Religious School is Joyous Skokie Synagogue

For Immediate Release 7-29-19
For Further Information: Jeanette Sigler 847-675-4141 or jeanette@ehnt.org

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
IS JOYOUS AT
EZRA-HABONIM,
THE NILES TOWNSHIP
JEWISH CONG., SKOKIE

Learning Judaism by living it is the key to Jewish Learning at the Religious School of Ezra-Habonim, the Niles Township Jewish Congregation, 4500 Dempster, Skokie.
“We emphasize the experience of living a Jewish life - that is the best way to learn how to be Jewish,” says Rabbi Jeffrey Weill, spiritual leader of the synagogue and a teacher in the religious school.
“For instance we have a Saturday morning school rather than a conventional Sunday school,” the rabbi continues. “This allows our students to experience Shabbat. They are well integrated into the congregation’s Shabbat community.
“We also offer an ‘Elders with Students’ program where our older congregants take turns visiting with our students on a Shabbat morning,” he continues. “Our elders are charming and wise - and our children learn from their wisdom.”
The rabbi also teaches the young people the Jewish life cycle through his original ‘Sadie and Jake’ stories. The rabbi adds, “Sadie and Jake live the entire life cycle together. The kids become very engaged in their lives.”
Judy Arkin, Chair of the Education Committee, adds, “Each week, our students participate in a Children’s Sabbath service. They say the appropriate prayers and have Torah honors. They do it all and they do it well.”
The students, Arkin added, explore the weekly Torah portion in class and engage in thought-provoking discussion.
“We have outstanding young teachers who bring fresh ideas and new ways of learning to our students,” Arkin says. “We offer one-on-one Hebrew instruction as well as an amazingly low student-teacher ratio.
“Our children receive meaningful Jewish learning,” Arkin added, “allowing each of them to develop not only a strong Jewish identity, but a sense of community as well as the skills and knowledge to practice Judaism.”
She went on to say that the professional teaching staff is among the best in the North Shore community.
She adds that “everyone who studies with the Director of our Lehrhaus/Confirmation Program, Michael Rosenberg, makes a friend for life. This is for the older set, grades eight to ten.” The Religious School emphasizes the study of Torah along with tradition, mitzvot (commandments) and Hebrew.
“We are proud to provide a concerned, caring, compassionate community that infuses our children with spirituality and a positive Jewish identity,” Arkin adds.
The youngsters learn to recite and lead prayers, learn the weekly Torah portion in age-appropriate readings, games and activities, all under the guidance of enthusiastic teachers. In the lower grades, students benefit from a smaller class size and a lower teacher-to-student ratio.
As an added benefit, students participate actively in the main Shabbat service and join their parents and the congregation for Kiddush, another way to strengthen their sense of Jewish community.
The EHNTJC Religious School serves children from Kindergarten through
grade Ten.
Students in Kindergarten through Grade Two attend one day a week and this program has a special rate both for members of the Congregation and for non-members.
Students in Grades Three to Seven attend two days a week, Tuesdays from 4:15 to 6:15 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Religious School will open on Tuesday, September 7.
The Confirmation Program meets Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
For further information, please call Ezra-Habonim, the Niles Township Jewish Congregation at 847-675-4141 or go the web site at www.ehnt.org