Rodef+Sholom+(San+Rafael,+CA)

**Rodef Sholom, San Rafael, CA (Reform, 1150 household units)**
[|Website] Rodef Sholom continues a fourth year of “//Kol HaMishpacha//,” an alternative to the traditional religious school model, in which entire families elect to participate in //havurot// committed to regular study, consistent home and communal Shabbat, holiday observance, and the creation of a shared tikkun olam project. The first //kvutzah//, Chalutzim, which meets two Sundays and one Erev Shabbat monthly continues into it's fourth year. Eight of the original twelve original families are continuing and two new families will join them. In the fourth year Chalutzim will focus on Israel and Hebrew. Family Hebrew study has been quite successful, even the toddlers can identify Hebrew letters. We started a second Sunday afternoon group this year, Rimonim. These 10 families are working with a revised version of the values curriculum __Family Room__ by Vicky Kelman.Three //kvutzot// now meet on Shabbat mornings including Tot Shabbat, which is an unofficial part of Kol HaMishpacha. Tot Shabbat meets twice monthly with their own written curriculum. They join with other groups on "Shabbat Morning Community Days". Kol HaMishpacha Gesher (6th and 7th grade) also meet on Shabbat mornings. 25 families with children in 7th grade meet for 18 Shabbat mornings to learn the meaning and holiness of the B'nai Mitzvah passage. This class is taught by a team of Rabbis and master teachers. Dan Nichols, our musicial Artist-in-Residence enriches and enlivens the Shabbat morning experience. After their class Gesher families join the main service and when there is no Bar/Bat Mitzvah in the main sanctuary, the congregation joins us in an effort to integrate the silos. Dan Nichols, our musical Artist-in-Residence enriches and enlivens the Shabbat experience both Friday nights and Shabbat mornings. Dan also brings music to the Sunday groups.

Three new innovations for the fourth year: 1. 6th grade KH group that meets on Shabbat morning with a Tefilah focus. 2. Three Community Shabbat mornings, when everyone who learns and prays on shabbat morning will come together for song and prayer. 3. A new KH group with a focus on Tikun Olam is now meeting on sunday mornings. They meet one time monthly to study and one time monthly to do acts of tikum olam. This year, so far, they have cleaned up a local creek, participated in a project of the local homeless shelter, learned about and debated Rambam's ladder of justice. This kvutzah follows the usual KH meeting pattern,(family learning, adult centered learning and child centered learning with the curriculum being Tikun Olam.

Three years ago we began with 13 families. Today there are 75 families participating in this innovation. //Kol HaMishpacha// is an intergenerational initiative in which the whole family comes together for a shared communal experience of Jewish learning and Jewish living. To get an example of how Kol HaMishpacha has become institutionalized at Rodef Sholom, take a look at our web site, [|www.rodefsholom.org]. Click on learning and see how Kol HaMishpacha is woven into the learning site. This is a work in progress. As we continue to grow, we ask ourselves how do we meet the needs of all our families, ensure the quality of the program and make sure we are connecting families to each other and the congregation without creating more silos.?

170 N. San Pedro Road San Rafael, CA 94903

Rabbi Michael Lezak mlezak@rodefsholom.org Irene Resnikoff Irene@rodefsholom.org

Publicity & Marketing Materials:
//1. Informational materials for Kol HaMishpacha//**:**

//2. Kol HaMispacha Flyer://

//3. Kol HaMispacha Ad://

4. Material presented by Amy Kassiola at a BJE Family Education program

5. Our registration forms this year include 2 options. Parents can choose the traditional classroom option or Kol HaMishpacha:





6. The local Jewish paper featured Kol HaMishpacha as an example of Synagogues engaging seniors.



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Curriculum overview 2009-2010
As part of our new curriculum initiative we are looking at the traditional school curriculum and the Kol HaMishpacha curriculum side by side. Note there is not KH curriculum for year 5. It is in the development stages. The group going into year 5 has decided to continure learning KH style and, at least part of their curriculum will be based on the new Hazon food curriculum.



Rodef Sholom - Mifgash Lesson Plan - In The Image Of God
===An example of lesson plans used in Kol HaMishpacha. This one originated in Family Room by Vicky Kelman.At the end of this Mifgash (meeting) the families begin learning about project NIGHT NIGHT. Families will bring "good night" supplies for children in shelters. The project supplies NIGHT NIGHT bags.===

===Rodef Sholom - KH In The Hood-- This offshoot of KH is currently on Haitus. We need to do further visioning as to how to make this an integrated part of the whole. Kol HaMishpacha has generated its first off shoot. Parents came to the Rabbi and Director of Education with a request to create a version of Kol HaMishpacha that was tailored to the needs of their families. All these families live in the same neighborhood. Thus the name "in the Hood".===

===Rodef Sholom - Parent-Teacher Communications The teacher of Kol HaMishpacha Ivrit keeps in weeklly e-mail contact with her families. This is especially helpful when a family misses a class. She finds that families use her e-mails to review material and respond to her with their questions or concerns.===

Rodef Sholom - Booklist One of the goals of Kol HaMishpacha is to help families begin their Jewish Library.
===Rodef Sholom - Photos Some photos of families working together during Kol HaMishpacha mifgashim (meetings). These are photos from both Chalutziim, our pioneer group and Habonim, our newest group. New pictures of our Family Education Teachers Seminar Aug.08 Pictures of Kol HaMishpacha Ivrit visit to the Brayshit exhibit at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. Yom HaAtzmaut 2009 all the KH families celebrated together. Here are some photos that show the diversity of the group and parent child interaction.===

Materials developed relating to systemic congregational change:




Adult Education material that includes Friday night Shabbat table. In year 4 the Shabbat Table will focus on and engage KH families.



Rodef Sholom - Families Growing Strong



This is the job description for our KH coordinator. Her job is dynamic and continues to grow and change as the program changes. We are currently working on a updated job description for 1009-1010. Tzedaka Box

Presentation to Synagogue board in the first year of the LH grant.




 * Presentation at 2007 LHIP seminar:

Newest KH Group:



Best practices:**