Beth+El+of+So.+Orange+County+(Aliso+Viejo,+CA)


 * __Beth El of South Orange County__****, Aliso Viejo, CA (Reform, 614 household units)**
 * “Bayit to Bayit”**

Bayit To Bayit is a Jewish engagement experience for families which serves as an alternative to our traditional Religious School. Families participating in this alternative track engage in at least one communal Shabbat or one holiday celebration each month, in addition to two Sunday learning programs at the synagogue. The programming involves joint and parallel learning for adults and children, providing age-appropriate Jewish experiences at the synagogue and support for home activities and observances. Outside of the synagogue, Bayit To Bayit activities include weekly electronic materials for family study and discussion at home, social action projects and chavurah activities. Non-Bayit To Bayit adult congregants are encouraged to attend the adult study sessions on Bayit To Bayit Sundays. Bayit To Bayit adult participants are encouraged to attend synagogue adult education programming. Bayit To Bayit-style Shabbat experiences have expanded to include the rest of the congregation through Synaplex, Religious School, family education days and connection with our synagogue Hinenu Caring Committee and Green Team. For the 2009-2010 school year, the entire Religious School population will participate in the Shabbat, holiday, social action and electronic study aspects of Bayit To Bayit.

Temple Beth El of South Orange County 2A Liberty Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

Reform Contact: Linda R. Kirsch, RJE lindatbe@aol.com lkirsch@templebethelsoc.org

Rabbi Peter Levi rabbilevi@templebethelsoc.org

Rabbi Heather Miller rabbimiller@templebethelsoc.org


 * Informational and Marketing Materials **
 * __YEAR THREE__**

**__ //Publicity Trifold// __**

This is the updated version of our Bayit To Bayit publicity trifold brochure. It is distributed at registration time each year as a way of publicizing Bayit to Bayit and our annual sample B2B program. Each year, on the first Sunday in May, we plan a program that "looks like" a Bayit To Bayit Sunday for the entire school community so that everyone can sample the type of day of B2B families regularly experience. This will often encourage new enrollments. Another version of the brochure is available during the course of the school year and is updated from time-to-time to highlight special Bayit To Bayit events. This links to a copy that advertises the Twinning weekend that B2B shared with our local mosque.

(Publicity Presentations) 
 * Shabbat Chai Power Point**

[|**B2B brochure 2009-10 - Twinning.doc**]

[|Preschoolers.JPG] [|//**Taghreed_and_Beth.JPG**//]

__**//Calendar and curriculum:// [|POSTED BAYIT TO BAYIT CALENDAR AND CURRICULUM.doc]

EMPOWERING JEWISH JOURNEYS PROGRAM GUIDE**__

The cover photographs show Bayit To Bayit in action. Pages 7 and 21 describe B2B activities.

[|2009 TBESOC PROGRAM CATALOG.pdf]

[|**SuggestedRevisionsforFall09(asPDF).pdf**]

[|**SURVEY - fW Important Request from Temple Beth El South Orange County'.htm**]

[|Fall Survey 2009 data.csv]

[|**BethElFA09SurveyAnalysis.pdf**]

Parent Letter re. survey:

[|Letter from Parent.doc]


 * //__Required Focus Group:__ //**

The Focus Group is scheduled to meet on December 1. The link to the invitation appears below:

[|**FOCUS GROUP INVITATION.htm**]

**//__ Mitzvah Day Communication __//**

[|Mitzvah Day TY Letter.doc]

[|**Thank you from Tree Grove site.doc**]

Spring Mitzvah Day communications:


 * //__ Notes From Meeting With Consultant __//**



This year we transformed our previous Junior Choir into a Family Choir for families in Bayit To Bayit as well as families participating in the traditonal Religous School program.
 * //__Family Choir Invitation__//**



​ //__**Reform Judaism Magazine article**__// Bayit To Bayit Year-End Summary:__** //sent to participating families at the end of the school year.//
 * __[[file:Reform Judaism Magazine - Funding Unlikely Dollars, Unfettered Dreams.mht]]




 * __YEAR TWO__**



Year End Logic Model Outline:


 * __//Initial Surveys://__**

We conducted two surveys at the beginning of the school year. The first one was the brief 10 question survey required by LHIP. We sent it out through Constant Contact which is the emailing system we use for our newsletters and surveys. The second survey was a longer 2 page survey, designed by our evaluator and modeled after the one we used last year. Our evaluator wanted to send that one out again to have a basis of comparison between the two years that we have had the grant so far.

Survey sent through Constant Contact:

Survey prepared by Dr. Sharon Seidman, evaluator: Survey Data analysis

//**__Year End Family Activity Survey__**// (sent through Constant Contact to Bayit To Bayit families as well as entire congregation and using required Legacy questions):


 * __CONGREGATIONAL BRIT





__**


 * __ ACTIVITIES CATALOGUE





BOARD RETREAT__**

In previous years, we had an annual Board Retreat on a Sunday with participation by the senior professional staff. For the past two years, we have had the opportunity to spend part of the time at the retreat discussing our Bayit To Bayit initiative. This year, as our initiative continues to be more systemic and expands to touch more areas of the synagogue community, we moved the retreat to Shabbat. We invited Dr. Ron Wolfson to be our Shabbat scholar and consultant at the retreat and work with with our board, professional staff and lay leadership help us with our work as we move towards being a more welcoming and inclusive synagogue community. The attached letter was sent to prospective participants as an invitation. More than 50 people attended the Shabbaton and spent the day with Dr. Wolfson in Shabbat worship, Torah study and conversation about the work we need to do with synagogue community in the areas of ambiance, membership and worship.



Director of Education Linda Kirsch with lay leaders Debbie Green and Lori Covey

Rabbi Peter Levi with consultant Dr. Ron Wolfson

Three task forces were developed as a result of the work that was done at the Shabbaton: Welcoming Membership; Welcoming Ambience: Welcoming Worship. Prior to the first meeting of the task forces, participants read the appropriate sections of Dr. Ron Wolfson's book: //The Spirituality of Welcoming: How to Transform Your Congregation into a Sacred Community (//Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock, VT, ISBN-13: 978-1-58023-244-9)

__**//Temple Talk (newsletter) article//**__

Our monthly newsletter is distributed to more than 700 households in two ways: it is mailed by regular "snail mail" and it is posted on our Temple website ([|www.tbesoc.org]). The December issue highlights, on the first page, the retreat Shabbaton in an article written by our Temple president, Alan Fenning. It includes photographs and gives credit to Legacy for the grant that made it possible for Dr. Ron Wolfson to work with our congregation.






 * __//Parent Letters//__**

1. Invitation to our pre-High Holy Day Shabbat camping trip:



2. Sukkot Family Assignment Letter:



3. Shabbat morning invitiation:



Our December Shabbat morning program, consisting of worship, learning and a Shabbat meal, was expanded to include the members of our Shabbat morning Torah study group (made up of 30-40 adults who have been meeting weekly to study Torah together each Shabbat morning for about 10 years).


 * __//Conference call outline//

__

Response to email question after the call:



__//Biennial Invitation//__** Director of Education Linda Kirsch has been invited to be a presenter at the URJ Pacific Southwest Regional Biennial and discuss the Bayit To Bayit initiative.




 * __//Required Focus Group://__**

The Focus Group met on December 2 and was facilitated by Dr. Joan S. Kaye. The link to the summary of our meeting appears here:



We have worked on a plan to adapt a portion of our Bayit To Bayit to our traditional Religious School education. Prior to finalizing these changes, we convened two focus groups of Religious School parents and Board representatives.
 * __//Religious School Focus Group://__**






 * __ //Publicity Piece// __**

This publicity piece appeared in the 2009 Community and Business Directory of the Jewish Federation of Orange County.




 * __ //Publicity Trifold// __**

This is the updated version of our annual Bayit To Bayit publicity trifold brochure. It is distributed at registration time each year as a way of publicizing Bayit to Bayit and our annual sample B2B program. Each year, on the first Sunday in May, we plan a program that "looks like" a Bayit To Bayit Sunday for the entire school community so that everyone can sample the type of day of B2B families regularly experience. This will often encourage new enrollments.



//**__2009 Legacy Seminar__**//

Presentations:



Materials for distribution:
 * __[[file:YR END One Paragraph B2B description.doc]]



YEAR ONE__**

Handout from 2007 LHIP seminar Presentation to Board introducing B2B prior to grant application

Publicity trifold - We distributed this trifold brochure as a way of publicizing Bayit to Bayit and "Journey To Torah", our sample B2B program. Even after "Journey To Torah" had taken place, we had copies of the trifold available throughout the synagogue so people could refer to it for B2B information.

Planning meeting with consultant 7-18-07 Planning meeting 2 with consultant 8-13-07 B2B Faculty Meeting with Vicky Kelman, consultant

B2B Brit (the commitment that we make to our families and that they make to us as part of the Bayit to Bayit program - each family's completed document will be included in their family journal).

B2B Initial Survey - This survey was developed by our evaluator, Dr. Sharon Seidman, and was distributed in early September and completed by equal number of B2B participating families and non-B2B families -

B2B Initial Survey Means

B2B Sample Evaluation Survey (This survey was developed by the B2B faculty and was sent by email to the participating families after first Sunday session)

B2B Midyear Survey: Families will be asked to complete and return this survey at the end of December to assess their reaction to the B2B experience after the first four months.

Spring Bayit To Bayit calendar sent to families:

Ad for Orange County Jewish Journal publicizing our Early Childhood Center, traditional Religious School and Bayit to Bayit. Photograph on left is from the ECC; photograph on right is Bayit To Bayit teacher Ken Devor and one of his students at a B2B session.

New Publicity Trifold Brochure is our marketing tool, publicizing Bayit To Bayit as it continues into it''s second year. It also advertises "Tour Israel With The Animals", our Yom HaAtzmaut celebration.

A task force was formed to address the topic of intergenerational High Holy Day worship. Members of the task force were selected from Bayit To Bayit and non-Bayit To Bayit families. The task force met several times and developed a survey which was approved by the senior staff and distributed to the entire congregation through Constant Contact, which tabulated the results. Our evaluator was asked to review the results of the survey. The results are included here.

Year End Survey: developed by our evaluator, Dr. Sharon Seidman, based on the survey she distributed at the beginning of the school year. This was distributed during May to an equal number of Bayit To Bayit and non-Bayit To Bayit families. She will evaluate the data when it is complete.

This document shows the results of the year-end survey.

Summer Faculty Training: This letter was sent to our faculty to invite them to a 3 day summer training session. 2 of the days are for the full faculty. The third day is specifically geared to Bayit To Bayit faculty, although the entire faculty is invited to attend.



//__**Parent Letters**__// B2B Welcome Letter (sent to all registered families prior to our first official session)

B2B Sukkot Invitation - This was sent to all of the Bayit to Bayit families, inviting them to celebrate Sukkot at the home of another B2B family

Parent Letter - Rick Recht visit: In addition to working with the B2B families on Worship and Spirituality, we arranged for Rick to lead tefilah and a shirah for the entire school community. This provided an opportunity for the Bayit To Bayit families to be part of the broader school community and for the traditional religious school community to interact with our B2B families.

Parent Letter - Offsite Mitzvah work: On January 13, the four Bayit To Bayit chavurot went to three different local sites to participate in special mitzvah activities in the community. We did planting a nearby bay, planting and restoration at a fire damaged bird sanctuary and cleanup at a local hiking trail.

__//**Temple Bulletin Articles**//__ The deadline for the monthly articles is the 5th of the previous month (ex. May bulletin deadline is April 5).

May 2007: This article was submitted in April after we applied for the grant but before we were notified that we were recipients and was printed in the May issue of "Temple Talk".

July/August 2007: This article was submitted in June after we returned from the June seminar in New Jersey and was printed in the summer issue of the Temple bulletin.

December 2007: This article is the midyear update for the congregation to see what B2B has been doing since school began in September.

June 2007: This article is for the upcoming June issue.


 * //__Logic Model__//:** Our evaluator, Dr. Sharon Seidman of California State University at Fullerton, has been working with us to develop our logic model. It is a work in progress. [[file:b2blogicmodel10-31-07.pdf]]

** Educational Materials and Best Practices ** ​
 * __ YEAR THREE __**
 * //__ Shabbat Vayelech __//**

[|**vayelech study.pdf**]

//**__What Are Middot?__**//

[|**K-2 What Are Middot.doc**]

//**__Shmirat ha Guf__**//

[|**Shmirat Ha Guf Quiz.html**]

[|Shmirat quiz answers.doc]

[|**Gr. K-2 Shmirat Ha Guf.docx**]

[|**Shmirat ha Guf - gr. 3,4.doc**]

[|ShimiratHaGuf Gr. 5-7.doc]

//**__Hachnasat Orchim - Hospitality__**//

[|Hachnasat Orchim outline.doc]

[|**hospitality - Adult study.pdf**]**__​__**

[|**Hachnasat Orchim Gr. 3,4.doc**]

//**__

Shiru L'Adonai__**//

[|**Outline for December 6 Planning Day.doc**]





Our families studied Psalm 150 and then added their own words, melodies and created original musical instruments. At our Hanukkah shirah, some of the familes sang their psalm for the congregation.

[|**P1040690.JPG**]

//__**Sukkot**__//

[|Sukkot - Gr. 3,4.doc]


 * __[|Sukkot-gR. 5-7 WelcomingGuests10-04-2009.doc]

//Mitzvah Day//__**

Bayit To Bayit and the Religious School joined together in an offsite Mitzvah Day. We divided our group and sent them to several different locations in the community to participate in tikkun olam.


 * [|7723_548969398782_2104713_32302050_5200721_n.jpg]

[|DSC_0671.JPG]

Tu B'Shevat - Bayit To Bayit Families celebrated Tu B'Shevat with a family seder at the synagogue.





Anavah - Humility





Ometz Lev - Courage











Emet



Simcha - Rejoicing - Pesach



Hineinu Day

YIrah - Awe and Reverence



Lag B'Omer



YEAR TWO **

//__ **Torah At Home** __// Our weekly Torah study and discussion questions has expanded in this, our second year, beyond the Bayit To Bayit community. This year, it is sent to the entire Religious School population.





__//**Music Curriculum**//__

An addition to our programming in our second year is a regular music session each time our Bayit To Bayit families are at the Temple. The music curriculum is based on the material that will be taught in those sessions.




 * //__ God's Covenant With Noah __//**

Our curriculum this year expands last year's Shabbat and Holiday focus under the big idea of Covenant. Our first classroom session was built around the covenant that God had with Noah.











//**__Rainbow Covenant__**//

This project sets goals for the participating families to achieve as part of the covenant that they have committed to in bringing Temple life and home life together. As they complete an activity in each of the segments, they post a photograph or other artifact on our rainbow display wall.

Full description of project as distributed to participating families:



__



Nineteen of our Bayit To Bayit families, along with Rabbi Peter Levi and guest Cantor Richard Schwartz spent Shabbat at O'Neill Regional Park, camping out and celebrating Shabbat in the beautiful California outdoors on the weekend prior to Rosh Hashana.
 * // Shabbat Camp Out //**__

//**__Covenant At Sinai__**//










 * //__ Sukkot Home Celebrations __//**

For the second consecutive year, we planned a home Sukkot celebration. This year, our four Bayit To Bayit chavurot were divided among the homes of three B2B families. Each home was staffed by two B2B faculty members and the Director of Education visited all three locations. At each location, the participants made sukkah decorations, did a short text study, heard a Sukkot midrash, shared a pot luck meal and did the blessings with lulav and etrog.





Sample of family assignment letter:



__**// Creation and the Garden Of Eden //**

__

Adam and Eve Power Point Presentation: Making Good Choices //This Power Point Presentation was put together by one of our eighth graders, who worked with the faculty on the content.

[[file:adamandeve[3.ppt]]//

This material was used in our **__adult study__** for the adult individual learning. This year, the Bayit To Bayit individual adult learning has expanded to become Journeys In Genesis, to which all adult members of the congregation are invited.





Lesson Plans:








 * //__ Fall Mitzvah Activity - offsite __//**








 * //__Havdalah__//**

The curriculum topic for our first havdalah gathering for this school year focuses on the Abraham stories. Last year, our B2B families painted ceramic havdalah sets to take home, along with a candle, spices and the book //A Day Apart: Shabbat At Home// by Noam Sachs Zion and Shawn Fields-Meyer. We asked them to bring their havdalah sets with them when they came to our B2B Havdalah evening.











__Havdalah Home Service__ - Each family received a specially designed booklet to take home to use for family havdalah.






 * //__ Hanukkah Unit __//**

__//**Adult study material:**//__






 * //__Lesson plans:__//**






 * //__ Shabbat Morning __//**

Outline of program for the morning:

Shabbat Service was projected on a screen for the participants

Adult study material:

//**__ Torah: The Jacob Stories __**//

Faculty material:

Family Lesson:




 * // __Shalom Bayit and the Joseph Stories__ //**




 * //__ Hinenu and Bikkur Cholim __//**






 * //__ Purim __//**




 * //__ Faith: The Exodus Story __//**

In this unit of study, we explored seeing the image of God in ourselves and in others.

Grades 3 and 4 study material and lesson plan:



Upper grade study material and lesson plan:

Adult study material:



Family program: [[file:March 15th - Faith-The Exodus Story.doc] __**//Preparing For Passover//**__ [[file:Preparing for Passover.doc]]




 * //__ Spring Mitzvah Activity - offsite __//**









__Text study__:






 * //__Israel - Yom Ha'Atzmaut__//**

Students meet with Rabbi Tamar Kolberg from our sister synagogue, Kehilat Ra'anan in Israel.



//__**Big Sunday event for Bayit To Bayit and traditional Religious School Families**








 * Final Review**__//

Jewpardy game: Grades 3-5 Covenant review:


 * __ YEAR ONE

//Journey to Torah://__** Our Journey To Torah program was our way of promoting and introducing Bayit To Bayit to the entire school and synagogue community. We planned a sample program and sent the Jewish Jeopardy Game in advance via email as a "teaser".
 * B2B Home Study Materials - Jewish Jeopardy Game - [[file:JourneytoTorahJeopardyGame.ppt]]
 * B2B Intro Program - Journey To Torah [[file:B2B intro - Journey To Torah program.doc]]
 * Program Evaluation - distributed to participants at end of Journey To Torah program [[file:B2B Journey2Torah Eval.doc]]

//__**Torah At Home:**__// Torah At Home is an email communication, sent each Monday to the Bayit to Bayit families and faculty. It includes a summary of the weekly Torah portion and some discussion questions or ideas for family conversation, along with the calendar of upcoming B2B events.
 * Sample Torah At Home e-study piece 1 [[file:TAH Chayei Sarah.htm]]
 * Sample Torah At Home e-study piece 2 [[file:Torah At Home - Vayishlach.html]]
 * Sample Torah At Home e-study piece 3 [[file:Torah At Home - Kedoshim.html]]

Each Sunday session includes one hour of adult study with the rabbi while the children are studying in grade level groupings with teachers as facilitators. The materials included below represent the texts that Rabbi Levi used for his adult sessions.
 * //__Adult Study Materials:__//**

This was used as introductory material to Torah study for our adult learners.

The Ushpizin texts were used in preparation for our Sukkot session.

This material was used at our pre-Shabbat session.

This was the text study for our Shabbat morning sesssion.

This material was used for text study and discussion for the adult sessions that were part of our tzedakah and mitzvot unit.

This is the text study material for the adult segment of our kashrut, ecokashrut and environmental usint.

This material was used at our Shabbat morning Torah study for Terumah.

This text study was chosen for our Yom Ha Atzmaut program.

//__**Family Journals:**__// An important ongoing project for our Bayit to Bayit families is the Family Journal, which will allow them to keep a personalized record of their experiences in this year, and hopefully future years, of learning together. (photos included) These photos document the process of journal covers being created.

//**__Sukkot:__**//

//__**Shabbat:**__// In preparation for our first Bayit to Bayit Shabbat morning service, we devoted the previous Sunday session to Shabbat learning and preparation. These lesson plans include programs from that Sunday as well as from our Shabbat morning session.
 * Shabbat Unit - Blessing Lesson Plan [[file:Shabbat unit-Lesson Plan for Torah Study bracha.doc]]
 * Shabbat Unit - Torah Lesson Plan (includes photos) [[file:Shabbat session - gr. 3-6.doc]]
 * Shabbat Unit - Challah Cover Lesson (includes photo) - The challah covers were painted with dyes created from vegetables and fruits - (Prep) As a note, in addition to each family having a challah cover to take and use at home, our families made extras: some to keep at the synagogue for use at our Bayit To Bayit and Congregational Shabbat dinners, and another 50 to be donated for use at the Shabbat dinner at the URJ Biennial which was held in San Diego in mid-December. [[file:Shabbat session prep - Challah Covers.doc]]
 * Shabbat Unit - Prep session schedule [[file:Shabbat session prep - schedule.doc]]
 * Shabbat Unit - Prep session - Lesson for grade 3 [[file:Shabbat session prep - gr. 3 lesson.doc]]

Our final Bayit To Bayit Shabbat dinner for this school year was preceded by a musical Kabbalat Shabbat congregational service. The B2B families attended the pre-service oneg and the service along with the general congregation. After the service the B2B families shared a pot luck Shabbat dinner with one another. At the dinner tables, the families used the Beha'alotcha study material to discuss how to show compassion to one another.

//__**Mitzvot and Tzedakah:**__//

We devoted three sessions this fall to the theme of Mitzvot and Tzedakah because each of our Bayit to Bayit chavurot is responsible for choosing a group or individual mitzvah project and also for becoming a tzedakah collective.
 * Family Sponge Activity: Mitzvah or Tzedakah? [[file:Mitzvah or Tzedakah Sponge Activity.doc]]
 * Student Lesson Plan - 4th and 5th grade (student only) learning - Bikkur Cholim [[file:BikkurCholim4thand5thlesson.doc]]
 * Bikkut Cholim Quiz: This quiz was a follow-up to the 4th and 5th grade lesson as well as something to spark discussion between the children and the parents when they came together after their individual sessions. [[file:BikkurCholim4thand5thlesson.doc]]
 * [[file:Gr.K-2 Mitzvot 10.21.07.doc]]
 * [[file:Gr.K-2 Family-Jacob&Esau 11.4.07.doc]]

//__**Pre-Chanukah Session;**__// In preparation for Chanukah, our theme was rekindling our Jewish identity, as individuals and families.

//__**Congregational Chanukah Celebration**__// The Bayit to Bayit familes attended the Chanukah Shabbat family service and celebration and participated with the rest of the congregation in games and candle lighting before the service. (includes photos)

//__**TuB'Shevat and the Environment**__// Our January sessions focused on the relationship that we, as Jews, have to our environment. Both sessions took place offsite.

On January 13, all families participated in mitzvah activities in the local community: cleaning the trail at Oso Viejo Park, planting at Newport Bay and at the Tucker Wilderness Bird Sanctuary (which had been damaged by recent fires). Text study at each activity consisted of hearing and discussing two stories which were read by faculty members. The January 27 session was a community program called "Leave Only Footprints". All B2B families attended and the organizers of the event provided two workshops especially geared for our group.

__//**Passover Preparation Sessions**//__



The Passover Experience event was designed for the traditional religious school family population. This year it was updated for the Bayit To Bayit population and the traditional fifth grade families.




 * //__Yom Ha Atzmaut Program__//**





__//**Shavuot and Jewish Summer Activities**//

__