While Congregation B’nai Torah takes pride in its history of praying together as one community for most worship services, we recognize that families with children need some separate opportunities for age-appropriate experiences in the sanctuary for Sabbath and Jewish Festivals.
Shabbat For Toddlers, Pre-Schoolers and Families
Aleph-Bet Shabbat
New for 2017-2018 will be a Shabbat experience especially created for our preschoolers and their families called “Aleph Bet Shabbat!”. Held monthly, Aleph Bet Shabbat! will include a brief service, singing and movement, and a short project related to the time of year and/or upcoming Jewish holiday. This fun introductory experience will connect families to one another and build an informal community in preparation for the religious school program that begins in Kindergarten. (Dates and times to be determined).
For School-Aged Children and Families
Shabbat Yeladim (Children’s Shabbat)
School-aged children enjoy a Shabbat Yeladim service (Children’s Sabbath), most often, on the first Friday of each month beginning at 6:30 pm. These one-hour services are “regular” services, intended for the entire community, but are slightly abbreviated and will include student participation by grade at selected services. These services are intended to reflect the learning that occurs during the week as part of our Religious School curriculum, and gives parents the opportunity to get to know the children, parents and teachers in our school. Among the family holiday experiences that take place during the year is an all-congregational Chanukah dinner and service, and a closing all-school service in the spring that includes the graduation of our high school students and the “moving up” of all of our students from one grade to the next as the academic year concludes. (Other dates and times to be determined).
Weekday Religious School Tefillah and Kehillah
Prayer and Community Time
As part of our weekly Religious School program, students in Grades K-6 attend a sanctuary service during the final 15 minutes of each session led by the rabbi. These services help our students develop a comfort level in the sanctuary and enable them to lead portions of the worship service as they learn about and master the prayers and blessings in their classrooms.
For Post-B’nai Mitzvah Students
Older students who have already become Bar or Bat Mitzvah have the opportunity to participate in the High Holy Day services by leading prayers and blessings and chanting Torah and Haftarah on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
