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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.
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:
Our cadres of madrikhim (teacher assistants) are an invaluable help to our school. Madrikhim are eligible to assist in the classroom if they attend Tihon.
The Ganon class (Pre-K) accepts 3 years old as long as they are toilet trained.
For more information, contact school principal (menahelet) Alicia Gejman.
ADULT EDUCATION
Check our announcement page for special lectures and
classes. Adult
Education Network Seminar:
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 FILM
SERIES
KALLAH RETREAT - March 19-21, 2010
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for students in grades 2 thru 6, grade 7 twice a month
6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Tihon, grades 8 thru 12(optional)
SUNDAYS:
9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon for students in grades Pre-K thru 7th grade
10:00 a.m. to noon Tihon (Hebrew for high school), grades 8 thru 12
8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. twice monthly for students in the distant suburbs and downtown Chicago only
CLICK HERE FOR SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REGISTRATION FORMS FOR 2010-2011.
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:
The Adult Education Initiative for Chicago
Leaders of Adult Jewish Learning
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.
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.
This year’s Kallah, 26th annual West Suburban Temple Har Zion Congregational Kallah was a very special one.
It was Rabbi Mirelman’s last kallah as our rabbi and he reminisced with us and we shared our memories as he completed 21 years of service to our synagogue and us.
What is Kallah?
Kallah is our annual gathering in rustic Wisconsin where we can enjoy a Shabbat weekend in a beautiful setting, away from the hustle and bustle of our home towns.
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 learn, pray, socialize and eat together as spring returns to this countryside setting. The dress is strictly casual and the food is delicious.
Activities
The weekend began with candle lighting, Kabbalat Shabbat services, and dinner, followed by games and sports for the young people,
and for adults an open discussion with Rabbi about spirituality and our own individual experiences. Snacks follow and then lights out.
Saturday services were led by Rabbi and many of us participated on the bimah. There was a combined Tot Shabbat and Junior Congregation program under the
direction of Lisa Browdy. The afternoon began with a sentimental journey by Rabbi Mirelman sharing his thoughts and experiences as a rabbi.
This program was followed by an open discussion about what it means to be a Conservative Jew.
The afternoon ended with a group discussion about we think about Hashem.
How do we envision the Almighty?. Then after all of this “heavy lifting” we joined the children for a game of “ultimate frisbee” in the field adjacent to the gym.
After a fabulous dinner we settled in for our traditional talent show followed by an ice cream extravaganza.
On Sunday, after our “stretch and walk” shacharit services and a hearty breakfast, we enjoyed workshops such making passover desserts, arts and crafts projects,
and the like. Then lunch followed by goodbyes.