Home | Rabbi's
Corner | About Reconstructionist Judaism | Events |
Shabbat | Holidays
|
 |
Kol Ami,
The Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Community
|
Children’s Programs and Services at Kol Ami: NVRC
Kol Ami, The Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Community is actively building the programs to provide religious and Hebrew education for the children in our unique and growing community. The following information provides brief synopses of our current programs in the various age groups. As more families join our community we will continue, with your help, to grow and broaden these programs and services.
We invite you to become a Kol Ami, NVRC family and infuse these programs with your energy and creativity. We function with the participation and generosity of members’ time, energy and expertise. The success of our programs relies on this volunteer involvement. The location for all programs unless otherwise noted is the Unitarian Universalist Church. Arlington.
To learn more about these programs, please contact hwarshaw@aol.com, Chair of Children and Family Programs.
- Young Children's Shabbat (ages 3 to 6)
- Shabbat for Middle age group (ages 6 – 10)
- Shabbat for Pre or Post B'nei Mitzvah (ages 11 and up)
- Religious School Education Partnerships with Area Congregations
- Friday Evening Family Dinners & Shabbats
- Saturday Shabbat services
- Hebrew School
- Children's Services at High Holidays
- Shabbaton
Young Children's Shabbat Services:
For children about 3 to 6 years old: Our Young Children’s service will begin at
11 am and continue for about 45 minutes. The service will be led by
Aliza Golshani, an enthusiastic young
woman who brings wonderful energy and skills to the position. The service keeps young children and parents
engaged through music, singing, and arts and crafts projects. At least one
parent must attend with their children (more are welcome).
Sitter service: From the start of the main service (10 am) until the start of the Young Children’s service, feel free to leave your child/children with a teenage sitter (child of a member of our congregation) to enjoy the first part of our main service. At the conclusion of the Young Children’s service gather your child/children and rejoin the main service and enjoy the potluck dairy oneg with the full congregation.
2007-08 Dates*:
September 8
October 6
October 27
November 17
January 5
February 2
March 1
April 5
June 7
*As you will note from the schedule most of these services occur on the first Saturday of the month. This was done at parent’s request.
Middle Years Shabbat Service:
For children ages about 6 - 10: Three
times a year we will hold a Saturday morning Shabbat service for this age group.
This interactive service will be held from 10 – 11 a.m.
It will be lead by Rabbi Gilah Langner and is
designed to help the children learn about the Torah portion and elements of the
Shabbat service. After this program children are welcome to
participate in the main service and join their families in attending the
potluck dairy oneg that follows the main service.
2007-08 Dates:
September 8
Feb 2
March 1
Pre B’nei Mitzvah ages about 11 to 13: Three times a year we will hold a Saturday morning Shabbat service for this age group. This interactive service will be held from 11 am - noon. It will be lead by Rabbi Gilah Langner and is designed to help the children learn about the Torah portion and elements of the Shabbat service. After this program ends, children are asked to join their families in the main service and attend the potluck dairy oneg that follows.
2007-08 Dates:
September 8
Feb 2
March 1
Note: Kol Ami, NVRC welcomes children of all ages to our main Shabbat services. Services are informal, and filled with singing, sounds of varied musical instruments and open dialogue. We delight in the sights and sounds of children of all ages.
All events as well as the Saturday morning Shabbat service are held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (UUCA) unless otherwise noted.
Hebrew School at Kol Ami
Kol Ami, NVRC provides member families two alternatives for their child’s
education—Kol Ami’s Hebrew School or our partnership with an area
congregation. Families with children between the ages of about 6 to 11 are
welcome to enroll their children in one of these programs. Both are described
below:
Kol Ami’s Hebrew School:
In Fall
2007 (first class September 30th) Kol Ami will hold Hebrew School
classes for children between the ages of about 6
to 11. This
program will meet at the
UUCA on Sunday evenings from at 5:00 to 6:30 pm.
This class will be taught by Mike Jawer, our able parent volunteer with expertise in teaching children in this age group. Get to know Mike Jawer . The content will focus on reading and understanding Hebrew and learning about our religious traditions. Children progress in their learning at their own pace. The goal is to make this learning fun and interactive.
Note: Parents who have children enrolled in this class will be expected to volunteer for approximately six classes per year. Parents will take a role in working with children in small groups.
To learn more about this program and get dates when the classes will meet, click here. If you have any questions, please contact Hope Warshaw. If you wish to register your child for Hebrew School, please complete our Hebrew School Registration form.
Religious School Education Partnership with Area Congregation
Partnership with Congregation
Adat Reyim
As Kol Ami, NVRC grows our internal Hebrew School, we initiated a partnership
with Congregation Adat Reyim in Springfield, Virginia for families looking for
larger classrooms and a more traditional setting. This partnership was
developed to offer our children an opportunity to enroll in Adat Reyim’s
Religious School curriculum and programs, and is open to Kol Ami members in good
standing. Kol Ami is grateful to Adat Reyim for opening their doors to our
children and families.. Kol Ami families pay the same tuition as Adat Reyim
members.
For more information about this partnership, please send an email to kolamichildren@yahoogroups.com.
To learn more about Adat Reyim’s religious school curriculum and programs or to obtain the forms to enroll your children, contact Judi Berland, at eddirector@adatreyim.org, or 703-569-7577.
B'nei Mitzvah:
Children (and their parents) interested in becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah are
encouraged to review the Kol Ami B’nei Mitzvah policy. Several Kol Am
members, as well as Rabbi Leila Gal Berner may be
available to work with
your child and family to provide B'nei Mitzvah training. In addition you will
want to discuss details about preparing for and holding this celebration with
Arlene Riske-Singer, our B’nei Mitzvah Coordinator. To learn more about this
program contact
kolamichildren@yahoogroups.com.
Friday Evening Family Dinners & Shabbats:
Two times during the year we will gather together as a community on Friday
night to enjoy dinner and an abbreviated Shabbat service that is partially led
by our children. Come unwind and enjoy the evening.. Dinner (usually vegetarian
pizza and salad) begins at 6:15 PM, with services starting at 7:15 PM. We
charge a minimal fee to cover expenses - $20 per family and $10 per single. We
conclude the night with a fruit and dessert pot luck oneg. If you are interested
in attending (dates below), please RSVP to Hope Warshaw at
hwarshaw@aol.com a few days prior to the Shabbat.
2007-08 Dates:
November 30
February 8
Children’s Services at High Holidays
Kol Ami, The Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Community will hold
programs for children for our three age groups – from young children to teens
- for both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur days. Additionally,
children in all age groups will be given the opportunity to participate in the
main services (see below). The following provides you with a brief synopsis of
the programs.
We encourage you to have your children participate. If you have questions, please send an e-mail to Hope Warshaw, Chair of Children and Family Programming, at hwarshaw@aol.com.
Rosh Hashanah Day
Yom Kippur Day
Fees:
There are no fees for the children’s programs on either holiday. If you and
your family are not members of Kol Ami, you are encouraged to make a donation to
Kol Ami. You will be provided with information about this at the services.
For more information about our High Holiday services, please refer to our Calendar of events for our High Holiday schedule.
Hanukkah:
A Hanukkah celebration will be held on December 9th from (5:00
– 8:00 PM. The community will be led in learning more about the significance and
rituals of Hanukah through the teachings of Rabbi Gilah Langner. Get to meet
Rabbi Langner (link).
Purim
Purim celebration will be held on March 23rd from 5:00 – 8:00 PM in the
party room of two of our members, Please see the Events page to RSVP. The
community will be led in learning more about the significance and rituals of
Purim through the teachings of Rabbi Gilah Langner. Get to meet Rabbi Langner
(link).
Shabbaton: Kol Ami, NVRC holds one
Shabbaton per year, and take place at locations other than UUCA (our regular
meeting location). We include programming for children as part of this weekend.
Refer to the Shabbat & Holidays section of the web site to learn more. Please be
sure to check the web site for more details and plan to join us
Other Holidays: Kol Ami: NVRC
celebrates other child oriented holidays in the Jewish calendar with festivities
coordinated with a service or as a separate program.
Home | Rabbi's
Corner | About Reconstructionist Judaism | Events |
Shabbat | Holidays
Structure & Participation |
Children's Programs | Programs for Adults
| Simchas
Jewish Meditation | Membership | Bookstore | Contact Us | Search
Page URL: http://kolaminvrc.org/school.htm
Last updated: 06/27/2008
© copyright 2006 Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Community