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This
website designed and maintained by |
Special
thanks to Leonard Grossman,
webmaster emeritus.
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Judaism transcends the boundaries of time and place through continuous learning. West Suburban Temple Har Zion is a Bet Midrash - a House of Study - and we are dedicated to educating our young and young-at-heart. Jewish education is a lifelong process and our commitment spans all ages beginning with early childhood.
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Early
Childhood programs provide a warm and loving
learning community for young children from infancy
through pre-kindergarten. Our goals are to nourish
each child's individuality and self-esteem while
fostering social development and joy in learning
and to instill knowledge and love of Jewish culture
and traditions.
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NEW MOTHERS GROUP (infants)
TEMPLE TOTS PROGRAM ( 15 to 24 months with parent or caregiver )
Temple Tots is a program for children who are 15 to 24 months old with a parent or caregiver. This program meets every Friday and brings children and adults together for songs, stories, play and crafts.
LITTLEST LEARNERS (2-3 years)
Littlest Learners is a play-based program that introduces 2 year old children to an independent, school experience. This is a thematic program that brings together fun, art and a love of Jewish traditions and culture to encourage social development. Littlest Learners will meet Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Fridays are optional/enrichment days. Children can attend 2 or 3 days per week.
PRESCHOOL (3-5 years/children must be 3 by September 1st)
The Preschool class is a mixed age classroom of 3-5 year olds. The preschool class adds more complex projects and activities to stimulate children's growing cognitive, physical and emotional abilities. Active and dramtic play, crafts and music, combined with science, language arts and math provide optimum experiences to instill a lifetime love of learning and Jewish tradition. Preschool meets Tuesday through Friday mornings from 8:30am - 11:00am. There is also an enrichment option on Thursday afternoons from 11:00am - 1:30pm.
For more information, please contact Preschool Director Beth Chiet bchiet@wsthz.org
CAMP ZION SUMMER CAMP (2-5 years)
The two year old program meets on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:30am - noon. The three, four and five year old program meets Monday through Friday form 9:30am - noon. Children must be 3 years old by September 1st in order to attend five days a week.
Click Here for Camp Zion 2009 registration forms
Click Here for Camp Zion 2009 tuition information
A camper enjoys the book corner at Camp Zion | |
The craft table at Camp Zion | |
Teacher
Anne Gottleib leads students |
For more information about any of our programs, contact Alicia Gejman priincipal@wsthz.org.
KOVEN
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Our
outstanding religious school provides a comprehensive Jewish education for students
from pre-kindergarten through high school. Our goal is to help our children become
integral members
of the Jewish community and to develop an awareness of themselves and an understanding
of their Jewish heritage. Family involvement is an important component of our
children's religious foundation.
The schedule for the religious school is as follows:
WEDNESDAYS:
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for students in grades 2 thru 6
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. conversational Hebrew class for 8th grade students. This class is optional.
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Hebrew High School
SUNDAYS:
9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon for students in grades Pre-K thru 8th.
8:30 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. twice monthly for students in the distant suburbs and downtown Chicago only.
For more information, contact school principal (menahelet) Alicia Gejman.
CLICK HERE FOR SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REGISTRATION FORMS FOR 2008-2009.
COMMUNITEEN
The Board of Jewish Education of Metropolitan Chicago will be sponsoring the Florence Melton Communiteen High School beginning fall 2008. This program
provides a text based, pluralistic, student-centered curriculum for Jewish teens.
Communiteen stimulates students intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and socially.
Communiteen is designed as a weekly two hours school that meets for 25 sessions throughout the year. Students take two courses a year. Year
1 is The Big Ideas of Being Jewish - One and American Jewish Experience and Year 2 is The Big Ideas of Being Jewish - Two and Facts, Faces and Facets of Israel.
The Communiteen curriculum helps students explore their Jewish identity. Each course provides an opportunity for students to relate the material to issues of personal identity, family history, critical adolescent life issues and their personal relationship with the Jewish people.
For
more information, contact Linda Kupfer, Communiteen Director at 847-291-7788, ext.1307.
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Communiteen in the news: from Forward.com
Click here for more information on Communiteen.
Click here to download the Communiteen registration form.
ADULT
EDUCATION
The learning process at WSTHZ is not limited to our youth. We believe that Jewish
education is a continuous process of learning and growth. To that end, we offer
diverse programs and lectures:
- Weekly classes study Bible, Talmud, Rashi
- Synagogue skills
- Independent study with Rabbi Mirelman
- Beginning through Conversational Hebrew
- Sunday morning lecture series with guest lecturers from around the world.
- A winter lecture series by Rabbi Mirelman
- Holiday workshops
- Book reviews
- Courses in conjunction with the Dawn Schuman Institute for Jewish learning.
- Scholar-in-residence weekend, sponsored by the Jewish Council of the Western Suburbs.
Check our announcement page for special lectures and classes.
Adult
Education Network Seminar:
The Adult Education Initiative for Chicago
Leaders of Adult Jewish Learning
This is a 7-meeting monthly series of 90 minute programs led by leaders in adult Jewish education, specifically focused at the lay leaders who organize and coordinate adult learning programming in synagogues. It assumes NO prior knowledge, just a love of learning & a desire to do better. The speakers are good, the content is solid, and you finish the series with a binder full of notes, ideas, and mind-expanding challenges and sharing with others. Participants come from reform, conservative, city, suburban, large/small congregations.... from Aurora to south suburbs to far north. It's held at the CFJE offices next door to Old Orchard in Skokie, right off the highway.
If you complete the series and develop an application for a collaborative adult learning program with another congregation, you can potentially be awarded up to $1000 per synagogue to implement the program. The whole point is to develop collaboration & improve sophistication & creativity of programming. It would really, really help if we can send a WST member next year. This is a significant financial resource and offers some great didactic & discussion material to open up our thinking and plan new and innovative adult education programs.
Exciting monthly instructional seminar of 7 evening sessions Designed to assist institutional lay leadership and professionals in the development of their own Adult Educational programming Trains individuals to become knowledgeable and skilled in state-of-the-art Adult Education For further information, please call Yaffa Berman: yberman@cfje.org This project has been funded by a grant from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
WSTHZ also sponsors community-wide workshops with our neighbor, Oak Park Temple:
For more information about OPT's education programs, please visit http://oakparktemple.com/adulted.htm.
SENIOR
FELLOWSHIP GUILD
An informal gathering of seniors meets weekly to attend the rabbi's morning Bible
class, followed by a light lunch and/or other social and cultural outings. Seniors
are active in all aspects of temple life as morning minyaneers, volunteers, ushers
and students in the educational process.
FILM
SERIES
The generous donation of a television and VCR with
a 60" screen has made
it possible for the Temple to offer the presentation
of films of interest to our community. These films
are sometimes followed by discussions led by the Rabbi
or other individuals familiar with the themes presented.
KALLAH RETREAT - March 20-22, 2009
The 25th annual Kallah will soon be here! This year we will be returning to the Perlstein Resort Center in Lake Delton, Wisconsin, just outside the Dells, where we will share our thoughts and ideas on matters of interest in our Jewish community, and on matters not so serious. We will learn, pray, socialize and eat together as we count down the days until winter ends. The dress is strictly casual and the food is strictly kosher.
We welcome everyone, from tots to seniors, to this special weekend retreat. Here is an opportunity to feel a strong sense of K’lal Yisrael – Jewish Community – in a beautiful woodland setting. Enjoy community meals, participate in creative services, workshops, and participate in discussion groups. On the lighter side there will be singing, a talent show, and programming for all ages.
The weekend begins with candle lighting, Kabbalat Shabbat services, and dinner, followed by games and sports for the young people and open discussions for adults. Snacks follow and then lights out. Saturday has services led by our teenagers and there will be Tot Shabbat and Junior Congregation. The afternoon has lectures and discussion groups on a variety of subjects. The gymnasium is open for the children and there will be supervision. After Mincha/Maariv and Havdalah, we will be treated to our famous talent show. Then snacks and a social hour for the adults. Sunday begins with Shacharit, followed by breakfast, and then stimulating discussions on our weekend theme. Then lunch, and goodbyes.