great opportunity for teens in grades 8-12 to come together throughout the year to make a difference in our world and to help make our community a better place. Join together with peers, clergy and staff as we put our Jewish values into action while having fun, creating community and, of course, earning community service hours! Teen Action days are planned by our teen social action committee.
5645 Dupree Drive Sandy Springs, GA 30327 404.252.3073 templesinaiatlanta.org Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Atlanta, GA Permit No. 283 DATED MATERIAL! Teen Leadership Do you want the opportunity to make a difference in our community, gain lifelong leadership skills, and get valuable work experience all while working alongside your friends, peers, and staff mentors? Check out our teen leadership opportunities below and contact Molly Okun, Director of Youth and Teen Engagement, at mokun@templesinaiatlanta.org for more information! Teen Action Day Committee: Grades 8-12 Join your peers who share your passion for social ac tion to plan and run our 4 hands-on community service Action Days. JR. SCRUFY Advisory Board: Grades 7 & 8 This enthusiastic board will help decide where we go for events, help recruit members, and build a community of friends. SCRUFY Leadership Board: Grades 9-12 This inclusive board will work as a team to vision the possibilities of engaging teens in SCRUFY and brainstorm and implement dynamic programming. Teen Interns: Grades 11 & 12 Interns will be provided a unique leadership experience that will help develop skills in a specific area of interest, guided with one-on-one support by a mentor from the Sinai staff. Internships include: education, youth, music, social action, communications, rabbinic and business management