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Temple Chai Religious & Hebrew

Parent Handbook

2017-2018 5778

Laura Perpinyal

Director of Congregational Learning

Scott Goode

Assistant Director of Education, Youth, and Engagement

Temple Chai Parent Handbook 2017-2018/5777

Introduction

Dear Religious and Hebrew School Parents,

My name is Laura Siegel Perpinyal and I am the Director of Congregational Learning at Temple

Chai. I view the teachers, our office staff and myself, as partners with the parents of all our

families in life-long Jewish learning and development; finding new and interesting experiences

that create meaningful Jewish learning opportunities throughout our lives. I believe Jewish

learning is a life-long endeavor, just as being a part of the Jewish community is a life-long

commitment. For all of our learners, I envision diverse learning and growing experiences. While

our learning starts with school, it extends well beyond the classroom with community

experiences such as: informal learning through our youth groups, congregational retreats,

becoming bar or bat mitzvah, peer trips to Israel, lobbying trips to Washington DC,

Confirmation, and leadership and skills development for each of our students. I look forward to

being on this exciting journey with each of our learners!

This Parent Handbook outlines policies and procedures, broad goals, and a vision for Jewish

Education at Temple Chai. There are many new elements to Congregational Learning at Temple

Chai and each grade has a specific outline found further in the handbook.

I look forward to an exciting learning journey with you!

Laura Siegel Perpinyal

Director of Congregational Learning

Temple Chai Congregational Learning Vision Statement

At Temple Chai we create a passion for living a Jewish life. We empower

our learners to develop a personal connection to Judaism, God, Israel and

Jewish Peoplehood. Through an exploration of our diverse Jewish Texts, we

nurture active Jewish leaders and touch the minds, hearts and souls of our

congregation.

Learning ~ Living ~ Leading


Temple Chai Congregational Learning Goals

At Temple Chai, we are all learners. Our school provides learning experiences for Preschool through 12th

grades. We also create multiple adult learning opportunities throughout the year.

For our Pre-K-12th

grade learners, by the time they finish 12th

grade, we have a goal that they will have

knowledge of, and experience with, each of the following learning areas:

Personal Jewish Identity Development

- Seeking Jewish answers to life’s questions

- Personal Connection to Israel, God, and Jewish Peoplehood

- Personal, family connection to Jewish history

- Yiddishkit: cultural vocabulary, local traditions and practices

Jewish Literacy

- TaNaCH (Torah, Prophets and Writings)

o Reading Torah, exploring Torah stories, how to find commentary on a given portion, and to

write and deliver a D’var Torah (words of Torah)

- Holidays and Festivals

o Traditions, practices, and celebrations throughout our Jewish calendar

- T’fillah (prayer)

o Reading of prayers, understanding of prayer theme, order of prayer service, leading a service

for peers

- Hebrew decoding/ reading, translation and understanding of the grammatical root structure

- Jewish History

o Major time periods, themes and milestones

Reform Judaism

- Informed Choice of Reform Judaism and knowledge of other streams of Jewish ideology

- Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), taking actions that improve our world and our community.

Important Contact Details

Laura Siegel Perpinyal, Director of Congregational Learning: [email protected];

847-537-1771 ext. 228.

Scott Goode, Assistant Education, Youth, & Engagement: [email protected]; 847-537-1771 ext. 225

Deb Greenswag, Executive Director: [email protected]; 847-537-1771 ext. 222

mailto:[email protected]


2017 - 2018 / 5778 School Year

Below you will find the schedule of classes for Religious School and Hebrew School.

Preschool students attend every other week on Sundays (9:00 – 11:00 a.m.)

Kindergarten - 2nd

grade students attend once a week on Sundays (9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.).

3rd

- 5th

grade students attend both Religious School and Hebrew School.

Religious School is on Sundays (9:00 - 11:00 a.m.)

Hebrew School is on Sundays immediately following religious school (11:15 a.m. – 12:30

p.m.) or Mondays (4:15 – 6:00 p.m.)

6th grade students attend both Religious School and Hebrew School.

Hebrew School is on Sundays (9:00 - 11:00 a.m.)

There is a choice for Religious School:

o Sunday’s immediately following religious school (11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

o Wednesdays (5:30 – 7:30 p.m. with pizza from 5:30 – 6:00 p.m.)

7th

grade students attend once a week, Wednesdays (5:30 – 7:30 p.m., with pizza from 5:30 – 6:00 p.m.)

8th

-12th

grade students attend once a week, Mondays (6:30-8:30 p.m., with Pizza break at 7:15 p.m.)

Sunday Monday Wednesday

9:00 – 11:00 a.m

PreK-5th Religious School &

6th grade Hebrew School

11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

3rd

– 5th grade Hebrew School

6th grade Religious School

4:15 – 6:00 p.m.

3rd

-5th grade Hebrew School

6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

8th-12

th grades Beyachad

(including 10th

grade

Confirmation)

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

6th & 7

th grade Jr. Chai School


5778 Temple Chai Hebrew Goals

Grade Time

Frame Prayer Goals Books

Conversational Goals

Aleph (3rd)

First Semester

Learn all Letters and simple words Sunday/Thursday Midweek Greetings (Shalom, Boker Tov, Erev Tov,

Lilah Tov. MaNishma?

Shabbat Shalom, Chag Sameach,

etc.)

Learn all vowels and be able to create words

Derech Binah

Derech Binah,

Kriyah

Ut’fillah

Flashcards

Decode all letters and all vowels together

Second Semester

Reading of words and short sentences with understanding

Read the sh'ma and Shabbat blessings Numbers

Bet (4th)

First Semester

Decode and review all letters and all vowels together Zman L'tfilah

Brachot 1

Barvaz packets: V'Ahavtah and

Birchot HaTorah

The New Siddur

Program 1

L'hamsheik,

Kriyah Ut'fillah

Colors Review Sh’mah

Introduce Barchu and V'ahavtah

Second Semester

Read and Recite the 4 Questions

Animals Torah Blessings, before and after

Gimmel (5th)

First Semester

Decode all letters and all vowels together

Zman L'tfilah 2

Barvaz packets: Avot & Gevorot

Heneni 1 New Siddur Program 1

Cities/Areas in Israel

Review of Sh'mah , Baruchu, V'ahavtah and Torah Blessings

Introduce Maariv and Yotzer Or

Foods Second Semester

Avot v'Imahot, G'vurot, Kdushat HaShem

Dalet (6th)

First Semester

Review of Yotzer Or, Ma'ariv, Avot v'Imahot, G'vurot, Kdushat HaShem Zman L'tfilah 3

Barvaz packets: The Kiddush and

Haftorah blessings

Heneni 2

Members of the family

HafTorah Blessings and Kiddish

Second Semester

Ability to read a given Hebrew text Short Phrases (Where is? How

do you? What about…?)

Sim Shalom, Retzeh, Modim and Shalom Rav, Seder Kriat HaTorah

Hey (7th)

First Semester

Alienu and Kaddish

Shalom Ivrit 3

Action words and verbs

Ability to read a given Hebrew text (such as a Torah portion)

Ability to synthesis themes of a Torah portion with daily life.

Second Semester

Review of Sh'mah and Baruch, V'ahavtah, Torah and HafTorah Blessings, Yotzer, Maariv, Avot v'Imhaot, G'vurot, Kdushat HaShem, Sim Shalom, Retzeh, Modim and Shalom Rav

Creating sentences

relevant to our daily lives


Temple Chai Curriculum Outline

Kindergarten

Enduring Understandings:

Jewish Holidays help to mark our daily lives and yearly calendar; each holiday has its own special

symbols, rituals and traditions we experience at home and at temple.

Mitzvot (commandments or often “good deeds”) enrich our lives by creating meaningful experiences

that we have with others and with God.

Torah Stories connect us to our ancestors and help guide our actions today.

By the end of this experience students will be able to:

Identify Jewish symbols

Describe and experience Jewish holiday practice, ritual and traditions

Retell and dramatize Torah stories

Compare and contrast Torah characters’ actions with real life circumstances

Demonstrate understanding of a variety of Hebrew words

First Grade


Our family is our core community; we celebrate our Jewish holidays and traditions through our

experiences as a family.

Many Jewish holidays are celebrated at Temple, but almost all Jewish holidays have special traditions

that take place especially in our Jewish home.

Every family is special and unique; we can learn a lot about ourselves through studying the Jewish

families of Genesis.


Analyze the central role of the family in our Jewish holiday celebrations

Discover and create Jewish artifacts for our Jewish homes

Recite blessings associated with different Jewish Holidays


Second Grade


The synagogue community is like an extended family; it is our direct connection with Am Yisrael, the

people of Israel.

The synagogue is our “home away from home”: a place to pray, a place to learn, a place to celebrate,

and a place with its own special customs and traditions, just like our homes.

Learning about God gives us the opportunity to explore the sacred and bring a sense of holiness to our

lives.

Doing Mitzvot (commandments or often “good deeds”) creates an intersection between Am Yisrael (the

people of Israel), God, and us.


Identify key elements of synagogue life, such as: synagogue space, synagogue leadership, synagogue

values, and synagogue behavior

Illustrate the relationships between Am Yisrael (the people of Israel), God and themselves

Explore and express their relationship with God

Develop ways to integrate Mitzvot (commandments or often “good deeds”) into their daily lives

Recite the Hebrew Alphabet


Third Grade


Through the study of Torah we gain ethics and morals of the Jewish people.

We can learn about ourselves and our own Jewish identity by analyzing the stories of Torah characters.

We gain a deeper connection to our Torah stories when we relate them to our modern lives and can

apply the lessons to our own experiences.


Retell stories from Torah and describe Torah characters

Recognize themes from Torah stories and interpret them in the modern context of our lives

Formulate their relationships to God, Am Yisrael (the people of Israel), and our Temple Chai

community, through the study of Torah

Aleph (3rd Grade Hebrew)


The Hebrew alphabet is unique and special to me because it’s the language of the Jewish people.

The study of Hebrew is access to Torah, prayers and our ancient Jewish texts, as well as modern Israeli

Hebrew.


Write and decode all Hebrew letters and vowels

Match letters and vowels to make simple words

Read the Sh’ma and Shabbat blessings

Recall and respond to greeting phrases in Hebrew

Experience T’fillah (services) as a community of learners


Fourth Grade


Our Jewish lives are marked by specific, uniquely Jewish lifecycle events.

Each lifecycle experience has its own distinctive rituals, customs, and traditions.

Jewish practices are a delicate balance of the individual and of the community; this is often expressed in

life cycle experiences.


Explain and experience [mock] Jewish lifecycle events

Differentiate Jewish lifecycle rituals, customs, and traditions, for individuals and for the community, for

each different lifecycle event

Examine diverse behaviors, feelings, and emotions often experienced with different Jewish lifecycle

events

Relate their own experiences, emotions, and traditions to Jewish lifecycle events

Bet (4th Grade Hebrew)


Every Hebrew word has a Shoresh (3 letter root).

The Shoresh system is the foundation of the Hebrew language; it is the building block of each word.


Decode all Hebrew letters and vowels together

Decode the following prayers: Barchu, V’ahavtah, and blessing before and after reading Torah

Translate and interpret the meaning of the above prayers

Read and recite the Four Questions said at a Passover Seder



Fifth Grade


Jewish history is complex and multifaceted, filed with many tragedies and celebrations from around the

entire globe.

We study Jewish history because each generation (l’dor v’dor) is a valuable and vital link in the

narrative chain of the Jewish people’s past, present, and future.

From studying the Holocaust we learn “never forget”; we apply this memory to prevent modern day

suffering.

Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people.

We explore Israel in order to celebrate its successes and grapple with its challenges.


Trace Jewish history over time, in different locations, and surrounded by diverse cultures

Compare and contrast the Jewish experiences of different times and locations throughout Jewish history

Describe key moments of tragedy of the Holocaust and correlate those moments with resistance that

enabled survival

Reframe lessons of tolerance and justice learned from the Holocaust to be used in fighting injustices

everywhere

Articulate the diversity between Medinat Yisrael (The State of Israel), Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel)

and Am Yisrael (The People of Israel)

Gimmel (5th Grade Hebrew)


In Jewish prayer there is keva (fixed prayer) and kavannah (creative prayer).

Prayer is a pathway to God; learning the building blocks of prayer deepens its personal meaning and

enables creativity.


Read the following prayers: Yotzer Or, Ma’ariv Aravim, Avot v’ Imahot, G’vurot and Kdushat Hashem


Explore cities and areas of Israel in conversational Hebrew



Sixth Grade


The choices we make are important: mitzvot matter in our lives and in our world.

We are obligated to care for one another; we are responsible for our community and must work to repair

our world.

We learn from the cadre of our Jewish Texts the values that guide our lives.


Discuss and debate Jewish values

Study Jewish texts such as Prophets, Pirkei Avot, and commentaries, and illustrate their relevance today

Experience hands-on Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) projects

Identify and integrate meaningful Mitzvot (commandments or often “good deeds”) into their lives

Dalet (6th Grade Hebrew)


Torah is read weekly, on Shabbat and holidays, portion by portion.

An important element of community leadership is conducting community T’fillah (prayer).


Read the following prayers: HafTorah Blessings, Kiddish, Sim shalom, Retzeh, Modim, Shalom Rav,

Seder Kriat HaTorah


Examine and debate Parshat HaShauvah (the weekly Torah Portion)

Lead T’fillah (services) for the week day community of learners


Seventh Grade


Part of becoming a Jewish adult is articulating feelings and beliefs about Judaism and our modern world.

Part of becoming a Jewish adult is taking on responsibilities and obligations of Judaism.

Part of becoming a Jewish adult is making a positive impact on our community and on our world.


Explore unique Torah portions and their commentary; synthesize themes found within a Torah portion

and daily life. (Write a Dvar Torah)

Discover Jewish philosophers and contribute to their debates

Identify key elements of Reform Judaism and compare and contrast them with different streams of

Judaism

Develop leadership skills and put them into action

Hey (7th Grade Hebrew)


Anyone can be Shalich Tzbur (prayer leader); leading T’fillah (services) is an important step into Jewish

adulthood.

Becoming bar or bat mitzvah is not the end; it is a part of our Jewish Life Cycle journey.


Read any given Hebrew text

Examine and reinterpret keva (fixed prayers) and create kavannah (creative prayers).

Lead T’fillah (services) for their peers


Beyachad: “Together” Eighth -Twelfth Grades

A combined community Jewish High School for the Northwest Suburbs:

Striving to create the best learning experiences for our students, Beth Judea, Temple Chai and Beth Am

are combining their 8th

-12th

grade programs to create a community High School, Beyachad, which

means “together”.

We are redefining what it means to be a student in the Northwest Suburbs! By combining Beth Judea’s

Temple Chai’s and Beth Am’s resources, Beyachad enhances student’s learning opportunities with more

diverse classes, taught by 5 clergy of the 3 synagogues, as well as other teachers.

There will be a post-confirmation class offered each quarter that is designed specifically for

upperclassmen who are post-confirmation age.

Class Time Breakdown:

6:30 p.m.: Elective #1

7:15 p.m.: Dinner Break (Food available for purchase)

7:45 p.m.: Elective #2

Eighth Grade


Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people.

Each person has their own unique and special relationship with Israel.

Studying Modern Hebrew enables us to engage with Israel and Israelis.


Have the opportunity to participate in the community Ta’am Yisrael experience

Synthesize learning by developing learning experiences for younger grades and leading these

experiences throughout the school

Create and implement a school-wide, community Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration


Tenth Grade/ Kabbalat Torah (Confirmation Class)


Building relationships with one another creates a meaningful and authentic Jewish community.

We learn best when we ask questions, challenge our assumptions and explore all possibilities of given

issues.

Our beliefs evolve over time, given our own changes and personal development.


Spend time learning with our Rabbis and establish relationships that last a lifetime.

Ask questions and engage in discussions about issues that are meaningful to you

Integrate learning from past educational experiences (Jewish and even secular) to examine opinions and

positions

Evaluate beliefs on major themes such as: God, marriage, sexuality, ethics, and world events, and more

Create and lead a community T’fillah (service) synthesizing leaning

Eleventh & Twelfth Grade (Post Confirmation Class)

Temple Chai’s post-confirmation class strives to continue the conversation of the students’ confirmation

experience by examining deep and open-ended questions, challenging assumptions, and exploring current

events and issues of today through a Jewish lens. The post-confirmation experience will be offered during

Beyachad as an option during the second hour of classes each quarter. Classes will be taught by the clergy and

educators of the three synagogues.


Temple Chai Youth Groups

At Temple Chai, we expand learning and Jewish identity development well beyond the classroom through

diverse Jewish experiences all year round. Through thriving Youth Groups, designed for every age level, our

temple families and children engage with the Jewish community to celebrate holidays and enjoy fun activities

through exciting special happenings offered. Make sure to check Temple Chai’s website at

http://www.templechai.org for future details regarding upcoming youth group events.

Temple Chai Youth Days

Temple Chai is thrilled to announce the creation of our Youth Days events for our youth groups. This year, our

Chalutzim, Club 345, and Jr. ChAmPY groups (Kindergarten through 8th grade) will meet at the same time directly after

Sunday School four times throughout the year. Our goal is to create vibrant exciting community days filled with

outstanding Jewish programming for our youth and adults.

ChAmPY

ChAmPY is Temple Chai and Congregation Beth Am's

combined high school youth group. ChAmPY stands for

Chai Am Programs for Youth. The group is teen led with

an advisor and they plan different events such as an

OSRUI weekend retreat, BBQ’s, shabbatot, and social

action and interfaith events.

OSRUI & NFTY

OSRUI is the midwest's Reform Jewish overnight camp

in Wisconsin. Since 1952, OSRUI has provided

campers a place to build lifelong friendships, explore

Judaism, and have the time of their lives.

NFTY is the Reform movement’s regional and nation

youth group for teens. ChAmPY is part of the North

American Federation of Temple Youth and its Chicago

Area Region (NFTY CAR - for more information, visit

www.nfty.org/car).

http://www.templechai.org/

http://www.nfty.org/car


Temple Chai Youth Choir

2017-18/5778 Holiday &

Rest of Year Schedule:

September Rehearsals: Monday the 11th, 18th & 25th

Rosh Hashanah Day: September 20th at 3:00 p.m.

Yom Kippur Day: September 30th at 2:30 p.m.

Rehearsals for the rest of the year will be on

Mondays from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.


School Policies

Registration

You must be a member of Temple Chai in good standing in order to register for school. Registration

will open in the spring of the preceding school year. Students enrolled in the previous year will be

automatically registered for the following school year. For new families, please contact the Education

Office in order to secure your registration. If you have any questions about registration, please call the

Education Office: 847-537-1771, ext. 225.

Special Requests Students are able to make one special registration request: either a friend (request must be

mutual) or a teacher. We cannot accommodate any more than the one request, and cannot

guarantee all requests will be honored.

Attendance

All students, Pre-K-12th

grades, are expected to attend all classes on the day and time for which they

registered. If 3rd

-6th

grade students attend less than 80% of their classes, their bar or bat mitzvah date

may be put into jeopardy.

In case of an absence, please email Laura Siegel Perpinyal ([email protected]) or call Scott

Goode at 847-537-1771 ext. 225 so that all relevant teachers can be notified.

Early Pick Up - Always send in a note informing your child’s teacher that you will be picking them

up early; please include time of pick up.

- When you arrive, park in the back parking or side parking areas. Do not park in the

car-pool lanes or you will become blocked in line. Please come into the Education

Office to sign out your student. Do not go directly to the classroom to get your

child. One of our Madrichim will bring them to the Education Office. Due to safety

concerns, we need to document when all children are released before the bell.

School Closings / Snow Days - We follow School District 96 weather closings when applicable. If they are closed

due to inclement weather, we will be closed.

- We will email you to notify you of the closing as soon as the decision is made.

- Check the Temple Chai Website for a posting of school closing.



Pick Up and Drop Off

For your children’s safety, pick up and drop off all take place at Main (East) Entrance of Temple

Chai. Children and Madrachim should never be dropped off at the West door unaccompanied. Doing

so puts your children and other drivers at risk.

Please be environmentally conscious, and whenever possible, keep your car turned off while

waiting in the car pool line.

Do not use cell phones while in the car pool line. We need all your attention on keeping our

children safe.

You are not allowed to park in any reserved staff parking spots. These spots are reserved so that

clergy and staff may enter and leave the parking lot for pastoral and work appointments safely

and quickly.

Safety Patrol

Each school family with children in Kindergarten through 8th

grade is assigned one day each year to

help with school dismissal. In partnership with temple and school staff, families are asked to help

ensure the safety of our students by either coming to Temple Chai on their assigned day (one or both

parents) or for finding someone to replace them (this should be another school family or an adult friend

or adult family member).

It is very important that you are present for your assigned day. On some days you might be the only

one assigned and on other days we need multiple people to handle larger crowds. Please come to the

education office at the time listed. There is a sign-in book you need to initial, a safety vest to don, and

paper, pencil, and flashlights, as needed, to obtain.

Your mission is to help with the following job:

Go outside to the carpool line and write down the names of those being picked up.

Bring or send those names to Laura Perpinyal inside, who will call students out to their cars.

Escort students to their cars and help them get in and secure their car doors.

Please escort those needing to cross through the traffic lanes.

Help direct cars to pull all the way forward before loading and keeping the traffic flowing.

If you have any questions, please contact Scott Goode, Education Assistant at 847-537-1771

ext. 225 or [email protected].

Safety and Security

At Temple Chai we take safety and security very seriously. The Education Committee, together with

the Safety and Security Taskforce, Director of Congregational Learning, and Executive Director has

created a Security Manual. This document outlines actions for security measures, drills and

emergencies. Each room (classroom, social hall, library, etc.) at Temple Chai is equipped with an

emergency backpack should an incident occur. There will be fire, tornado and/or lock-down drills

scheduled throughout the school year.



Special Needs

Each one of our students is special and unique and we treat each of our students as an individual. Many

of our students need extra support for a variety of reasons; therefore, it is important for us to have

information about each of our students so we can best meet their learning needs.

Temple Chai is fortunate to have our Special Needs Coordinator, Michele Perlman. She works with

each family, each student, and with their teachers to create their learning plan. Sometimes this includes

extra tutoring, sometimes it’s a trained classroom aid, and sometimes it’s working with teachers to

adjust activities or projects. Michele also teaches Hebrew and religious studies one-on-one as needed.

All student information is confidential, and we appreciate working in partnership with parents to create

the best learning experiences for their children. For example, if your child has an IEP, 504 plan or

receives other support services at public school, it is helpful for us to know. Please be sure to include

this information in the student profile section when registering your child.

Food

We are not a nut-free zone. However, we do our best to reduce peanuts and other allergy inducing food

we have in school. The Sisterhood Gift Shop sells snacks before and after most class sessions. We

encourage minimal use of food for celebrations and during school activities. Please consult with your

student’s teacher before bringing any food to class.

Behavior

Temple Chai is a community that is committed to creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive

environment. At Temple Chai we do not tolerate bullying of any kind. For all other behavioral

issues that might arise, below is an outline of steps to be taken:

The first time a student disrupts class, exhibits inappropriate behavior, uses inappropriate

language, commits an act of aggression, or is disrespectful to a teacher, student or guest;

students are referred to the Director of Congregational Learning.

The second time a student behaves in a manner described above, parents will be called. At this

point, the Director of Congregational Learning, the student’s parents and the student’s

teacher(s) will work together to create a behavior plan for the student.

The third time that a student behaves in the manner described above, the parents may be asked

to come pick up their child from school. A research or social action project may be required by

the student (relative to the behavior plan created above) before the student is readmitted to

class.

If the behavior continues, Clergy, Education Committee leadership, parents and the Director of

Congregational Learning will meet to review the behavior plan, and/or action project. At that

time, they will determine the most appropriate course of action for the student.


Thereafter, if a subsequent incident occurs, the Director of Congregational Learning will meet

with the Clergy and Education Committee about the student, and a recommendation may

include that the student is asked to leave the program.

Cell Phones

Cell Phones are not allowed in class, T’fillah (services) or special events unless instructed by the

teacher for educational use. Teachers may confiscate cell phones if they are not put away during these

times and returned at the end of class. If this continues to be an issue, phones may be confiscated and

only picked up by parents after school. Students may use their phones before school or after dismissal.

Special Programs

Throughout the school year we have multiple special events. These are not a day off of school, but

rather exciting community learning events.

Every PreK-6th

grade class has a Family Education Learning Day where parents and families

are invited to learn with our students. Lessons are age appropriate, connected with content and

curriculum and engage the entire family as learners.

There are several all-school events scheduled throughout the year, such as Purim and Yom

Ha’atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day).

Shabbat and T’fillah (Services)

All of our K-7th

grade students will be leading parts or all of T’fillah (services) throughout the year.

K-5th

grade students will assist our clergy with leading Shabbat T’fillah (services).

Our 6th

grade students will independently lead T’fillah (services) as a class. This is an exciting

leadership and personal development opportunity for our 6th

graders. Parents will be invited to

this special service.

Our 7th

grade students independently lead Hey Shabbat T’fillah (services) for our community.

All of our K-7th

grade students participate in weekly morning and evening T’fillah (services) during

school. These are hands-on, community building experiences and practice with prayer. Parents are invited

to join with us for T’fillah at any time.

Tzedekah

Tzedekah (often translated as charity) is an important component of any Jewish community. Every

class starts by asking students to please give Tzedekah, it could be a few cents to several dollars. The

act of giving and expressing the value of Tzedekah is an important experience for all of our learners.

We decide as a school on which charities to donate to at the end of the year with all Tzedekah

collected.


Glossary of Helpful Terms

Berachah (pl. Berachot) - Blessing

Shehecheyanu - Literally: "[God] who has

kept us alive". This is the blessing for

beginnings, happy occasions. It is also said

at candle-lighting, Kiddush, and at certain

other specific times during festival

observance.

Tzedakah - Literally: justice, righteousness;

the Hebrew word we use for charity.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah - Ceremony marking

children reaching the age of religious

majority.

Haftarah - Selection from the Prophets read

or chanted after the weekly Torah portion.

Talit (Talis) - Prayer shawl.

Shabbaton (pl. Shabbatonim) - A Sabbath

program of study and celebration.

Kallah (pl. Kallot) - A conclave or retreat

Chavurah (pl. Chavurot) - Informal group

which meets together for study and

celebration.

Mezuzah - Ritual object consisting of a

casing and a klaf (scroll) which is put on the

doorpost(s) of the house.

Megillah (pl. Megillot) - Literally: scroll.

There are five megillot in the Bible. The one

read on Purim is Megillat Esther.

Purim Schpiel - Humorous play put on at

Purim.

Hamantashen - Filled three-cornered

pastries supposed to represent Haman's hat.

Rosh Hashanah - Literally: the "head of the

year"; the New Year.

High Holy Days - Rosh Hashanah and Yom

Kippur, also known as the "High Holidays"

or "the Holidays"

Shofar - Ram's horn.

Selichot - Penitential prayers.

Tashlich - Traditional ceremony in which

individuals symbolically cast their sins into

a body of water

Mitzvah - Commandments

Challah - Braided egg bread, for Shabbat

and festivals.

Kiddush - Blessing recited or chanted over

wine, emphasizing the holiness of Shabbat

and festivals.

Havdalah - Literally: separation. Ceremony

on Saturday night, dividing the Sabbath

from the beginning of the week

Confirmation - Ceremony marking

completion of the religious school courses

often held on Shavuot.

Torah - Literally: "teaching." In a narrow

sense it is the Five Books of Moses, hand-

written on a parchment scroll. In a broad

sense, it is everything which flows from this

(i.e. Judaism).

TaNaCH - Acronym for Torah, Nevi'im

(Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings) - the

three sections of the Hebrew Bible.

Bimah - The raised platform in the

synagogue where the Torah is read

Parashah - The weekly Torah portion

Zionism - The belief that there should be a

Jewish homeland in Zion (Israel)

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