Family Learning events

In the Temple Emanu-El Religious School we believe that we are educating more than our young students, we are educating entire families. To meet this challenge we added a family Education Program to all of our younger grades. These family events always include several components. We begin together as families and then take some time for adults and children to learn separately. We finish with everyone joining back together again as families to share all that we have learned.

Kindergarten Kabbalat Shabbat

Shabbat is special holiday that comes to us every week. It begins at sundown on Friday and ends with the first three stars in the sky on Saturday night. In our Kindergarten year we have a special Family Kabbalat Shabbat program to teach us the tools and symbols to greet Shabbat in her own special way. We all begin together in Brody Chapel for a story and some music. Then the adults join our clergy for some adult study while our students travel through a station to station program. We all learn about the symbols and rituals for a meaningful Shabbat family experience. Our students make a kiddush cup, challah cover, and more. After learning separately at age appropriate levels we all gather together again as families all the things they have learned.

1^st Grade Havdalah

During the 1^st grade year we invite all of our families to share in a program to learn about the Havdalah service. Havdalah is the traditional way we say goodbye to Shabbat. We all learn about the tastes, smells, and sights of Havdalah. Like most of our programs we begin together as families before separating for some age appropriate learning. The adults learn with our clergy while our students travel through a station to station program where they learn all about the way we say goodbye to Shabbat. We learn all of the Havdalah blessings while well make braided candles and spice boxes. Everyone goes home with a better understand about how to make this beautiful service part of their weekly routine.

2^nd Grade Blessings Program

Eating dinner can be a sacred act. We learn about the blessings over the wine and challah for Shabbat in our earlier grades. In this program we learn about blessings for others foods. Did you know there is a blessing for fruit from a tree and fruit from the ground? We learn about those and a more. We even learn the blessing to say when we wash our hands before we eat at all.

As in our other programs we begin together as families. Then we learn separately, the adults learn from the Rabbi while the students go through hands on projects where they color, eat, and even make a special pitcher to wash your hands. We all gather together to end this program as we all share our learning and experienced.

3^rd Grade Great God Hunt

Where do we find God? How do we search for God? When do we search for God? Talking to our children about God is not always easy. This family program gives both parents and students the vocabulary and skills to begin to answer they types of questions.

We begin together as families for a brief introduction. Then the parents join one of our clergy for a discussion about speaking to our children about God. At the same time, our students learn with their teachers about different types of roadmaps or paths to finding God.

Then we rejoin as families and small groups and look for God. Sometimes we find God in the sanctuary or the temple gallery. Sometimes we find God outside or even in our own hearts. The real lesson is in the journey.

Next as families we read stories about finding God to see if the stories can help us with some of our lingering questions. Every family leaves with a Road Map to God to help us with our journeys and our lifelong search for God.

4^th Grade Sefer Li

In the 4^th Grade our students receive their own copy of Mishkan Tfilah the new Reform Sidur (prayer book). This moving morning involves two components. We begin in the sanctuary with a prayer service lead by our students. We then ask our parents to place in their children’s hand a copy of the Sidur. While they are passing this book of Hebrew prayers to their children we ask them to express their feelings about Judaism and what this special book means to them. They also tell their children what part of Judaism they are handing down to them. This has been a very powerful and moving moment.

The second part of this morning involves book reports and presentations. Students and their parents are asked to read a book about Jews or Judaism and creatively present their stories to others. We have seen some very creative presentations. Some have been interviews of famous Jews, other have made guessing games or dioramas. Each presentation is unique and everyone has the opportunity to learn and to teach.