The Hebrew words above literally mean “blessed are those who come here,” but are usually translated as “welcome.” So welcome to the Education Center at Congregation B’nai Israel!
We are so glad you are a part of our congregation and your children are part of our Religious School. We pride ourselves on being a community, where everyone learns and where everyone has a chance to have fun. We want our students of all ages and abilities to feel that B’nai Israel is a safe place, where they are free to explore what being Jewish will mean to them.
We have many goals, but they can all be distilled to three ideas:
- We want every learner to develop into a Jewishly literate adult.
- We want every member of B’nai Israel of every age to see themselves as lifelong learners, on a Jewish journey with the rest of us.
- We seek to build relationships—among children AND among adults—because we believe that community comes from strong relationships.
We ask for your active participation in our school -- as an adult learner, as a fellow worshipper and as someone building a stronger congregation -- engaged in repairing the world. We each may find a different piece of that puzzle to embrace, and we ask you to let us help you find yours!
Religious School Enrollment Forms are available online! Click here to download.
Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing grace, loving people and drawing them near to the Torah. – Pirkei Avot
The Way We Teach
Our teachers’ goals are to:
- Help students view their learning as relevant and meaningful in their own lives so they make informed Jewish choices
- Provide stimuli and approaches that reach all different types of learners.
Kitah What?
Hillel said: "Don't say 'I will study when I have leisure'-perhaps you will never have leisure." - Pirkei Avot
-
At Congregation B’nai Israel, our grades are referred to with Hebrew letters and words. For example, the Hebrew word Kitah means grade. Our religious school classes for students from Kindergarten through High School are spread throughout the week during the school year.
Sunday 9:30 am - noon
Tuesday/Thursday 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Kitah GanKitah Alef
Kitah Bet
Kitah Gimel
Kindergarten
1st grade
2nd grade
3rd grade
Kitah Daled
Kitah Hey
Kitah Vav
4th grade
5th grade
6th grade
Monday 7:00 – 8:30 pmMerkaz: Tuesday 6:50 – 8:50 pmKitah Zayin
Kitah Chet
7th grade
8th grade
KitahTet
Kitah Yud
Kitah Yud Alef
Kitah Yud Bet
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade
12th grade
Our program is based upon the belief that Jewish education is a lifelong process. Therefore our education also includes Nursery School, Family Education and Adult Learning. See the section A Lifetime of Jewish Learning beginning on page 7 for more details of our curriculum.
Our Faculty
We have both teachers – Morim and teaching assistants – Madrikhim who instruct our students.
Morim: Our Teachers
Our Morim are warm, loving and professional. Nearly all of them are members of our congregation so they bring not only their long personal commitment to our Jewish community but a vast array of skills and talents.
In our classroom, our Morim create a positive learning environment that is both engaging and enjoyable. Outside of the classroom, our Morim regularly attend workshops and conferences that enhance their skills to help our students create personal meaning of their Jewish heritage within their daily lives and the world outside.
Madrikhim: Teaching Assistants
Many of our high school students work with our primary grade classrooms as Madrikhim, which means “those who show the way”. Our goals with our Madrikhim are to:
- Be role models for our younger students through both their behavior in class and by showing how time spent at Temple learning and doing Jewish things is “cool”.
- Serve as junior teaching partners to our Morim.
- Aspire to someday become Morim themselves.
Our Morim serve as mentors to our Madrikhim, sharing their skills and insights into the teaching and classroom planning process.
Faculty
5772
2011—2012
Gan
(K) Kitah
Alef (1st) Kitah
Bet (2nd) Kitah
Gimel (3rd) Ivrit
(Hebrew) Shira
(Music) Special Needs |
Kitah
Daled (4th) Kitah
Hey (5th) Kitah
Vav (6th) Panim
El Panim (Hebrew Tutoring) Kitah
Zayin (7th) Kitah
Chet (8th) Merkaz (H. S.) BIFTY
Advisor |
What We Teach
The study of Torah is equal to all the mitzvot because it leads to them all. – Mishnah Peah
Our Curriculum
The curriculum is based on a great body of research and childhood learning theories, incorporates learning about Israel and includes enrichment programs. For a copy of the detailed curriculum go to http://bit.ly/CurriculumCBI.
Goals of the Curriculum
Our curriculum goals are organized around two key learning rubrics.
Da’at u’Ma’aseh: Knowledge and Action
The knowledge and action goals include what the students will know, understand and do when the learning process is successful. To accomplish this, we use what are called subject spirals and areas of focus.
Subject spirals — There are twelve major subject spirals and each is revisited several times and in different ways throughout the student’s time in our school. Each time a subject spiral is revisited students discover new facets of their Jewish identity. Some of the spirals are Am Yisrael (the Jewish people), God, History, Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel), Ivrit (Hebrew) and Torah.
Focus areas – Focus areas (e.g. the lifecycle from birth to death, an imaginary trip to Israel) provide students different ways to learn and experience the subject spiral.
Haragashah v’Kesher: Feeling and Connection
The feeling and connection goals result in the feelings the students develop about themselves, being Jewish and how they connect to God and the Jewish people. These goals are divided into three categories:
- Affect – Emotional connections made by a successful student
- Classroom strategies – Utilizing multiple intelligences and different modalities.
- Family connection to learning – Parent involvement in key learning activities and reinforcement of them at home.
A Lifetime of Jewish Learning
From preschool through adult learning, our religious school has something for everyone:
Nursery School
Our Nursery School provides a nurturing and stimulating environment. The curriculum is designed to meet each child’s unique abilities and promote optimal physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. B’nai Israel is very proud of its early childhood programs. Call our director Alexa Cohen at (203) 335-5058. She would be happy to answer your questions.
Gan – Kitah Gimel: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Through our learning rubrics — knowledge, action, feeling and connection – our early elementary school aged students learn about their heritage while having fun.
- Art –
Students create projects designed to build on the subjects being explored in the classroom.
- Music
Like art, the music curriculum enriches the same curricular themes the students encounter each week.
- Parent Involvement
Parents join the class twice a year for family learning.
- Stories
In our Sifriya (library), students hear stories that illustrate what they learn, check out books and participate in the Sifriya Society, B’nai Israel’s reading incentive program.
- Hebrew
Language learning begins with our youngest students. We begin with letter recognition and a basic vocabulary. By the end of Kitah Gimel (3rd grade) students have mastered basic reading and developed a significant vocabulary of words that relate to other areas of our curriculum. 
Building Community
Each week we will gather as a school community for Havdalah—the ceremony of separation that ends Shabbat. Havdalah is traditionally observed on Saturday night, but we are following a new tradition learned from our friends at the Leo Baeck School in Haifa. We will celebrate Havdalah on Sunday morning as a way of beginning their week of learning together.
Kitot Daled - Vav: Grades 4th, 5th and 6th
Continuing the learning rubrics, these students develop the fundamentals essential for becoming Jewishly literate adults.
- Chugim (interest groups or electives)
Students have electives to learn through fun. These include sign language, arts and crafts, cooking and dance.
- Youth Choir
Students can join the choir and sing at a variety of services and events.
- Tefillot (worship services)
Applying the Hebrew they’ve learned in worship helps create community and expand learning. Kitah Vav assists in leading the services.
- Family Involvement
Kitah Daled (4th grade) families participate in a Shabbat dinner and Kitah Hey (5th grade) families celebrate Havdalah.
- Retreat
Kitah Vav (6th grade) explores the significance of becoming Jewish adults at a weekend at Camp Eisner in the Berkshires.
- Relationship Building
Students in these Kitot participate in monthly team building activities, led by parents, fostering relationships and a sense of community, and leading to a lifetime of friendships. 
Engaging Israel
Kitah Hey (5th grade) participate in the Yachdav program, an ongoing cooperative learning activity with children at the Plagim school in Kibbutz Hazorea, Israel.
Kitot Zayin – Chet: 7th and 8th Grades
Our 7th and 8th graders are involved in a less structured and more student centered form of learning.
- Electives
Kitah Zayin students move through four different electives over the course of the year, changing groupings and teachers.
- Team Teaching
Kitah Chet (8th grade) students begin and end their evening together – starting with discussion and ending with discussion and snack.
- Evaluation and reflection
students evaluate what makes someone a good Jew and how to make ethical decisions. - Retreat
Kitah Chet students explore the themes of the year at a weekend retreat at Camp Eisner in the Berkshires.
- Junior Youth Group
This is a wonderful way to build on relationships formed in classes and to forge new friendships through informal and social programs. - Engaging Israel
Israel is woven into the fabric of our Middle School Grades. Our community serves as host to two Young Emissaries from Israel. Each of them teaches in one of these grades and they staff our retreats. You can read more about them at by clicking here.
In Merkaz our students attend classes with teens from other synagogues in our area and choose four classes from more than thirty course electives each year. Registration forms are sent directly to students in early September with classes beginning in October, this year at Rodeph Sholom. Merkaz migrates to B'nai Israel in late January for the remainder of the year.
For more information contact Merkaz Director Marjorie Krubiner (203) 372-6567, Ext. 126 .
Confirmation: 10th Grade
High School sophomores come together for class with Rabbi Prosnit and Ira Wise. Confirmation is a time to talk about timeless matters that challenge every generation. It’s an exciting forum where young people can address issues that come with intellectual and spiritual maturity.
Seminar at the Religious Action Center in Washington, DC With teens from reformed congregations from all over North America, the students will explore Jewish ethical values can intersect with public policy and the political process. They will take that knowledge onto Capitol Hill as students lobby Congressional staff on real issues pending before the House and Senate.
The year ends with a Confirmation Service in the Spring. Students write much of the service, leading the singing and conveying a unique excitement for Jewish learning. All the students feel a sense of connection to B’nai Israel and to each other.
Ben Zoma said: “Who is Wise? One who learns from everyone.” Pirkei Avot
At B’nai Israel, we understand that learners have many different styles and needs. We are committed to meeting the needs of all learners.
Pre-school students – Our youngest students, ages 3 to 5 participate in Project Keshet (which means “rainbow”) a Jewish enrichment and social skills program with our credentialed special education teachers. While the children learn, parents meet separately to support each other and meet with many of our B’nai Israel experts in the field of special needs (e.g., child psychologists, occupational therapists, special education teachers).
Kitot Gan – Gimel (Kindergarten to 3rd grade) -- Children who participate in general classroom education during the week will find a home in our education center. Our credentialed special needs coordinator Bonnie Appel designs Jewish Educational Action Plans (JEAP) for each child and supports the ongoing work of our teachers and their students. Wendy is also with us on Sunday’s to help our special needs children during religious school.
Kitot Daled – Vav (4th, 5th and 6th grades) – Some children may integrate well into our program for these grades, but others may participate in Panim el Panim which means face-to-face which is our tutorial program that tailors learning to the individual needs of our special needs children.
Please contact Ira Wise to discuss your child’s special needs and how our education center can help them receive a Jewish education. All parents are invited to complete a Jewish Educational Action Plan (JEAP) to help us better understand each child’s gifts and needs. The form may be downloaded at http://bit.ly/JEAPform.
Adult Jewish Learning
Learning is a lifelong endeavor. The questions and interests may change as we mature but according to the wisdom of our tradition, the process remains the same. Our Adult Education Committee offers a variety of learning opportunities throughout the year. Whether you want a refresher or are interested in expanding your knowledge, there is something for everyone. And, continuing your learning is a great way to teach your children through example. Look for our Adult Jewish Learning brochure during the High Holy Days as well as in the Bulletin and Web Site throughout the year.
Informal Learning Experiences
Beyond classroom learning there are several opportunities for our students to expand upon what they learn, build strong relationships and expand their horizons.
BIFTY – B’nai Israel Federation of Temple Youth provides an opportunity for our high school students. Through BIFTY they create a safe, accepting, welcoming community for Jewish teens with support and guidance from their youth advisor. The students plan their calendar of social, spiritual and educational activities and actions. Together they help to shape their Jewish identity, make a difference in the lives of others and have fun in the process!
Summer Camp – Jewish summer camping is a fun and natural extension of our curriculum. As a member of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), we encourage our students for attend URJ camps which include Crane Lake and Eisner in the Berkshires. $1,000 scholarships are available for first time campers.Please speak to Ira Wise or go to http://eisnercranelake.urjcamps.org/ for more information.
This summer, our URJ camps initiated Camp Chazak. The program aims to provide a recreational and therapeutic camping experience for campers, 9-13 years old, whose significant social delays impair their ability to function in a “typical” camp environment. It strives to teach these campers core skills that will improve their day-to-day functioning. Many of these campers are diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, and other disorders involving social developmental delays. If you have or know of a child who might benefit from a Camp Chazak experience, please contact Ira Wise.
For Parents and Families: Building Connection
Do you remember when flight attendants actually gave the pre-flight safety speech, complete with seatbelt and oxygen mask props? They would say that in case of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks would drop from the ceiling. After instructing us how to put it on and start the flow of oxygen, they would tell us that passengers travelling with young children should put their own mask on first and then help their children. So what does this have to do with Jewish education at B’nai Israel? It reminds us that Jewish learning is not just kid’s stuff.
We all want our children to be successful at B’nai Israel, just as we hope they will be in every facet of their lives. In order to make that happen, we need parents to take care of their own Jewish connections too – to put on our own oxygen masks, as it were.
To help you with that we have many opportunities. You can be a Jewish learner – the Adult Jewish Learning catalog will be distributed at Yom Kippur. Find a class or two that interests you. Make sure your children know you are learning too. You can be a Jewish worshipper – Shabbat services are every Friday at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday at 8:00 a.m. And you can bring the kids! You can help build the congregation and repair the world by getting involved in one of the many committees and groups at B’nai Israel.
You can help make learning happen and build relationships with other members. Most of our teachers and substitutes are members of B’nai Israel. You can be one too! We have room parents in our Gan – Kitah Gimel (K – 3) classes, who will help bring parents together. You can be a room parent and/or definitely make connections with the other parents in your children’s classes. Our Kitot Daled – Vav (4 -6) students will be having a monthly socialization activity led by parents. You can be on one of those teams. There are a number of events that need your help to succeed listed on the back cover of this manual. We can use you help there as well.
So call the Education Center at 203.335.0745 and let us know where you want to connect and how we can help you and your family choose to put on your Jewish learning and living masks. Then put your tray tables and seatbacks into their full, upright positions and prepare for takeoff!
Policies
Our policies are designed to ensure each and every student can get the most out of their religious education.
Attendance, Schedules and Early Dismissal
Participation in the school community is a crucial element both in Jewish life and in academic progress.
Attendance
If a student is absent for three consecutive sessions, the family will be contacted and required to complete make-up work in order to progress to the next grade. Seasonal or ongoing scheduling conflicts should be discussed with the Director of Education in advance.
Schedules
Arriving late and leaving early can be disruptive to class. Tardy students disrupt the learning process and make it difficult for teachers and students to meet our educational goals. We ask all parents to make every effort to be on time for class.
Arrival
|
Dismissal |
|
Sunday: Gan – Gimel (K - 3rd) |
9:30 a.m. |
12:00 p.m. |
Tues/Thurs: Daled – Vav ( 4th – 6th) |
4:30 p.m. |
6:00 p.m. |
Monday: Zayin – Chet (7th – 8th) |
7:00 p.m. |
8:30 p.m. |
Tuesday: Merkaz (9th – 10th) |
6:50 p.m. |
8:50 p.m. |
Early Dismissal
Should you need to pick up your child early, please come to the office, not your child’s class and a staff member will find and release your child. Unfortunately we cannot dismiss students after 11:30 a.m. on Sundays or 5:45 p.m. on Tues./Thurs. Also, please provide a note to your child’s teacher should you need to pick-up your child prior to dismissal time.
Drop-off and Pick-up
Your child’s safety is paramount, so it’s important to be mindful in the parking lot. Also, please observe the traffic cones and staff instructions and do not exceed 5 mph in the parking lot.
It is very important not only to the school but also to your children they be picked up on time. Late pick-up can caused a variety of feelings by the children and also impacts our staff.
- Gan (Kindergarten)
Please meet your children outside their classroom door at 11:55 a.m. This will provide sufficient time to get older children immediately afterward.
- Kitot Alef – Gimel (1st – 3rd)
Students should be met in the social hall at noon. Feel free to meet in the foyer early, have some coffee in the lounge and meet other parents prior to meeting your children at their designated location in the social hall.
- Kitot Daled – Vav (4th – 6th)
Meet your children on the sidewalk in front of the school. Cars are not permitted to line up at the curb, and children must be escorted by an adult through the parking lot for safety reasons. Again, please feel free to come to the lounge before pick up for coffee and to meet other parents.
Safety, Security and Emergency Notification
For our children’s safety, students and parents are asked to enter and exit the building through the Education Center doors (on the left as you face the building from the parking lot) during Religious School hours. Please do not use the doorbell at the main entrance during school hours unless you have business in the temple office.
In addition, our building has special features to allow everyone physicial access to all areas. We ask that students who do not require them to not use the elevator or ramps so we can keep them functioning for those who do need them.
Behavior
We seek to create a warm, secure and joyful learning environment for our students so they can develop a sense of love and identification with Judaism and Congregation B’nai Israel. To maintain this positive atmosphere, we expect mutual respect and understanding among the teachers, students and parents and dignity and clarity of expectations for classroom behavior between teachers and students.
Should disruptive or disrespectful behavior occur, they will be handled in the classroom whenever possible. Parent(s) will be notified if a student’s behavior becomes inappropriate. Should a student be removed from the classroom due to inappropriate behavior he/she will be taken to the Director of Education to discuss the issue and the incident will be recorded on the student’s record. If a student is sent to the office a second time, the parents will be required to pick-up the child immediately and the student cannot return to the class until a conference is held with the parents, teacher and Director of Education.
If continued behavior problems persist, a meeting with the Rabbi and Director of Education will occur. In addition, the situation may require removal of the student from the school which can jeopardize a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony or participation in Confirmation or Graduation.
Other Policies
Dress code
We do not have a formal dress code but weather appropriate dress is required. We do not permit shoes with wheels (heelies) or athletic cleats inside the building.
Electronic devices
Unless organized by the faculty and used in a learning capacity by the staff please do not bring electronic devices into the building. In addition, please keep cell phones OFF, not merely on “quiet” mode. If you need to reach your child during school hours, please call the office at (203) 335-0745.
Food safety
The entire school is a nut-free environment. So please do not bring in any outside food into the school unless it is on the approved list.
Evaluation
Ongoing evaluation occurs in the classroom. You will receive progress reports in February and June on your child’s attendance, homework, class participation, mastery of class material and behavior.
Lines of communication
Feel free to reach out to any of our teachers and Director if you have any questions. The Education Center phone number is now 203.335.0745.