Kitot Alef–Vav (1st–6th Grade) · Mondays, 4:15–6:15 pm · 24 sessions a year
Hebrew School Reimagined (HSR) is probably not the Hebrew school you grew up with. The idea behind it is that kids form a lasting Jewish identity by doing, not just hearing. They pray through song and movement before they can read the words, choose an elective because it’s theirs to choose, and come back to the same big questions every year with more to bring to them.
Kids learn in multi-grade cohorts, so older and younger students get to know each other and every child has a group where they belong. On Kehillah days, the whole school comes together at the end of the afternoon.
Younger grades build the foundation with Hebrew by ear, prayer through movement, and holidays and values through story. Starting in 3rd grade, students choose an elective each semester, like cooking, art, ASL, drama, or debate. By 5th and 6th grade, kids are doing deep textual and ethical work, from walking a pet rock through the entire Jewish lifecycle to wrestling with Jewish heroes who made hard choices. Grades 5 and 6 also get 1:1 Hebrew reading practice on Zoom, with flexible scheduling.
Teen madrichim/ot (teaching assistants) work in every classroom, so younger kids always have older Jewish role models in the room.
Growing Up at Kerem Shalom
At every stage, here’s what we hope a student can say:
- Kitah Alef & Kitah Bet (1st & 2nd Grade): I like being Jewish. I can pray by singing and moving. Hebrew is a language that many Jewish people use to pray, learn, and talk. Jewish stories have something to teach me. I belong here.
- Kitah Gimel & Kitah Dalet (3rd & 4th Grade): Hebrew has letters and I know some of them, and I know some Hebrew words from prayers and values and Hebrew school. My elective is mine: I chose it. I can connect to Judaism in many ways. I belong here.
- Kitah Hey (5th Grade): I know what a Jewish lifecycle looks like. I have welcomed new life, celebrated coming of age, honored partnership, and sat with loss, all through the life of my rock. I know what a mitzvah is and I can think about doing good in the world. I’m able to sound out some Hebrew words, and some of them I actually know. I belong here.
- Kitah Vav (6th Grade): Real people have lived these values, even though it’s sometimes hard. The lessons I learn from that can help me make choices in my life. I also can read prayers and Hebrew songs I’ve known for a while. My Bar/Bat/B’nei Mitzvah (B’Mitzvah for short) is coming and that is meaningful. I belong here.
Registration fee: $400 per child ($350 early-bird)
Calendar: 5787 HSR Calendar
Family Handbook: 5787 HSR Family Handbook
Register: Through your KS Member Portal. [link] HSR is open to Kerem Shalom members, and your membership needs to be in good standing (last year paid, this year renewed) to register.
Family Education
Family Education builds community at KS and strengthens the tie between families and the synagogue. It brings parents and kids together to learn about Jewish holidays, text, history, ritual, and prayer, and to bring that learning home. It’s built to be welcoming for families who are new to Judaism, and it gives parents the tools and confidence to be partners in their children’s Jewish education, sometimes with adult learning that runs alongside the kids’ program. Programs change from year to year, so families with younger siblings get something new each time around.