TEMPLE HESED SHABBAT SCHOOL

Temple Hesed Shabbat School meets on Saturday mornings from 9:30 A.M. to 12:00 noon. Sessions are held from September through May, depending on the Jewish holiday schedule.

Classes, from Kindergarten through Confirmation (10th. Grade), are taught by a fine staff of dedicated, experienced teachers. Confirmation candidates have the privilege of studying with the Rabbi. Class sizes are small, ranging from two to twelve students.

The mitzvah of tzedukah is encouraged. Students bring in weekly donations; each class selects one or more charitable groups for their collections. Recipients include Jewish National Fund, United Jewish Appeal, Lackawanna United Fund, Ronald McDonald House, Save the Rainforest, Humane Society, Braille Institute, Children International, St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, and Israel's Red Cross.

Temple Hesed students learn about their Jewish heritage by studying Bible stories, traditional practices, Shabbat and holidays, Jewish history, the land of Israel, and contemporary ethical issues. Basic Hebrew prayers and songs are also learned. Junior and Senior Youth Groups meet while the children's service is being held. Varied programming keeps the interest high for these older students.

The entire school participates in an array of programs geared to the holidays: the annual "Succarama" to learn all about Sukkot, individual classroom seders for Pesach, a Maccabia run by the Youth Groups; a school Tu B'Shevat seder, preceding a "feed the birds" project, where students string Cheerios, pretzels, and and roll pine cones in peanut butter and bird seed, to be hung on trees the building; a Purim carnival beautifully presented by the Senior Youth Group; classroom Passover seders, to which parents are invited; a closing program where good attendance and generous tzedukah-giving are recognized with prizes and awards.

We believe that it is vital for our children to understand their Jewishness, to take pride in their Jewish heritage, and to remain Jews. Temple Hesed Shabbat School provides a solid background for a lifetime of Jewish study for children being raised in the Jewish religion.

Children preparing for Bar/Bat mitzvah are required to have four years of Hebrew instruction from Temple Hesed's Hebrew program in addition to a record of attendance at Shabbat School and services. Details for the requirements for Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Shabbat School and Confirmation are published in the manuals of the Children's Religious Education Committee.

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