Living Jewishly
Kids’
Programming at Aitz Hayim is about
Participation,
Learning and Family Involvement
We want our children to love being Jewish, to feel comfortable in a synagogue, and to be ready for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. We want them to feel at home in Israel and to experience everyday life with a Jewish perspective. We want them to learn more than we did and to have more fun doing it.
That’s
why Aitz Hayim is such a kid-friendly place.
Children are always welcome to come into services to hold the Torah and
to share in a special kids group aliyah.
Whatever
they seem to be doing, children are absorbing what goes on. They go home
singing niggunim and even learning the words.
On Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur we have plentiful food and lots of games and
activities. We have a number of
childcare people for children over three.
From 10:30 AM to Noon, we offer creative holiday experiential learning
divided by age that includes singing, stories, crafts, drama, games and a
special mitzvah project.
On Sukkot
children decorate the Aitz Hayim sukkah located at a member’s home where we
have services. On Simhat Torah they
make their own flags and join with a Klezmer Band in dance after dance. When we unroll the entire Torah they find
special places they relate to and help hold it up. Our Family Chanukah Dinner involves adults and kids in
singing, Israeli dancing, a mitzvah project and a community
candlelighting. On Tu B’Shevat,
the community, young and old, experience the outdoors and lunch. At Purim kids appreciate the story of
the creative Megillah, while adults chuckle at the sophisticated meanings. Shavuot is the culmination of our
family activity year as we celebrate in a camp surrounding. There are special programs for children and
an unlimited number of games, scavenger hunts and sports.
Our Tot Shabbat is on the first Shabbat of each month. It is volunteer led and is packed with singing, dancing, stories, Torah marches, discussions, crafts and food.