Celebrate Jewish Education! School Year Preview 2011-12

Winter Break begins Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. School resumes Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012.

• Mid-Winter Break begins Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. School resumes Monday, Feb. 27.
• Pesach/ Spring Break begins Sunday, April 2, 2012. School resumes Monday, April 9.
• Last Day of Religious School is Sunday, May 13 for Sunday School students; and Monday, May 14 for High School Students.
• High School Graduation Shabbat is at 8 p.m. Friday, May 18.
• Confirmation Shabbat is at 8 p.m. Friday, May 25.

2011-12 RELIGIOUS SCHOOL CALENDAR 5772

DECEMBER

• 2 First Friday/Social Action Shabbat 7 p.m.
• 11 December Dilemma/Chanukah Happening
• 12 Monday Night School Latke Bake-Off vs. Beth Shalom
• 15 Education and Youth Committee 7 p.m.
• Dec. 18-Jan. 2 HOLIDAY BREAK No Religious School
• 23 Brotherhood Latke Dinner 5:45 p.m.

JANUARY 2012

• 3 Religious School Resumes
• 8 Cantor’s Sharlein’s Class for Religious School Parents (Jan. 15, 22, 29)
• 13 Temple’s 60th Anniversary
• 15 Yom Tikkun Day of Service
• 16 MLK Day
• 23 Monday Night School Resumes

FEBRUARY

• 3 Share Shabbat Dinner 6 p.m.
•    First Friday Service 7 p.m.
• 5 60th Anniversary Mosaic Project (1)
• 12 60th Anniversary Mosaic Project (2)
• 16 Education and Youth Committees 7 p.m.
• 19-26 MID WINTER BREAK No Religious School

MARCH

• 2 First Friday Family Service 7 p.m.
• 4 PURIM CARNIVAL
• 7 EREV PURIM & Youth choir 7 p.m.
• Pot Luck 6 p.m.
• 8 PURIM
• 17 Teen Shabbat
• 22-25 Confirmation Trip to New York

APRIL

• 1-8 SPRING BREAK No Religious School
• 9 Classes Resume
• 15 Parent Appreciation Pancake Breakfast 9 a.m.
• 19 Education and Youth Committees 7 p.m.
• 29 What’s Jewish at Detroit Institute of Arts

MAY

• 4 Faculty Reunion Share Shabbat Dinner 6 p.m.
•    First Friday Family Service 7 p.m.
• 11 Young Family Shabbat 6 p.m.
• 13 LAST DAY OF RELIGIOUS SCHOOL K-6
•    Faculty Appreciation
• 14 LAST MONDAY NIGHT SCHOOL
• 18 Graduation Shabbat 8 p.m.
• 25 Confirmation/Shavuot 7 p.m.

Tradition, Spirituality, Ethics: Live It, Learn It, Love It This is Our Philosophy of Jewish Education Rabbi Akiva said: “ Love thy neighbor as thyself -- that is the greatest principle in the Torah. ” To paraphrase Rabbi Akiva, the most important lesson of Jewish education, for any of us, at any level, is how to live in community. Arguably, the second is the love of learning for its own sake, that learning is life-long and a central religious pursuit. The Jewish tradition is arguably the longest single educational project in human history, and it didn't achieve this by remaining stagnant. To the contrary, being a meaningful part of so many lives means that it is constantly evolving and adapting to meet the needs of each new generation. Yet the core, the essence of the tradition is true and unchanging for all time and transmittable from generation to generation. The tension between the need to be current, dynamic and relevant and also timeless and unchanging is both the great challenge and the great gift of Jewish education. The aim of Jewish education at Temple Emanu-El is to provide students the opportunity to explore the richness and diversity of Jewish living and learning and to give them the skills and inspiration to make Judaism a meaningful component of their lives. At Temple Emanu-El we seek to create a warm and supportive learning environment that models Jewish values and is welcoming to diverse learners from diverse backgrounds. We continuously strive to use creative means to respond to students’ needs and in reaching out to parents to make them an important part of our community of learning. Temple Emanu-El’s teaching staff possesses a unique depth of experience and commitment to Jewish education, and brings many different talents and interests to the classroom. Most of our teachers are full-time educational professionals. The staff also includes a significant number of teachers with special needs training, and professional tutors for students who require extra attention. Temple Emanu-El’s religious school exposes students to the great spectrum of Jewish spirituality and culture(s), the beauty of the Hebrew language and our tradition of prayer, the joy and sanctity of the holidays, the drama of Jewish history, the depth and richness of our tradition of study. Jewish ethics and values regarding social justice, ‘the repair of the world’ and the treatment of our fellow human beings guide all that we do and the community we are shaping. We build positive Jewish identity through knowledge of Judaism in general and Reform Judaism in particular. Using art, music, drama, literature, tzedakah projects and much experiential learning we seek to help each student find his or her own unique path in Jewish education. Educational Philosophy: What We Teach: The central values of Temple Emanu-El are inspired by Ethics of our Fathers, which states: “The world stands on three things: on Torah- “the teaching”, on Avodah- “service to God” and on Gemilut Chasadim-“acts of loving kindness” (1:2), or as we interpret them to represent the pillars of our curriculum: tradition, spirituality, ethics. The content of all of our classes, whether at the kindergarten or high school senior level, falls under one or more of those headings. Focusing on these three categories helps to keep our curriculum relevant, meaningful and dynamic. “Tradition” isn't a library of information, it’s an activity, it’s about linking generations. “Spirituality” at its core is about giving students tools for self expression and exploration and ethics is about actively doing the right thing, pro-actively making the world a better place. Put another way: we simply teach how to live Jewishly. Educational Philosophy: How We Teach: Judaism has since its earliest stirrings made use of the new technology; the tablet, the scroll, the book, Judaism allowed itself to be transformed by each new technological innovation. Yet at the core has always been the human connection. Judaism can't be taught strictly out of a book or off a website, it requires a teacher and study partners. So our emphasis when it comes to teaching is building relationships between the teacher and student and students and each other. Last year we introduced the concept of “chugim” in middle school, which really sets a model for religious school teaching. We presented material through three lenses: the arts, “healthy living”, and Tikkun Olam, “social action/repair of the world”.As we begin a new academic year, we'll be emphasizing those three modes as an approach to how we plan lessons and curricula. The benefit of these modes is that they are about immediate experience, living Judaism as we learn it. Whatever subject we explore, we ask ourselves: how can students experience this material through one or more of these means: the arts/creative self-expression and exploration, healthy living/developing positive personal traditions and tikkun olam-making the world a better place. It may be a little long for a catch-phrase, but we think we've summed up our educational philosophy pretty succinctly: “tradition, spirituality, ethics: live it, learn it, love it.”

Education Programs Highlights

Kindergarten-7th Grade

Gan (earliest level at Sunday morning religious school) now open to K and Pre-K

Introducing “Sefer Safari” a new approach to library and storytelling featuring guest readers, “Parsha Puppet Players” and more. Volunteers of all ages (you don’t have to be a religious school parent) are needed contact the education office if you are interested. K-3 Specials include Music with Cantor Sharlein and Sundays with the Rabbi or My Temple Too. Tikkun Olam/social action outings (differs by grade) including Dor to Dor (Generation to Generation) visiting seniors project and trip to Yad Ezra food bank. Outings: Marc Chagall Exhibit at Shalom Street Children’s Museum (West Bloomfield JCC), October 24 (4th-7th), Dec. 13 (K-3). Family Day at Religious School featuring Tu B’Shvat Seder, Jan. 23. Field Trip: What’s Jewish at the Detroit Institute of Arts, grades K-7 in the spring. 6th Grade community-wide Tzedakah Experience field trip Feb. 6.

Machon: 4th-7th Grade New Judaics Curricululm

On a semester system there are eight Judaics classes in the 4th-7th grades. Four classes will be centered on the progress of Jewish history and the central texts developed in those eras. Four classes will be centered on Ethics and Jewish law. Goals for Hebrew will include time spent on Jewish ritual and holiday observance as well as the content and purpose of Jewish prayer.

Historical/Textual: Exodus to Exile: From the story of the Exodus through Prophets, Kings, building and destruction of the first and second Temples. Temple Times to Rabbinic Minds; from the destruction of the Temple through the authorship of the Talmud, Jewish diversity in Diaspora and anti-Semitism. Enlightenment, Emancipation and Emigration: includes Jewish life in America, birth of the modern Jewish movements and Zionism. The Holocaust and the State of Israel: A look at the Jewish world pre-Holocaust, the impact of the Holocaust, the birth of the Jewish state and its impact on world Jewry.

Ethics/Jewish Law:Ethics 1: Mitzvot: Where do they come? Which do we as Reform Jews emphasize? Significance of the Ten Commandments, what it means to be commanded, how they relate to Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Ethics 2: Tzedek/Tzedakah: Jewish concepts of Justice, righteous behavior, individual “rights” and the worth of the individual, charity and the obligations to the needy. Ethics 3: Chessed, Loving-kindness: Jewish conceptions of compassion and empathy, treatment of the poor, the sick the outcast and the stranger. Ethics 4: Tikkun Olam, Repair of the World: Origins of the concept, Jewish concepts of social justice, eco-Judaism and stewardship of the world. 

Monday Night School (7th grade at mid-year, 8th Grade and Up, full year)

Our Objectives: To help students continue to develop their connection to the Temple community, clergy and each other post bar/bat mitzvah. To reinforce the core of the curriculum: Torah, Avodah, Gemilut Chessed; Tradition, Spirituality, Ethics. To help students will strengthen their connection to Judaism and become inspired by exploring their rich heritage and connecting it to their own interests, values and concerns, planting the seed for lifelong involvement in Jewish life. As students explore their own Jewish identity and create teen community, they will also draw from Jewish values and wisdom as guidance for significant life-decisions. We seek to familiarize students with the sources of ethical decision making from a Reform Jewish perspective.

New Objectives for Monday Night School: We are committed to building a stronger teen community through use of technology, social media, social opportunities and informal and experiential learning.

New Classes in fall and spring include: Movement Midrash with Cantor Sharlein, From Abraham to Ezra: 1500 Years of Our Biblical Past with Rabbi Klein, Judaism and Social Media, Child Care Training from a Jewish Perspective, Lavriut: Healthy Living from a Jewish Perspective, Israel and the Palestinians and the Quest for Peace” with Mr. Berdy, Creative Writing with Jewish Inspiration, Cooking for a Cause, Tikkun Olam, Judaism and the Environment and more.

New Alternative Credit Program for Monday Night: On a case-by-case basis, students can earn credit towards Monday Night School. Judaism and Art: Three sessions, one at the Detroit Institute of Arts will include: “Jewish Scavenger Hunt”, contrasting Jewish and Christian and Islamic art, studio time representing different era's Jewish art (ancient clay and modern-artist). Also, a visit to the Marc Chagall exhibit at the JCC West Bloomfield. Teens for Tikkun: Monthly option of projects with JARC, Jewish Home and Aging Service, Friendship Circle, Yad Ezra, Unity Soup Kitchen. Leadership Institute for Teens: Includes attendance at campus visit to Michigan State University Friday October 15, will include services with the Reform minyan, Friday night dinner at Hillel, meeting with congregation members who are current students, information session on Jewish life on campus. In the spring we will visit the campus of University of Michigan (program and date TBA).

Coming Soon: information about Alternative Credit through J-TIP: Jewish Teen Internship Project.

	Sunday 9:00-11:30am	Monday 7:00-9:00pm	Tuesday or Thursday 4:30-6:00pm
K-3rd grade	X
4th-7th grade	X		X
8th-12th grade		X

Check the Religous School Events, to the right, the Temple Calendar or the full School Year schedule for off-days, special school activities and other schedule information. All classes are held at Temple Emanu-El's Rabbi Milton Rosenbaum Education Center, except Sunday Morning classes for 4th - 7th grades are at the adjacent Jimmy Prentis Morris Jewish Community Center

Parents are encouraged to actively participate in their child's education. Membership in our Parent Teacher Organzation is encouraged.

For many of our students, membership in our vibrant Youth Groups is an integral part of their Temple life.

The Madrichim program is a unique opportunity for students eighth grade and above to gain valuable experience. Students work as aides and mentors in the classroom, office, omputer lab or library under the supervision of a staff person. They receive a salary or community service credit for their participation. For more information, contact the Education Office.