Chavaya / Religious School
K-7th REGISTRATION OPEN! Click Here!
8-12th REGISTRATION OPEN! Click Here!
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and tuition costs
Chavaya, the Religious School at Temple Israel in New Rochelle, is a fun, caring, and welcoming Jewish experience for children and families in Kindergarten-12th grade. Children have an engaging outlet to explore Judaism through spirituality, history, holidays, and values. At Temple Israel we live our Jewish values in our worship, celebration, lifelong learning and Tikkun Olam—the repair of the world.
Let’s consider for your children that …
- Religious School at Temple Israel is inspired by the powerful learning and identity formation that takes place at Jewish camps and in youth groups. Groups learn together in two-grade units through art, music, stories, Aydah (unit) time, bayit time (small groups) and more. At Chavaya learners feel a deep connection to the Temple Israel community and the Jewish community as a whole, and are able to express how Judaism is relevant and meaningful to themselves.
- The purpose of Chavaya is for our participants to develop strong relationships with the Jewish community through the lens of prayer Hebrew, Bible stories, Shabbat and Holidays, Israel, Lifecycle, Jewish values and Jewish history. We seek to engage in Judaism through knowledge, action, spiritual encounters and community participation.
- Religious School is also led by Madrichim, who are teen assistants in 7th-12th grade in the Chavaya program. This is an optional and fun opportunity for teens to help in the Chavaya program and serve as a dugma (role model) for younger participants. Madrichim work with Chavaya groups and educators and help with various aspects of the program including, but not limited to: games, art activities, gathering supplies for projects, working one-on-one with participants on topics the group is learning about, etc.
Rebecca Elkus-Ferst is the Director of Education: Youth & Families who leads Chavaya / Religious School, as well as leading Judaic lessons in our own Kehillah / Nursery-PreSchool. To learn about Rebecca’s strengths in Education, while leading Chavaya, please click here.
Rebecca Elkus-Ferst, our Director of Education: Youth & Families, returned from Israel studying with the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, but she wanted to share a last memory of her time in Jerusalem, in front of the Kotel. She inserted messages from the Chavaya students into the wall, and was enjoying the last few days of her intensive study in the Holy Land.
