Education
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
2009/2010 School Year
Religious School Goals
Sunday School
Hebrew Instruction
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Training
Our Staff
Registration Information
Religious School Registration Form (PDF)
Religious School Flyer (PDF)
TBT RELIGIOUS SCHOOL GOALS
Central Oregon may not be a mecca of Jewish tradition and culture, but that fact only makes our religious educators more committed to teaching our children what it means to be Jewish.
Temple Beth Tikvah strives to encourage curiosity, compassion and creativity among students of all ages. Our curriculum includes study of holidays, customs, ceremonies, theology and prayer, ethics and values, Hebrew and Torah, Jewish history and Israel.
Our goals include helping our students:
Develop a strong Jewish identity
Recite prayers with comprehension
Apply Jewish ethics and thought to their own lives
Learn the rituals and meaning of Shabbat, holidays and festivals
Read Hebrew and value it as the language that binds the Jewish people together through generations
Learn about Israel’s history, geography, and modern life
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Our Sunday School meets twice a month from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Bend. Classes begin September 13th. Students are welcome to join at any point during the school year.
Classes are co-taught with Rabbi Alan Berg using the Chai curriculum developed by the Union for Reform Judaism. Hebrew is integrated into each classroom in an age-appropriate way through games, songs, and terminology.
The Chai program focuses classroom learning on three primary values that have lifetime meaning for all Jews: Torah, Avodah (the work we do to find sacred connections to God, community and self) and G’milut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness).
We offer four classes:
Parent/Grandparent and Me
This fun, upbeat class is for toddlers, ages 1-3, and their parent or grandparent. Each session includes singing, an art or cooking activity, snacks & "Shabbat", and indoor play time. In our supportive environment, children, parents and grandparents form new and lasting friendships. Project design is flexible enough to meet the abilities and interests of both the younger and older children in this class.
Kindergarten
Students in our kindergarten class (ages 4 – 5) will participate in a variety of hands-on activities. Class will include singing, stories, Judaic craft projects, and learning about the different Jewish holidays.
Grades 1-2
Students will learn about lessons from the Torah and how they translate into their daily lives. They will learn about Jewish celebrations and stories, and how they can help to make the world a better place by performing acts of g’milut chasadim.
Grades 3-5
Students will further study lessons from the Torah, working toward applying these lessons to their Judaic lives. They will practice prayer, focusing on meaning and strengthening their connection to the Jewish people and to Israel. As young Jews, they will see how they have a responsibility to perform acts of g'milut chasadim for the people they encounter in our daily lives.
Following are the Sunday School dates for the 2009/2010 school year.
Sunday School Calendar, 2009/2010
September: 13, 27 (Yom Kippur children’s service)
October: 11 (Sukkot), 25
November: 8, 15
December: 6, 13 (Hanukkah)
January: 10, 24 (Tu B’Shvat)
February: 14, 28 (Purim)
March: 14, 28
April: 11, 25
May: 2, 16
June: 6
HEBREW INSTRUCTION
Our Hebrew classes meet weekly on Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., upstairs at Dudley’s Bookshop Café in downtown Bend, 135 NW Minnesota Ave., Bend, OR 97701. Classes begin September 16th.
Hebrew Classes will use the Mitkadem curriculum developed by the Union for Reform Judaism.
The Mitkadem curriculum is a stimulating, five-year program beginning with Hebrew letter recognition and decoding skills, and progressing to a series of blessings, prayers and ritual observance. The Mitkadem program is self-paced and divided into levels based on students' Hebrew competence level rather than grade level.
Temple Beth Tikvah offers two Hebrew classes for students in 2nd grade and above: basic and intermediate.
Following are the Hebrew instruction dates for the 2009/2010 school year.
Hebrew Instruction Calendar, 2009/2010
September: 16, 23, 30
October: 7, 14, 21, 28
November: 4, 11, 18
December: 2, 9, 16
January: 6, 13, 20, 27
February: 3, 10, 17, 24
March: 3, 10, 17, 31
April: 7, 14, 21, 28
May: 5, 12, 19, 26
June: 2, 9
BAR/BAT MITZVAH TRAINING
Becoming a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah is an occasion of great joy. Rabbi Berg looks forward to meeting with our families to plan their special Shabbat service and provide guidance throughout the year leading up to the bar/bat mitzvah. Working with Rabbi Berg and TBT member Alex Charney Cohen, students in our Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparation program participate in Judaic and Hebrew studies. Classes focus on learning prayers and building a connection to Jewish life. Students also attend our weekly Hebrew classes to further their understanding of the language, and help to lead school-wide tefilah prayers as they get ready for their Bar and/or Bat Mitzvah. In addition, the students attend religious school.
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL STAFF
Allison Cogen, Education Director
Before moving to Bend, Allison served as Vice Principal at Ray A. Kroc Middle School in San Diego and prior to that, taught humanities at the San Diego Jewish Academy. She earned her Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of San Diego and has an Administrative Services Credential for California and Oregon, in addition to a Secondary Teaching Credential in Social Studies.
Allison moved to Bend in 2007 from San Diego with her husband, Drew. They have a 1-year-old son, Owen. She can be reached at allisoncogen@gmail.com.
Rabbi Alan Berg
Rabbi Berg travels to Bend each month for three full days to lead our congregation. Our Sunday school schedule coincides with Rabbi Berg’s visits, enabling him to co-teach our older students as well as help lead our school-wide assembly period. Rabbi Berg also works with our bar/bat mitzvah students.
Formerly Senior Rabbi of Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, California, and of Temple Anshe Amunim in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Rabbi Berg lives in Portland. Click here for his complete bio.
Jeremy & Rebecca Cohen, Teachers
Jeremy is both co-teacher of our "Kindergarten" class and our Sunday School's guitar-playing music leader. Jeremy lives and teaches middle-school language arts in Eugene. He has been teaching for over 15 years at all levels, from elementary through university. He also has been involved in summer camping for over 20 years, recently as the assistant director of Camp Sabra, an overnight camp in southern Missouri for Jewish youth. He has also served as the advisor to the Eugene B’nai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO), a social organization for Jewish teens. Jeremy brings a love of education, storytelling and music playing everywhere he goes and is known throughout Eugene as “Jamboree Jeremy” for his fun-filled literacy nights at local schools. Jeremy also answers to Pop-pop, especially from his 3 year-old daughter, Jori.
Rebecca Cohen teaches our 1st and 2nd graders. She has spent the last 15 years educating in both Jewish and secular communities. She has taught pre-K through high school classes in Jewish education in Eugene and Aspen, Colorado. Rebecca also taught a synagogue-based kindergarten in Eugene, and served as the City Coordinator and advisor to B’nai Brith Youth Organization. Rebecca is a licensed Special Ed teacher and School Counselor, and she counsels in a Eugene elementary school and runs an after-school literacy program for underserved youth. When not educating, Rebecca is in her studio creating the latest designs for Hand Full, her organic, children’s clothing company.
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Tully Ellsberg, Teacher
Tully shares the teaching of our "Parent/Grandparent and Me" class for toddlers. A founding member of Temple Beth Tikvah, Tully has taught and worked with children of all ages for over 25 years , including four years teaching Hebrew at the Jewish Community of Central Oregon. Tully loves to sing and finds her greatest joy in teaching the kids new song and rhythms.
Mallory Metzger, Teacher
TBT's instructor of third and fourth graders, Mallory moved from Indiana to Bend January 2009 to finish an internship for her Masters of Public Health. She is now an Americorps member at the Deschutes County Health Services, working as a health educator in several local schools. Mallory emphasizes volunteerism and social justice as foundations of Judaism. She grew up a small, close-knit Jewish community in Massachusetts, where she was active in her synagogue and in the United Synagogue Youth. She has worked with children of all ages at summer camps.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Temple Beth Tikvah provides tuition discounts for families with multiple children who are simultaneously enrolled. Our fees include books and materials.
*Important Note:
To enroll in TBT Religious School, families must be TBT members. However, for the 2009/2010 school year, Temple Beth Tikvah is waiving our $750 membership fee for new families who enroll children in our religious school. Families need only fill out the TBT membership form, found here.
In addition, for the 2009/2010 school year, Religious School tuition will be waived for current TBT members.
Sunday School tuition
First child: $150
Second child: $125
Additional children: $115
Hebrew Instruction tuition
First child: $180
Second child: $150
Additional children: $140
To register for our Religious School, please fill out the Registration Form and send it to Temple Beth Tikvah, P.O. Box 7472, Bend, OR 97708 with your enrollment check.
