2010/2011-5771 Student Registration Form

Confirmation 2010 photos

TSIRP prayer audio files


Elementary Programs

Our Elementary School age programming provides our children with the foundations of Torah,
Worship and Acts of Loving Kindness upon which they can build a lifetime of Jewish engagement.

 
For Children Alone

K-6th Grade Sunday School
Sunday mornings are filled with lively activities that help our students integrate the sacred values, the holy days, the sacred literature, and mitzvot that serve as the foundation of a lifetime of Jewish living and learning.  Special activities in library arts and music supplement classroom lessons.  Family Aseyfah, our prayer gathering on the first teaching Sunday of the month is a celebration of community.  On other days, students join in grade appropriate worship.
Sunday mornings 9:30 – 12:00 Noon.

3rd – 6th Grade Hebrew School
Wednesday afternoons are filled with opportunities for growth as our students learn the skills to read prayerbook and Torah Hebrew with key word and phrase comprehension.  More than a language program, we infuse our lessons with ways the prayers can speak to the spiritual journey each student is on.
Wednesdays 4:00-5:30 or 4:45 – 6:15 PM.

3rd-6th Grade Youth Choir
Join with our talented Cantorial Soloist Sara Stock Mayo in singing the songs of our people.  Youth choir rehearses two Sundays a month before Sunday School,  performs at Family Aseyfah, Class Services, occasionally with our Intergenerational Choir and other special Temple events.  No audition required, but participants must be committed to attending rehearsals and performances. 
Assorted Sundays 9:00 – 9:30 AM.

4th – 6th Grade Club Sinai
Older elementary age students are offered opportunities to engage in social and social justice activities, building a sense of community, Jewish identity and responsibility to repair the world.  A light lunch is provided. 
Monthly, the third teaching Sunday of the month 12:00 – 1:15 PM.

For Parents and Children

PACT– Parents and Children Together
Our 1st – 5th Grade families are invited to join with Rabbi Symons and others once per year.  While their children are in class, parents engage in lively conversations about the subject matter their children are learning.  Later in the morning, the children join us as we share in a family activitiy based on the day’s learning.

Mishpachah Outings
Come explore Pittsburgh with us as we create fun activities at the great attractions our area has to offer.  Each outing includes a self-guided Jewish way to interact with the site, friends, fun and Havdalah. These outings are designed for families with children up to 3rd grade.  Older siblings can serve as helpers.
Assorted Saturday afternoons.

Mishpachah Shabbat and Mishpachah Havdalah (Formerly Tot Shabbat and Tot Havdalah)
Shabbat Shalom and Shavua Tov!  Help us celebrate Shabbat with arts & crafts, music and appropriate food. These experiences are designed for families with children up to 3rd grade.  Older siblings can serve as helpers. 
Assorted Saturday mornings and afternoons.

Special Programs for our Community Day Families
We are so very proud of our students who study at Community Day, our local Schechter Day School. On holy days when they have no school and Temple Sinai is open, we craft special programs for them and their families. Please see the calendar for date details.

Class Led Services
Each of our 3rd-5th Grade classes has the opportunity to lead a Shabbat Morning service designed especially for them and their families. The morning begins with a pot-luck breakfast and continues as we marvel in our children’s ability to inspire us through their singing, Hebrew reading and spiritual reflection.
Please see the calendar for date details.

3rd Grade Hebrew Boot Camp
Building a strong foundation in elementary Hebrew reading skills will pay dividends in years to come.  We invite our 3rd Grade families to join Rabbi Symons and others for a Friday night overnight at a local camp where we will explore the alef-bet through informal educational techniques that will make a lasting impact.  Bring your fun-loving spirit and your sticks for marshmallows in front of the fireplace.

Iron Chef Temple Sinai
Alla Cuisine!  Join with us in making culinary memories in family and friends.  Each K-6th grade class is invited to explore our holy day heritage through the food we eat.  We will make real food and share recipes about 1 month before each holy day.
Please see the calendar for date details.

For Parents Alone

Everyday Blessings: Parenting Beit Midrash
“Parents today find it harder than ever to uphold their own values within their families when they seem so at odds with those of our current culture.  We seek security in a society that seems more and more dangerous, grace in a culture that thrives on competition, and gratitude in an age of ever-increasing materialism.  How can this generation of parents raise self-reliant, compassionate, and ethical children?”
While we do not have all the answers, we do have collective wisdom.  Guided by Dr. Sue Berman, Parenting Coach and Rabbi Symons,  with coffee in hand from the Brotherhood Café and babysitting provided (please RSVP for babysitting by Wednesday of that week), we will share our successes and challenges as we strive to improve our own parenting skills.
Monthly on the first teaching Sunday of the month after Family Aseyfah 10:15 – 11:00 AM.

For our 6th Grade Bar/Bat Mitzvah Families

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Preparation
Seeing Bar/Bat Mitzvah as the first step into Jewish adulthood for our children and as an important milestone for parents, we have designed a multifaceted approach to preparing for bar/bat Mitzvah:
   
   BBM Family Shabbat Seminars
   Parents and children are expected to study with Rabbi Symons 4 times during the 6th grade year.
   
   BBM Family Retreat
   Parents and children are expected to join us for a Shabbat overnight retreat.
   
   H-Team
   Students are expected to maintain their Hebrew learning into 7th grade through peer tutoring on Monday nights.
   
   Tutoring
   Students are expected to prepare for Bar/Bat Mitzvah with our tutor David Haviv.
   
   Family Meetings
   An assortment of private meetings are scheduled for families with our Rabbis.
   Details are available in our Bar/Bat Mitzvah handbook.

  
3rd Friday of The Month – Something for Everybody
We will begin on the floor of the Leebov Sanctuary at 5:45 PM with a Tot Shabbat worship service.  With a special prayer book, soft stuffed Torahs for cuddling, Sheli and more our youngest congregants up to first grade with their families will take an active role in welcoming Shabbat.

At 6:15 PM we will sing songs, light candles and make Kiddush.  Those who want to stay for dinner can enjoy an affordable, high quality, catered dinner.  While sitting at the table, Joan and Jackie will have table games for families to enjoy.

At 7:00 PM we will gather in the Leebov Sanctuary for a very active service.  Yes, it will include a birthday blessings for all (young and old) celebrating a birthday that month.  Yes, it will include a supplement of readings that might be more accessible than the poetry of our Mishkan Tefillah.  Yes, it will include opportunities for children and adults to lead parts of the service.  Long before each service, we will send out a personal invitation to those who can help us lead in either Hebrew or English.  Yes, there will always be a lesson drawn from the 10 Commandments.  This community service is designed to engage people of all ages.  It is not just a children’s service, it is not just a family service, it is a community service in which you can be active to the extent you want.

At 8:00 PM, we will join for Oneg Shabbat that will include a host of beyond ordinary delights including Rabbi Ron’s Fabulous Shabbat Sundae Bar and Sara’s Shabbat Cappuccino Bar.

For those of you who want a more intimate, post bar/bat mitzvah (teens and adults) Shabbat experience we invite you to join with Rabbi Gibson in a Shabbat Schmooze.  With guitar in hand, story at the ready and prayer in heart, Rabbi Gibson will help experience Shabbat in ways you might not have thought possible.  This Shabbat Schmooze will be held at a different congregant home each month.

Both, the service in the Leebov Sanctaury and Rabbi Gibson’s Shabbat Schmooze will include opportunities for those who wish to say kaddish. 
Beginning in October.
 

Your Family Can Come to Temple for Services… a lot!

While all Temple Services are open for the entire community, no matter how old the members of your family are, we know that parents often like to come to Temple when the service and activities are specially designed for their children.

Mostly Musical Shabbat
Join us on the first Friday of every month for an inspiration multi-generational Shabbat experience.  Our band often has more than 10 pieces.  The sanctuary is often filled with more than 200 people.  The aisles are often filled with children and adults singing and dancing.
We hope that you will join us at 7:00 PM.

Sinai Shabbat
What if coming to Temple were like going to a Cineplex: choices to meet every one’s interests.  Sinai Shabbat begins with songs and candles before we break up into interactive groups welcoming Shabbat with dance, chocolate, crafts, study, prayer, meditation….  We then join together for dinner and, if you are up to it, services.
October 29 and April 29 at 6:15 PM.  RSVP required.

Grade Level Services
We have created special opportunities for our students to lead us in prayer on Shabbat mornings.  We invite you to bring your families and to come to Temple, even if you do not have children in the specific grade.
3rd Grade: January 8, 2011
4th Grade: February 12, 2011
5th Grade: March 12, 2011

Service Attendance Requirement
Coming to Temple reinforces lessons learned in class and further connects our children to Jewish values and norms.  We expect all K-5th Grade students to come to Temple 4 times a year, 6th and 7th Grade students 8 times a year and older students even more. 
Coming to Temple is a family affair, we hope you will join us.

When you do come to Temple, please be sure to remind your children before you arrive of appropriate behavior standards. 
While you are here, we hope that you will keep an eye on your children and guide them to live up to those standards.

 

 

Sheli and his friends love playing with our youngest congregants. Please watch for “Mishpachah“ events.

Rabbi Ende reading Torah at Temple Sinai’s Community Day Sukkot celebration