Some Classes for Young People (Preschool to High School) and Parents, Too! (50 min) ⌄

1. Ask the Rabbi

What are the biggest or toughest questions you have for a rabbi? Let me have 'em! … But please know that I'm not promising to have all the answers. However, I am, at the very least, excited about exploring every question with you. (Open for student groups of all ages.)

2. Torah Godly-Play

Children have an innate sense of the presence of God. The Godly Play approach helps them to explore their faith through story, to gain spiritual and religious language, and to enhance their spiritual experiences through wonder and play. Based on Montessori principles and adapted for the Jewish tradition.

  • Crossing the Red Sea - I wonder what it feels like to be caught in the middle; with two walls of water on each side, Pharaoh's chariots behind us, and the promised land always in front.
  • Revelation at Sinai - I wonder what it must have been like to sit under the mountain and hear the trumpets blast and the lightweight flash.
  • Shofar Origin Story - I wonder why of all the instruments and sounds in the world the one that God and humans can hear the best is that of the shofar.

3. Roots and Wings

Our children spend so much time under our care and then they must leave the next. The Israeli songwriter Arik Einstein sang it best; Fly, my chick, cut the sky, fly to anywhere you want to, but don't forget, there’s an eagle in the sky, fly away. A series of 4-5 classes that remind students of what grounds them, and parents a chance to offer parting wisdom to their children before they leave the nest for college. Topics include: relationships, identity, self-care/protection, and saying goodbye. (Includes a concluding havdallah ritual)

4. Parenting the Jewish Way

Parenting has changed a lot in the last generation. However, the Jewish tradition has always guided parents in raising their children, placing the family at the center of all life. Combining with parenting experts like Dr. Spock, Dr. Mogel, and Lenore Skenazy we will pull practical advice from our tradition and explore topics such as stepping back (tzimtzum), discipline and boundaries (halacha), self-care (ahavah), the sacred home (mishpacha), and the buoyancy to survive a sinking ship.