West+End+Syn.+(New+York,+NY)

The congregation will expand some current pilot projects, developing a monthly Shabbat morning program for pre-B’nai Mitzvah children and their parents, adding a monthly Shabbat morning family service/program targeted to families with younger children, and developing four family-based learning and tikkun olam programs centered on holidays. These will be expanded to include additional opportunities for socializing, prayer, social action, and study emphasizing the value of Jewish traditions to daily life. While focusing on families with school-age children, the programs will be designed to attract diverse groups within the congregation.
 * West End Synagogue****, New York, NY (Reconstructionist, 307 househ****old units)**
 * “Bonim B’Yachad:** **Building Jewish Life Together”**

190 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10023 http://www.westendsynagogue.org

Rabbi Yael Ridberg yridberg@westendsynagogue.org

Bliss B. Siman Kerrymor@gmail.com

Sarah Chandler, Education Director schandler@westendsynagogue.org

**Summary of Our Project: 2007-2008 **
 1. Publicity/marketing materials: copies of any materials (letters, brochures, flyers, newsletter articles, d’rashot, sermons, newspaper articles, web articles, etc.) promoting participation in your initiative.

[|Brochure from our Recruitment Program] - includes write up of Nov. coat drive
 * September-December:**


 * January - May**

[[file:reminder email passover program.bmp]]
 


Shabbat Journeys 5th&6th: **   
 * 
 * Shabbat Journeys 3rd&4th: **

End of the year request to take our survey:   2. Educational materials: thumbnail descriptions and copies of any lesson plans, texts, syllabi, training materials, etc. you have used to date in implementing your approach

This event, which took place on the Shabbat during Sukkot, included the following components:
 * Taste of Bonim B'yachad Recruitment Event**: //**Like Water for Torah**//
 * Shabbat services
 * an interactive family service for children and parents
 * a lively discussion in place of the sermon in the main sanctuary service
 * A sample learning session taught by the Rabbi, Education Director, and one Hebrew school teacher who would also be teaching at Bonim B'yachad during the year. This learning session featured the style of learning that we use in Bonim B'yachad which is particularly interactive. [[file:Learning portion of Sept29 event.doc | Click here]] for the write up of the learning session.
 * an information session that included testimonials from people who participated in the program last year and a general Q&A

//The following three programs were compiled by a team comprised of Education Director, curriculum consultant, program facilitator, and committee members.// : Opening Session - Where did we come from, where are we going? - An introduction to our program and review of this year's themes : Living in two civilizations: An Exploration of Names : Prayer 1: From Temple to Rabbinic - The tension between Keva (fixed prayer) and Kavannah (intentions behind the prayer)
 * Shabbat Journeys for Pre-B’Nei Mitzvah Families**


 * Session 4: || Prayer 2: Reconstructionist Liturgical Innovation || Tradition versus innovation ||  ||   ||
 * Session 5 || God 1: Ideas of God in Judaism || Imminence versus transcendence ||  ||   ||
 * Session 6 || God 2: Reconstructionist concepts of God and Revelation || How does what we believe happened at Sinai influence how we practice Judaism today? ||  ||   ||
 * Session 7 || Shabbat: Embodied Prayer and Bringing it Home || How can we take what we learned this year and integrate it into our Jewish lives at home and in the synagogue? ||  ||   ||

//Our first session will take place on Saturday, January 12//. The schedule of each session will include a time for socializing, experiential learning and a Shabbat service. In each session, the learning experiences will be based on the weekly parasha and other Torah-related stories.
 * Shabbat Journeys for** **3rd&4th Grades and their Parents**
 * [[file:Session 1 (3rd&4th).doc]] || Opening session: Relationships with Torah/Introduction to the whole year ||
 * [[file:Session 2 (3rd&4th).doc]] || Relationship between ourselves and our history ||
 * [[file:Session 3 (3rd&4th).doc]] || Relationships between the synagogue and the home ||
 * [[file:Session 4 (3rd&4th).doc]] || Relationships within our community ||
 * Session 5 || Final session: Relationships between the synagogue and the larger world ||

Four Holiday-Based //Tikkun// //Olam// Programs: [|//Malbish Arumim//:Clothing the Naked - An Intergenerational Text Study] || || ||
 * //Bonim//** **//B'Yachad and Tikkun Olam://** **An Intergenerational Initiative**
 * Holiday || Thanksgiving || Tu Bishvat || Passover ||
 * Project || Coat drive & gift wrapping for school in Bronx || Greening the synagogue/WES members by assembling 'Eco-Go-Bags' || Immigration ||
 * General Theme || Relationships of gratitude between people and God and relationships of friendship, caring || relationships of caring and responsibility between people and the earth/environment (//Tu Bishevat//); || Relationships of caring and responsibility to Jews all over the world (//Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh BaZeh)// and to all peoples (//V’ahavtah L’reiacha Kamocha)// ||
 * Specific theme || Clothing the naked: Awareness compels action || Planting the Seeds of Our Future: A Tu Bishvat Journey || Connecting the story of Passover to modern day issues of immigration in the US ||
 * Files || [|Thanksgiving Themed Mincha]

The following four files are texts that we studied as openings to our meetings:
 * Taskforce Text Study**

3. Materials relating to systemic congregational change, such as training materials for lay leadership or staff. Educational Vision Statement

Summary of Our Project: 2008-2009
1. Publicity/marketing materials: copies of any materials (letters, brochures, flyers, newsletter articles, d’rashot, sermons, newspaper articles, web articles, etc.) promoting participation in your initiative. <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(91,13,191); font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(20,128,69); font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">

Emails about Shabbat Journeys for 3rd/4th Graders & Their parents <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(139,9,9); font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(20,128,69); font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Emails about Shabbat Journeys for 5th/6th Graders & Their parents <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(139,9,9); font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(140,13,13); font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">2. Educational materials: thumbnail descriptions and copies of any lesson plans, texts, syllabi, training materials, etc. you have used to date in implementing your approach Overarching curriculum:

//The following three programs were compiled by a team comprised of our// //program facilitator, David Fainsilber and// //Education Director// //Sarah Chandler.//
 * Shabbat Journeys for 5th&6th Graders and their Families**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Session 1: Session 2: Session 3 Session 4: Session 5: Session 6: Session 7:

//The following three programs were compiled by a team comprised of our// //program facilitator, Nehama Benmosche and// //Education Director// //Sarah Chandler.// Session 1: - STEPS: Learning the steps of decision-making from the parsha We used these graphics to learn about the concept of decison making: [[file:new yorker plant.tif | Plant] [[file:new yorker sunburn.tif | Sunburn]This was an email we received from a participant about his family's decision making process around //tzedakah//.<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(46,31,31); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[[file:email from a participant about Jewish decisionmaking.bmp | Tzedakah as a family]]
 * Shabbat Journeys for** **3rd&4th Grades and their Parents**

Session 2: - ** STEP: Gathering information **

We reviewed the steps of a healthy decision-making process and reflected on our own experience as a family: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A song we wrote that incorporates the decision-making steps: media type="file" key="decisionssong.mp3" (lyics are part of this month's lesson)

Session 3: - ** STEP: Thinking about what people expect of me ** Session 4: ** STEP: Thinking about what I want ** Session 5: **STEP: Thinking about God and Jewish Values—Tzedakah, Hitnadvut** Session 6: ** STEP: Figuring out the Consequences—Modern Korbanot ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Session 7: ** STEPs: Reviewing the Year & Reflecting**

=<span style="color: rgb(20,128,69);">**//Tikkun Olam//: An Inter-generational Initiative** =

Passover
Our Passover program was integrated with the synagogue's annual "Passover University" Program. Here are some of the materials from that day.

<span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">**Re-vamped Hebrew School Curriculum as informed by Our Vision and Legacy Design Principles**
Vision and goals:

Sample Lessons:

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(109,18,18); font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">3. Materials relating to systemic congregational change, such as training materials for lay leadership or staff. "Rhythms of Life" written by our teacher David Fainsilber - a song that incorporates the values and vision behind our new program: 2009-2010 Calendar - shows integrated Hebrew school & Shabbat programming: <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(109,18,18); font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">
 * An overview of our 2009-2010 program: [[file:West End Synagogue Hebrew School LIVE.doc]]**