Kulanu (Youth Education for K-6th)
Our Kulanu Program |
Details & Enrollment
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About Our Programs
Kulanu ("All of Us" in Hebrew), is Congregation Shir Hadash’s program for Jewish youth in Kinder-6th Grade and their families. Learning should involve mind, body, and soul, and should recognize, embrace, and facilitate the unique expression of each of our students. By learning and living Jewishly, and by understanding our collective history and traditions, we can find meaning and purpose in our lives today.
Our program is designed to engage every student, including experiential electives such as cooking, music, theater, movement, art, and more. We encourage each student to develop their own Jewish journey. At Kulanu, teaching and learning are participatory, hands-on, camp-inspired, and student-centered.
Our MISSION
We are a sacred community - kehillah kedoshah - that fosters pride in being Jewish, provides opportunities to build meaningful connections, and creates a sense of joy and belonging for youth and their families.
OUR VISION
We aim to inspire and empower our youth and their families to learn, embrace their Jewish identity and create meaningful Jewish lives.
Our Core Values
- Joyful Judaism: Kulanu is a place where we can explore our tradition with a sense of joy present in all we do.
- Jewish Experience and Education that Shape Identity: learning at Kulanu should help foster the knowledge, memories, and skills that help build a Jewish identity in the world.
- Strengthening Jewish Community: coming together as a community of Jews helps build the deep relationships, support, and identity that support and enrich our lives.
Schedule for Learning and Hebrew
Our Sunday morning schedule begins with Hebrew from 9:00 to 10:00 for those families who have signed up for Kulanu Hebrew. Families who have not signed up for Hebrew are always welcome to our Kulanu Cafe!
Following which, the the schedule is as follows:
Grades K-3
10:00 - 10:30 Tefilah (Prayer and Song) in our Sanctuary or Chapel
10:30 - 12:00 Jewish Learning divided by grade level
12:00 - 12:15 Ruach! (Spirit!) is a special time each day co-led by Rabbi Rafi and our Madrichim (teen volunteers) to build community together!
Parents can come to the Sanctuary for dismissal.
Grades 4-6
10:00-11:30 Jewish Learning divided by grade level
11:30-12:00 Tefilah (Prayer and Song) in our Sanctuary or Chapel
12:00-12:15 Ruach! (Spirit!) is a special time each day co-led by Rabbi Rafi and our Madrichim (teen volunteers) to build community together!
Curriculum
The Kulanu curriculum is divided into two different components: Kulanu Hebrew and Kulanu Learnaing & Milestones
Kulanu Hebrew
Our Hebrew curriculum model is based on mischakim (games) and decoding. Divided by level as opposed to grade, we ask parents and children to self-assess together to place themselves into the proper level.
Through games that stress vocabulary building, letter learning, and reading, we prepare students to learn Hebrew with joy and activity.
Kulanu Learning & Milestones
The Kulanu Learning
- Year One: Our program for kindergarten and first grade is about Jewish symbols, and recognizing the symbols and objects that become the anchor points of our Jewish experience.
- Year Two: For second graders, our program is focused on understanding Jewish history through heroes, and about building relationships with those Jewish heroes as we learn about the values they represent.
- Year Three: The third grade curriculum is called the World of Deeds, and is about exploring mitzvot. Third graders learn to understand the role that commandedness plays in Jewish life and build a connection to practice, to a Judaism not only of ideas but of actions.
- Year Four: Fourth grade at Kulanu is focused on stories from the Bible, developing a familiarity with the stories of Torah, as well as an understanding of what memory, not just history, is in Jewish tradition.
- Year Five: In fifth grade, students focus on deciphering the books of Prophets and Writings. They focus on becoming familiar with stories from these books and applying the values displayed in a text into contemporary situations.
- Year Six: The final year of Kulanu Learning provides an introduction to the Talmud, and the wider world of Jewish text through dialogue and debate. Students learn about the key role the Talmud, or oral Torah, has played in the development of Judaism as they start to look at textual interpretation as key to our unfolding Jewish story.
Hebrew Curriculum
Ritual Milestones
As a part of our Kulanu youth education curriculum, we understand the importance of immersive experiences and of owning our tradition. This year we are renewing our focus on this by creating Ritual Milestones each class will learn over the course of the year and then perform as part of their growth and development at Milestone Shabbat Services in May. Families are encouraged to participate as well!
Our milestones will be:
- Year One: The Havdalah Service
- Year Two: The Passover Seder
- Year Three: Leading Kabbalat Shabbat, at home and in Shul
- Year Four: Leading Ma’ariv, the evening prayer service
- Year Five: Leading Shachrit, the morning prayer service
- Year Six: Leading the Torah service
A big part of that growth and development will be our Shabbat experience here at Shir Hadash - Judaism cannot just take place in the classroom. We hope that the integration of our curriculum and ritual, along with Shabbat community experience, will help Jewish kids and families prepare for their milestones, their b-mitzvah, and for strong Jewish lives. We are currently scheduling special community Shabbat experiences - Tot Shabbat and Youth Shabbat - each month for kids and teens.
PARENT Participation AND INVOLVEMENT
We encourage family participation and parent involvement in our program and view our parents as partners in their child(ren)'s Jewish education. Join other parents for coffee at our Kulanu Cafe or join your child(ren)’s class in a volunteer capacity.
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities to help support our program and support our child(ren). For more information about family education programming and volunteer opportunities, contact kulanu@shirhadash.org.
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Connecting with the group via established modes of class communication: WhatsApp, Email List, etc.
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Help to schedule four Class/Youth activities for the year working with other Room parents
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Suggested Group Activities:
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1 Shabbat Dinner: This can be at Shir Hadash or in someone’s backyard, picnic or potluck - make it easy and enjoy each other’s company!
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1 Holiday Gathering: Pick a favorite holiday and gather together to celebrate.
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2 additional gatherings: This could be a meet up at a park, an afternoon hike, laser tag, a game night - you decide what works best for your group!
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Interested in signing up to be a Class Room Parent? Reach out to board-youthfamily@shirhadash.org
Special Needs
My child has special learning needs. Can I enroll him/her? Yes.
We care about making our program as inclusive as possible for all students with a range of different needs. In Proverbs (22:6) we are told, ”Teach each child according to their own abilities.” We work hard to help all of our students to realize their fullest potential and skill level. Please be certain to complete the special needs section of the registration application. We will make every attempt to meet your child’s needs. Be sure to send copies of any IEP or 504 plans to kulanu@shirhadash.org. If we are not able to accommodate your child, we will work with you to find alternative ways to strengthen your child’s Jewish identity. Please reach out to Rabbi Rafi at rabbirafi@shirhadash.org so that they can work with our Administrative Team, you, and your child(ren) to ensure a meaningful experience in our program.