Shabbat Chai & Hebrew School

2018-2019 Shabbat Chai & Hebrew School Pre-Kindergarten through 7th Inside: Program Overview Curriculum Retreat Opportunities Calendars 2018-19 / 5779 Aron & Sala Samueli Religious School 2A Liberty Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 949.362.3999 www.tbesoc.org

Table of Contents Table of Contents... 1 What is Shabbat Chai?... 2 Goals for the Program... 3 Parent Participation... 4 Examples of the Experience... 5 Shabbat Chai Program Descriptions... 7 Monday Hebrew School Program (for grades 3 7)... 8 Shabbat Chai FRIDAY SCHEDULE... 9 PROGRAM COSTS... 10 Shabbat Chai 5779 2018 19 Calendar... 11 Hebrew School 5779 2018 19 Calendar... 12

What is Shabbat Chai? Shabbat Chai is our Religious Education Program for grades Preschool age (potty trained 3 year olds) through 7 th grades. We also have a special space for babies & toddlers on Shabbat Chai Fridays in our Parent & Me group. Shabbat Chai is a Shabbat based Religious School model. We typically meet twice per month at 4pm. Classroom learning is followed by community Shabbat Services from 6pm to 7pm. Shabbat Services are an integral part of the Shabbat Chai Curriculum. In addition to Friday afternoons, the Shabbat Chai calendar includes programming for all of our Jewish holidays and Mitzvah opportunities. Our Shabbat Chai program seeks to transform classroom learning into hands on, authentic Shabbat experience. In other words, we are working to make Shabbat Chai feel more like Shabbat and less like traditional school. Here are a few initiatives that seek to support this goal. Shabbat Chai means Live Shabbat. Through our Shabbat Chai experience participants will come together as a community to learn Jewish by living Jewish. Our goal is simple: learn through authentic experience. We will come together to learn about Shabbat and holidays by celebrating them together. We will learn about Jewish values by going out in the community and living them. What does living mean: Using our whole bodies. Therefore, the goals for Shabbat Chai work to engage a learner s entire being. 2

Goals for the Program Through a collaborative process including our staff and congregants, the following Shabbat Chai Program goals were identified: 1. Learn fundamental Shabbat and Hebrew prayers, the linchpins of our Jewish practice. 2. Have extensive experience practicing our holidays and rituals and know the reasons why we practice, so that they can engage in living an authentic Jewish life. 3. Recognize and own their membership in the Temple Beth El Community so that they develop a deep and enduring connectedness to their Judaism, other Jews and the Jewish community at large. 4. Possess the tools to explain, advocate for and defend their Judaism, with a solid foundation of Torah, so that they know their own story and can feel pride about being Jewish. 5. Infuse holiness kedusha into their lives by learning respect and appreciation for temple and services, and by engaging in mitzvot Jewish acts. 6. Develop a desire to do Tikkun Olam through understanding our Jewish obligation to make our world a better place. 3

Parent Participation Supporting our efforts to learn Jewish by living Jewish each grade level will have opportunities during the year for parents and children to live and learn Jewish together. In order to make these experiences a success your participation and volunteering as an active member with your child and his/her class is vital. Please mark your calendars for our special grade level programing. A variety of volunteer opportunities will be available for you to contribute your strength to your child(ren) s Jewish learning and your Temple Beth El community. These opportunities will be described at our parent orientation on the first day of Shabbat Chai, Friday, September 15. 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. Grade Program, Date, Time Preschool Kindergarten Family Shabbat, Friday, Nov. 2, 4 6 pm Kindergarten Consecration, Monday, Oct. 1, 6:15 8:15 pm Family Shabbat, November 2, Friday, Nov. 2, 4 6 pm 1 st Grade Family Shabbat, Friday, Dec. 21, 4 6 pm 2 nd Grade Family Shabbat, Friday, Feb. 1, 4 6 pm 3 rd Grade Family Shabbat, Friday, March 15, 4 7 pm 4 th Grade Family Shabbat, Friday, May 3, 4 7 pm, Passover Exodus 5 th Grade Family Shabbat, Friday, Nov. 16, 4 7 pm and Mitzvah Mall 6 th Grade Family Shabbat and Retreat and Friday Saturday, Oct. 19 20, (4 8 pm Friday; all day Saturday) Prophets Gallery, Friday, Jan. 18, 4 7 pm Shabbat Chai Parent & Me Shabbat Chai Parent & Me is a special space designed for babies and toddlers together with their parents, grandparents or caregiver. Shabbat Chai Fridays for our Parent & Me group will include Shabbat and holiday celebration, challah, singing, stories, activities, play and community. Our Parent & Me group will join our Here Comes Shabbat service from 5:25 5:45pm. 4

Examples of the Experience Preschool 2nd Grades Create a sense of Jewish community for kids and their families Impart a positive and joyous experience of Jewish life Get to know the basics of Jewish life and living (symbols & stories) Explore Symbols, rituals, stories and themes of Jewish holidays & Shabbat Singing, Israeli dancing, our Children s Library, and arts and crafts, text study, and small group discussions. Topics covered may include: Preschool K Jewish Life Happens Everywhere: Synagogue, Home, and Israel Teach Me Torah: Jewish Stories, Jewish Values 1 st Let s Discover God through Tzedakah, Mitzvot and Prayer 2 nd The Torah is My Story: Focus of the Book of Genesis (2 nd graders will also begin to learn the Hebrew alphabet) Here Comes Shabbat: A Special Shabbat Experience for Preschool 2nd Graders and their families Our Preschool 2 nd grade program will include a special Shabbat ritual every Shabbat Chai Friday from 5:25 5:45pm (just before our community nosh and Shabbat Service). This special time for our younger grades may include: singing, stories, tzedakah collection, time to say goodbye to the week that has passed, welcome in Shabbat, families joining the children. 5

3 rd 7 th Grades Through Project Based Learning, children have the opportunity to create an authentic learning experience for themselves and others. While the grade level curricula for Shabbat Chai seeks relevancy in our children s lives, Project Based Learning gives kids a tangible way to use the knowledge and skills they are acquiring. Examples of Project Based Learning Shabbat Chai means Live Shabbat. The goal is simple: learn through authentic experience. Grade level faculty engage students in rich experiences comprised of interactive lessons that present the curriculum to their learners through drama games, and projects. Kids work together to create a hands on program for others by preparing their project while at the same time engaging in Jewish learning in an informal setting. Topics/Projects covered may include: Grade Theme Project Content Material Project Date 3 rd 4 th The Book of Exodus: Becoming a Jewish People The Jewish People and Our Jewish Land Create an interactive, lifesize, Exodus board game to play with younger grades Create a Birthday Party of Israel for our younger grades The Book of Exodus & Middot (Jewish Values) April 12 Biblical Israel (as described in the Torah) & Modern Israel May 3 5 th It's a Mitzvah: Inviting God into our Everyday Lives Create a Hanukkah Mitzvah Mall for our Temple Community Mitzvot (ethical and ritual) Nov. 16 6 th Prophets: Being Called Upon to Make a Difference Create a modern prophet gallery to honor Martin Luther King Jr. in our Temple community Bible (with a focus on narratives with prophets), Jewish history (Jewish heroes), & Middot (Jewish Values) Jan. 18 7 th Applying Torah to My Everyday Life Who could ask for a better project than becoming a b nei mitzvah! Bible (with a focus on the Book of Genesis) & Middot (Jewish Values) 6

Shabbat Chai Program Descriptions Here Comes Shabbat: A Special Shabbat Experience for Preschool 2nd Graders Our Preschool 2 nd grade program will include a special Shabbat ritual every Shabbat Chai Friday from 5:25 5:45 pm (just before our community nosh and Shabbat Service). This special time for our younger grades will include: singing, stories, tzedakah collection, and time to say goodbye to the week that has passed and welcome in Shabbat. Parents are invited to join their children (whenever you can) for Here Comes Shabbat. Working within the Context of Fridays Our 3 rd 5 th grade program will include ways for our kids to decompress after a long week of secular school. Their afternoon will begin with a kinesthetic team building activity led by our faculty followed by an age appropriate camp like ritual to help them transition into the learning component of Shabbat Chai. Kabbalat Shabbat Service is expected. BEMSY Beth El 6th & 7th Grade Youth Group BEMSY is our Youth Group for 6th & 7th graders. The group will meet on Shabbat Chai Fridays from 4:00 4:45 pm in our Youth Lounge. 6th & 7th graders will have an opportunity to schmooze with friends, buy a slice of pizza, play basketball and board games. This time will also include a camp like Shabbat ritual designed especially for BEMSY. Kabbalat Shabbat Service is expected and will help fulfil B nai Mitzvah requirements. In addition to Shabbat Chai Fridays, BEMSY will meet for fun and festive Shabbat dinners in our Youth Lounge four times during the year. Mitzvah Days Shabbat Chai families will come together during the year to engage in hands on volunteer projects and learn about Tikkun Olam being partners with God in helping to fix our broken world. Each grade level will come together twice throughout the year for a Mitzvah Day Experience out in our greater Orange County Community and once with our "grand friends" at Heritage Pointe, our local Jewish senior residential facility. Grade Level Family Shabbat Experiences A parent is a child s best Jewish teacher. Our PreK 5 th Grade communities will each have an opportunity on a Shabbat Chai Friday to enjoy a Family Shabbat Experience. During this special session, parents are invited to join their child for the afternoon of learning, then actively participating in Kabbalat Services. This is an important opportunity to build grade level community. Adult Learning Shabbat Chai is designed to engage the entire family in Jewish living and learning. Our goal is to have parents learning and doing alongside children during: Kabbalat Shabbat Services, Here Comes Shabbat, Grade Level Shabbat Experiences, Mitzvah Days and Holidays. In addition, the clergy will offer special learning sessions for adults throughout the Shabbat Chai year. The learning will be interactive, informative, and transformative. No prior knowledge necessary. 7

Retreat Opportunities B nai Mitzvah Revolution During the summer of 2012, our Temple families started to ask a big question: How can we make becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah at Temple Beth El more meaningful? We started to ask this question through an initiative with the Union for Reform Judaism called B nai Mitzvah Revolution (BMR). BMR aims to empower synagogues to return depth and meaning to Jewish learning and reduce the staggering rates of post B nai mitzvah dropout. Our Temple is one of 14 synagogues in the country chosen to participate in the BMR Pilot Cohort. Our Temple B nai Mitzvah Revolution task force is comprised of parents representing the diversity of our community along with members of our professional team. Our task force articulated the following goal when approaching the work of making Bar/Bat Mitzvah more meaningful: Strengthen bonds among students and families and work to create grade level group identity that endures beyond bar/bat mitzvah. Our Task Force developed a 6 th Grade retreat to help take relationships among our students to the next level. 6th Grade Family Retreat: Strengthening our Community & Making Becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah More Meaningful SAVE THE DATE: October 19 20, 2018 Who: 6th graders and at least one parent What: Enjoy a wonderful weekend of community, learning, song, and celebration! We will spend several days together getting all of you prepared for the meaningful journey ahead of becoming B'nai Mitzvah. Monday Hebrew School Program (for grades 3-7) Midweek Monday Hebrew School (4:30 6:30pm) offers a five year program for religious school students in grades 3 7. Students are encouraged to begin Hebrew School upon entering the 3 rd grade. Our curriculum is oriented to making every child comfortable in the synagogue. This means acquiring the ability to read Hebrew fluently, to understand many of the key words, and to chant various prayers. Hebrew School for 3 rd 5 th grades will also include a Judaic studies curriculum focused on How and Why we pray as Jews. Our 6 th graders will spend time learning how to chant Torah, and our 7 th graders will spend time during midweek Hebrew with their rabbis engaging in a special curriculum focused on themes related to becoming an adult in our Jewish community. Tefilah (Prayer Service) Midweek Hebrew School will include 30 minutes of Tefilah (prayer) in the Sanctuary. These services will work to reinforce the Hebrew prayers students are learning in class and bring the prayers they are learning to life. 6 th graders will have an opportunity to create and lead services for our younger grades. 8

Preschool through 2 nd Grades Shabbat Chai FRIDAY SCHEDULE 4:00 4:40 Grade Level Learning 4:40 5:00 Music or Library 5:00 5:20 Grade Level Learning 5:25 5:45 Here Comes Shabbat (Chapel) 5:45 Parent Meet Up (Chapel) 5:45 6:00 Community Nosh (Banquet Hall) 6:00 7:00 Community Shabbat Services (Sanctuary) 3 rd through 5 th Grades 4:00 4:15 Kinesthetic/Group Building Activity (Chapel) 4:15 4:30 Shabbat Ritual (Chapel) 4:30 5:45 Grade Level Learning 5:45 Parent Meet Up (Classrooms) 5:45 6:00 Community Nosh (Banquet Hall) 6:00 7:00 Community Shabbat Services (Sanctuary) 6 th & 7 th Grades 4:00 4:30 BEMSY Beth El Middle School Youth (Youth Lounge) 4:30 4:45 Shabbat Ritual (Youth Lounge) 4:45 5:45 Grade Level Learning 5:45 Parent Meet Up (Classrooms) 5:45 6:00 Community Nosh (Banquet Hall) 6:00 7:00 Community Shabbat Services (Sanctuary) 9

PROGRAM COSTS Cost through June 30, 2018 Cost after July 1, 2018 Shabbat Chai Parent and Me $185 $185 Shabbat Chai Parent and Me *non member cost* $371 $371 Shabbat Chai (Grades Preschool 2) $675 $706 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 Independent Study Fee (Hebrew Only) $52 Payment Options Pay 50% of tuition at registration time and the remaining 50% by December 2018. 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. Pay with cash or check and received 3% discount. 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 Tuition assistance also made available from the Passport to Jewish Life program 10

Shabbat Chai 5779 2018-19 Calendar Program Date Day of the Timing Grade Level Programming Week Shabbat Chai September 7 Friday 4 6pm Shabbat Chai Opening Ceremonies/ High Holy Day Family Activities Rosh Hashanah September 10 Tuesday 10 12:30pm Yom Kippur September 19 Wednesday 10 12:30pm Shabbat Chai Sukkot September 28 Friday 4 6pm Shabbat Chai Orientation and Sukkot dinner/5:25 Here Comes Shabbat Simchat Torah October 1 Monday 6:30 8:15 Kinder Consecration Shabbat Chai October 5 Friday 4 6pm 5:25 Here Comes Shabbat Shabbat Chai October 19 Friday 4 6pm 6 th Grade Retreat /6pm Service Shabbat Chai November 2 Friday 4 6pm Preschool & Kinder Family Shabbat/5:25 Here Comes Shabbat Prek/kinder leads Shabbat Chai November 16 Friday 4 6pm 5 th Grade Mitzvah Mall/Lead Services & Mitzvah Project information& Family Dinner/6pm Lead Community Kabbalat Shabbat Service Shabbat Chai November 30 Friday 4 6pm Shabbat Chai December 7 Friday 4 7pm Hanukkah Celebration Shabbat Chai December 21 Friday 4 6pm 1 st Grade Family dinner & Lead 5:25 Here Comes Shabbat Winter Break January 4 Friday Shabbat Chai January 11 Friday 4 6pm Shabbat Chai January 18 Friday 4 7pm 6 th Grade Prophets Gallery/6:00 Lead Community Kabbalat Shabbat Service Shabbat Chai February 1 Friday 4 6pm 2 nd Grade Family Shabbat/ Lead 5:25 Here Comes Shabbat NO Shabbat Chai February 15 Friday & 22 Shabbat Chai March 1 Friday 4 6pm 5:25 Here Comes Shabbat Shabbat Chai March 15 Friday 4 6pm 3rd Grade Family Shabbat & 6:00 Lead Community Kabbalat Shabbat Service Purim Celebration March 22 Friday 4 6pm NO Shabbat Chai April 5 Friday Shabbat Chai April 12 Friday 4 6pm Passover Experience NO Shabbat Chai April 19 Friday Shabbat Chai May 3 Friday 4 6pm 4 th Grade Israel Bday/Dinner/6:00 Lead Community Shabbat Service Shabbat Chai May 17 Friday 4 6pm Closing Ceremony/7 th Grade Shabbat 11

Hebrew School 5779 2018-19 Calendar Mondays from 4:30 6:30pm 1 Oct. 8 2 Oct. 15 No Hebrew School Oct. 22 3 Oct. 29 4 Nov. 5 No Hebrew School Nov. 12 No Hebrew School Nov. 19 5 Nov. 26 6 Dec. 3 7 Dec. 10 8 Dec. 17 No Hebrew School Dec. 24 No Hebrew School Dec. 31 9 Jan. 7 10 Jan. 14 No Hebrew School Jan. 22 11 Jan. 28 12 Feb. 4 13 Feb. 11 No Hebrew School Feb. 18 14 Feb. 25 15 March 4 16 March 11 17 March 18 18 March 25 19 April 8 No Hebrew School April 15 20 April 22 21 April 29 22 May 6 23 May 13 24 May 20 12