Family Education
Family Education
FAMILY EDUCATION at Temple Israel aims to foster lifelong Jewish learning, practice, and values within the family. Through a variety of programs, from Kesher Family Learning to Tikkun Olam/Social Action Day, from Family Shul-Ins (sleepovers at the Temple) to the Open Beit Midrash, our programs seek to bring families together to explore and experience with Judaism.
The Family Education program at Temple Israel strives to respond to the emerging needs of our families. Special initiatives have included programs for GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) families, multi-racial families and interfaith families.
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The Kesher Program is the cornerstone of Family Education at Temple Israel. (Kesher in Hebrew means connection). Kesher strives to:
- Provide parents with a forum to deepen their knowledge of Judaism and Jewish perspectives on contemporary life;
- Support parents in their endeavor to create and nurture Jewish life in their families;
- Enable parents and children to learn about each other through shared activities;
- Help parents to get to know each other and build a strong and vibrant sense of Jewish community;
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Kesher Family Learning is an integral component of the Temple Israel Education Program. In Kindergarten through Grade Four, parents are asked to join their child in the classroom for three special curriculum based programs. In grades five through seven, the number of family learning programs varies according to the grade's curriculum. If for some reason a parent cannot attend a particular session, we encourage you to send a significant adult in your child's life to participate with your child. The cost of these programs is covered by the Family Education fee paid prior to the start of the school year.
In Kindergarten Kesher Family Learning, parents and children explore the Jewish holidays. Family Learning entails three hands on sessions exploring the holidays of Simchat Torah, Chanukah and Pesach. The Kindergarten Family Education program includes a family Pajama Party and Havdalah Ceremony. During the evening families explore Jewish bedtime rituals and make special Sh'ma pillowcases. This year's Kindergarten PJ party was held on Saturday evening, January 30, 2010.
In Grade 1 Kesher Family Learning, parents and children explore the people and land of Israel through the lens of the Jewish holidays. Family Learning entails three hands on sessions exploring the holidays of Rosh Hashana, Purim and Pesach. The Grade 1 Family Education program includes a Shul-In (sleepover) at the temple for both parents and children. During the sleepover families explore the Temple and the Hebrew language with an aleph-bet scavenger hunt. This year's First Grade Shul-In will take place on December 19 - 20, 2010.
Grade 2 Kesher Family Learning focuses on Jewish values and mitzvot (commandments). In the three sessions of Family Learning the mitzvot of welcoming guests, taking care of the earth and telling and retelling the story of the Exodus from Egypt are explored through the holidays of Sukkot, Tu Bishvat and Pesach. The Grade 2 Family Education program includes a Shul-In (sleepover) at the Temple for both parents and children. During the sleepover families explore the mitzvah of shalom bayit, the importance of striving for peace and harmony in the home. This year's Shul-In will took place on March 6 - 7, 2010.
Grade 3 Kesher Family Learning follows the students' close reading of the book of Bereisheet/Genesis. The three Family Learning sessions are arts based and experiential in nature focusing on the stories of Cain and Abel, Lech L'cha (Avram and Sarai leaving for the Promised Land) and Jacob and Esau through drama, poetry writing and puppetry.
Grade 4 Kesher Family Learning examines key concepts in the books of Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Through workshops and discussions with the clergy, Temple educators and members of the larger Temple Israel community, the three Family Learning sessions focus on the concepts of holiness and the people and land of Israel.
In Grade 5 Kesher Family Learning, the entire grade embarks on the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Social Justice Program and begins the process of learning about and engaging in Social Justice. The family learning sessions focus on the connection between social justice, Jewish values and the Jewish experience. The family educator and parents work together to build community and offer fifth graders a series of educational field trips and hands on experiences that increase their understanding of the challenges and issues that people in the community around us face. These opportunities have included: A visit to the Massachusetts State House and meetings with Senators and Representatives; volunteering at a local food bank; helping bring birthday party celebrations to homeless children and an environmental boat trip in Boston Harbor. These experiences help the students decide what matters to them, so that they are better positioned to form community groups and choose an area of focus for ongoing social justice organizing in sixth and seventh grades.
Grade 6 Kesher Family Learning explores the Bar/Bat Mitzvah experience from a variety of perspectives. Families engage in preparation sessions and family learning opportunities with the clergy. Supported by the family educator and their parents, students form community groups choosing to work on specific social justice issues that are meaningful to them. Through direct service and grassroots organizing they work together to increase their understanding of complex issues and how to go about creating systemic and long-term change. Some of the issues that students and their families have worked on in the past include: hunger and homelessness; literacy; quality of life for senior adults; protecting the environment and animal welfare.
Grade 7 Kesher Family Learning is comprised of curriculum based TaNaKH study with the clergy and family programming on the Holocaust, including meeting with a Holocaust survivor. Students and families continue to work in community groups on grass roots social justice organizing through seventh grade, deepening their understanding of the issues and what it means to create systemic and long-term change.
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Kesher Parent Learning is a five to six session series for parents (depending on the grade level) designed to reflect the themes and topics that are being studied by your children during Religious School. There is a nominal fee for the Parent Learning Program. If you have not yet signed up for the program, please contact Irina Preys in the Education Office at Contact Irina Preys
Kesher Parent Learning course descriptions.
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Open Beit Midrash / Community of Learners Program
In response to last year's well received Open Beit Midrash mini-series, we are expanding the program for 2009-2010. Once again, parents will be able to choose from an array of topics of interest to you and to study with our clergy and most seasoned teachers. This is an opportunity to learn with parents from across the grade level spectrum at Temple Israel. Topics will range from Jewish Parenting, to Internet Safety, to The Value of Conflict in Judaism. The cost of the Open Beit Midrash will be based on the number of sessions per topic. Registration information, including topics and instructors, will be forthcoming.
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The dates for all Kesher Family and Parent Learning programs may be found by clicking the Kesher Calendar 2009-2010 link in the left hand side bar.
For more information about Family Education and the Kesher Family and Parent Learning Program at Temple Israel, please contact Susan Moser, Family Educator at Contact Susan Moser
Temple Israel participates with other congregations, JCCs and Jewish day schools throughout Greater Boston in Shearim, a community-wide Family Education Initiative. Shearim is part of the COJC (Commission on Jewish Continuity) of CJP (Combined Jewish Philanthropies).