Youth Learning

Education and learning are the cornerstones of Shaarai Shomayim, and indeed, the foundation is our religious education for our young people, Sh’arim.

Sh’arim is our congregation’s ‘gateway’ to Jewish learning, providing meaningful learning opportunities focused on problem-based instruction in a multi-aged environment. The learning experiences for our young people prepare them to be informed about Judaism and to advocate for being Jewish as adults. They will be well-educated and participatory Jews throughout their lives.

Our multi-aged structure is as follows:

• Shaarai Mishpacha for birth through 2 years, a parent-and-me class
• Shaarai Y’ladim for three and 4-year-olds,
• Shaarai HaGan for pre-K and Kindergarten students,
• Shaarai Ivrit for 1st and 2nd grade,
• Shaarai HaAm for grades 3 through 5,
• Shaarai Mitzvot for 6th and 7th grade,
• Shaarai Tzedek for grades 8 through 10,
• Shaarai Atid for grades 11 and 12, culminating in Confirmation.

Sh’arim is a committed ‘all-in’ education program that utilizes the Onward Hebrew program. This program guides students through interactive learning and provides critical one-on-one Hebrew instruction for B’nai Mitzvah candidates.

The foundation of our Hebrew through Onward Hebrew is:

•     Adopting Hebrew Through Movement
•     Enriching Hebrew usage in T’filah/worship
•     Integrating Jewish Life Vocabulary
•     Introducing Hebrew decoding after students developed a rich foundation in the sounds of Hebrew (5th grade or later)

We also encourage students to participate in our week-long Shaarai Day Camp and attend a URJ summer immersive program, like one of the 6 Points camps, or Camp Harlam.

We at Shaarai Shomayim are fortunate to have a dedicated staff who work hard to benefit our young people.

If you have any questions about the Sh’arim program, please contact administrator Bob Houghton.