The Synagogue School

K-Alef (Kindergarten-1st Grade)
Curriculum: Holidays and Jewish Values

• Weekly Shabbat and Music Experiences with Rabbi Jodie and Cantor Eric!
• Family Participation with Hafsaka (Snack Time)
• Experience Hebrew by “doing” Hebrew with Hebrew Through Movement
• Build relationships with our madrichim (teen assistants)

Bet-Vav (2nd-6th Grade)
Curriculum: Hebrew Learning, Torah, and G’milut Hasadim (Acts of Lovingkindness)

• Prayer Buddies! Every student will have a prayer buddy from a different grade level. These buddies help each other through our weekly art-based t’filah (prayer) service developing a great relationship along the way!
• Breirot. Students experience jewish prayer and identity through multiple electives like Yoga, Nature, Music, Art and more in mixed-age groups
• Hebrew Learning through a multi-sensory approach
• Madrichim (teen assistants) play an essential role in community building
• Annual Ashokan Nature Center Retreat (3rd-7th grade)

Kadima (7th Grade)
With Rabbi Jodie, Cantor Eric, and Morah Rebecca

• Day-long family retreat to kick off the year
• Deep exploration of Jewish identity
• Monthly family Participation

The Shabbat Experience for K-Vav (Kindergarten-6th Grade)

We are so excited to continue fostering a love of Shabbat and Community for our Ruach and Nefesh families!

• Friday Evening Family Shabbat Experiences are for all families with various grade levels participating each month. We will make hallah together, enjoy a family service and conclude with hallah, grape juice and community building.
• There are three Saturday Morning B’yahad Potlucks throughout the year. Adults will explore the Torah portion of the week with our clergy while our students discover the same portion with our teachers. We will all come together for a family service and potluck brunch.

We look forward to being with all our families throughout the year in celebration and pride.

Each year, in the beginning of December, our Gimmel, Daled, Hay, Vav and Kadima classes (3rd-7th Grade) go to the Ashokan Center, near the Ashokan Reservoir in upstate New York, for a wonderful weekend retreat.

This amazing program was designed over 20 years ago in response to a report of the Bureau of Jewish Education, which found that weekend programs of this nature, away from home and synagogue, provide a unique opportunity for significant Jewish learning and community. The children in our school have found that their Ashokan experience is an excellent way to bond with other students and our staff.

Ashokan Center is an incredible sight – acres and acres of beautiful wooded land, great for hiking, walking, seeing, listening and being. The staff is first-rate, and the food is terrific.

The weekend is full of fun and community building activities, such as hiking, sing-alongs, games, campfires, and, of course, lots of time outside. We celebrate Shabbat inside and outside with joy and pride.

We consider this program to be an integral part of your child’s Synagogue School experience, and we anticipate everyone eligible will go. It’s a magical weekend, from beginning to end.

B’nei Mitzvah at RSNS represents the best facets of our community: a commitment to lifelong learning, creating a sense of belonging, meaningful family participation, and a dedication to social justice. Students are challenged to rise to their truest potential through mastery of Torah and prayers, and are lovingly guided on their journey towards young adulthood by our community and its leaders. Learn more about B’nei Mitzvah.

Belonging

Developing a sense of belonging to one another, to RSNS, and to the Jewish people is at the heart of Reconstructing Judaism and everything we do at Synagogue School. In a variety of settings, including mixed-aged experiences, and school-wide celebrations, our curriculum is dynamic and interactive, flowing from individual Jewish identity to an awareness of the larger Jewish community and the world.

Behaving

We teach Torah as a living document that serves not only as a record of our history but as inspiration for our lives today. Our prayer service is a multi-sensory experience incorporating song, art and movement. We seek to instill a love of Hebrew through Shabbat liturgy, holiday prayers and song, connecting us to the Jewish people through time and space. We want our children to have knowledge about what it means to be Jewish, and to experience our traditions, observances and the positive feeling of what it means to be a Jew.

Believing

We believe that Judaism is experienced in mind, body, and soul. We believe that children learn best in a climate of acceptance and comfort, where all questions are honored and each child is appreciated. We believe it is a privilege to be on this journey with you.