Gan Shalom Director: Didi Kerler, prschool@bethshalom-bjc.org
Gan Shalom, the Beth Shalom early childhood center, provides a nurturing, stimulating, and safe environment for children between the ages of 1-5 years old. We seek to enhancechildren's sense of wonder and empathy, develop communication and learning skills, promote positive self-image, and engender trust in peers and caregivers. Following the rhythms of the Jewish calendar, the program immerses children in Jewish culture, songs and language, and fosters their connection with Jewish traditions and values. A high quality learning and development center, Gan Shalom extends itself to young families in the community and supports their parenting in these most crucial years.
Staff: - Efrohim (1-2 year old class): Lead teacher, Sara Berke; assistant, Tasha Sharer and Libby Hogan.
- Dagim (2-3 year old class): Lead teacher, Vicky Haralovich; assistant, Stefanie Weintraub
- Tzipporim (3-4 year old class): Lead teacher, Megan Graves; assistant, Amber Craig
- Parparim: (4-5 year old class): Lead teacher, Regina Katz; assistant Joyce Stein
Hours of operation
- Early care: 8:30-9am
- Morning option: 9am‐noon
- Lunch bunch: noon-1pm
- All day option: 9am-3pm
Gan Shalom Calendar 2010-11:
- Mon, Aug 16 Parents' evening, 7:30pm
- Wed, Aug 18 First Day of Gan Shalom
- Sun, Aug 22 GS playdate, Bryan Park 4pm
- Mon, Sept 6 Labor Day, GS closed
- Wed. Sept 8th Erev Rosh HaShana (Jewish New Year), GS 1/2
- day (finish at noon)
- Th & Fri., Sept 9 -10 Rosh Hashana, GS closed
- Wed, Sept 22nd Sukkot dinner, 6pm
- Th, Sept 23 Sukkot, GS closed
- Th. Sept 30 Last day of Sukkot, GS closed
- Th. Oct 14 Mom's Night Out, 8pm
- Fri, Nov12 Gan Shalom Potluck, 6pm
- Th-Fri, Nov 25-26 Thanksgiving, GS closed
- Th, Dec 16 last day of GS before winter break
- Fr. Dec 17 GS closed (staff training)
- Mon. Dec 20- Fri
- Dec. 31 Winter Break (GS closed)
- Mon., Jan 3 Gan Shalom opens
- Mon, Jan 17 MLK Day, GS closed
- Fri, Mar 11 GS closed (staff training)
- Mon-Fri Mar 14-18 Spring Break
- Mon, Mar 21 GS reopens
- Mon-Wed, Apr 18-20 Passover; GS closed
- Fri, May 27 last day of GS
Please note that May 31, June 1 & June 2 will be make-up days in the
event that there are Gan Shalom school closings because of snow.
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Religious School Lead Teacher: Didi Kerler
Religious School Liaison: Joann Abdoo The Beth Shalom Religious School provides intellectually challenging, spiritually fulfilling, socially rewarding and emotionally safe opportunities for children and teens to explore their Judaism.
Pre-k -Second grade: Sundays, 10am -noon.
Third-Seventh grade: Sundays, 10am-noon and Wednesdays 4pm-6pm.
Hebrew Curriculum
The Hebrew curriculum will focus on reading skills with the aim of helping your children become competent and fluent readers. For honing reading skills, we will be using the Hebrew and Heritage New Siddur Program textbook which focuses on traditional prayer and blessings. All Hebrew lessons will be enriched with modern Hebrew vocabulary, syntax and grammar so that children have a sense of the modern language. Judaica Curriculum Our transcending focus guiding the Judaica curriculum will be an examination of the internal and external challenges facing the Jewish people to remain unique but adaptable in different societies and over historical periods. We will not only look at the miracle of survival but more importantly, the development of religious practice based on the belief in God, a legal system, a code of ethics, and a unifying historical narrative. We will be examining Jewish texts. The younger children will be reading appropriate versions of Genesis and Exodus. The intermediate grades will focus on the books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, learning about laws and continuing the narrative of the Jewish people's wandering in the desert. The older grades will begin studying about the judges, prophets and kings. Interspersed, of course, will be the study of holidays and again, we will be looking at Jewish texts -- specific liturgical prayers, the Torah and Haftarah portions, the Oral Law, and different customs pertaining to the holidays. Tefilot
Amy Jackson will be leading Sunday morning tefilot (services) accompanied by our music teacher, Maya Wahrman. We will create a meaningful and spiritual short service, helping the students familiarize themselves with the morning liturgy. Amy will be speaking about the meaning of the prayers, their origin, and the structure of the service. We will create a holy space and introduce a defined synagogue etiquette.
Music
Our music teacher will be Maya Wahrman, who as part of Sounds of South, has a strong background in vocals (as well as playing the guitar). Maya is a native Hebrew speaker and will be mentored not only by Amy Jackson, who, herself, is an amazing vocalist, but also Bruce Solomon. We will be following the rhythms of the Jewish calendar as we introduce different types of music to the children. For example, during Rosh Hashana, we will be learning the traditional songs which express the reflective nature of the holiday as well as English ditties (eg. The Shofar song) which through easy lyrics and a popular melody teach the different types of shofar blasts. There will be a good mix of Hebrew, liturgical, and popular Jewish songs, including basic nigunim (songs without words).
Social Justice/Tikkun Olam/Tzedakah
Our first social action project will be based on the biblical commandment bal tashkhit (do not destroy). The text originally referred to the destruction of trees during warfare but has, over the rabbinic generations, come to encompass taking care of all the world. We will be collecting money for the animal conservation projects at the Indianapolis Zoo.
JECA (Jewish extra curricular activities)
Time is so limited in our two weekly sessions (and for the younger children it is only one session), that we have chosen to offer many important activities outside the timeframe of religious school - call it JECA's (Jewish extra-curricular activities). Throughout the year, we are planning a variety of extracurricular activities to enrich your child's Jewish experience. Below are some of the programs planned for you and your children:
- Tefilat noar (youth service): Saturday, August 28th (11:15), Kiddush to follow
- Meet and Greet Pool Party: Sunday, August 29th (4‐7pm), Bryan Park Pool. Families pay for their own
- entry but we provide the pizza dinner!
- Apple and Honey Fest: Sunday, Sept. 5th (noon‐2:pm):apple and honey tasting and bake sale!
- Tefilat noar : First Day Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (Beth Shalom Library, time TBA)
- Sukkot Potluck and Art to Remember: Wednesday, Sept 22nd (6‐8pm)
- Shabbaton children's program: Saturday, Sept 25th: children's program (1‐5pm); Sukkot dance and Art
- workshops) . Full schedule of shabbaton program available upcoming
- Havdalah Evening: Saturday, October 23rd: movie and pizza
- Indianapolis Zoo Field Trip: Thursday, October 28th (Fall Break)
Staff
We have hired a dedicated, creative and enthusiastic group of teachers. We are unified in our vision of using this experience as learning opportunities not only for your children but for ourselves. - Pre K-K: Sarah Glasser
- First grade: Rafe Kaplan
- Second grade: Ben Gurin
- Third grade: Melody Mostow
- Fourth/Fifth grade: Hope Spector
- Sixth/Seventh: Dara Hill
- There will be mixed ability Hebrew groups for the children in 4th-7th grade and the teachers will be, Avi Coven, Anne Steigerwald, Dara Hill, Hope Spector and me. In this way, we will be able to accelerate the pace of those children who find learning Hebrew easy and support those who have challenges.
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Contact: Meets: Sundays, 10am-12n, Hillel Description: Machon is the High School program of Beth Shalom, grades 9-12. Its curriculum follows a three year cycle and usually includes, every 3-4 years, a trip to New York. The New York trip visits jewish museums, the lower East Side, synagogues, etc. Enrollment is through the religious school program.
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[Under construction -- to be added when information available Hebrew Language Class? Just send me who is contact, when it meets, brief writeup? webmaster@bethshalom-bjc.org
Others to suggest? Just send me 'who is contact', 'when it meets,' 'brief writeup'? Webmaster@bethshalom-bjc.org
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