Kehillah High Update
What’s Happening in the William S. Malev Schools for Religious Studies RS Kindergarten Consecration Held Kindergarten Consecration in the Religious School was held on December 6 with the Kindergarten families and the entire Religious School in attendance. After the students sang several songs and were blessed by Rabbi Rosen and their parents, each student was presented with a small Torah and Consecration certificate to mark the beginning of their formal Jewish education. In his benediction, Rabbi Morgen spoke about the relevance of having Consecration just before Hanukkah. The morning concluded with a reception for the Kindergarten families. The program was coordinated by Music teacher, Marcia Sterling, and Kindergarten teachers, Chaya Lazenga and Mamie Marx.
Kindergarten students pictured are (l-r) - front row: Benjamin Szklaruk, Chase Sperling, Shira Kagan, Laine Samet, Sophia Stanton, Olivia Stanton, Mia Laviage, Mason Glickler, Henry Leibman; back row: Zoe Newman, Savannah Radoff, Avery Wigder, Collin Steinberg, Asher Burck, Cason Baum, Sophia Winard, Lila Goldfarb, Sophie Churchill and Mia Pickelner. Not pictured are Benjamin Bernstein and Olivia Samet.
USCJ Solomon Schechter Award Received
Kehillah High students Daniel Nadel, Jordan Jacobson, Lauren Rosenberg, and Rebecca Burd are shown enjoying a special dinner with sufganiyot before classes during Hanukkah.
The second trimester of Kehillah High began at Beth Yeshurun in December. The teens are enjoying visiting over pizza and participating in meaningful and thoughtful discussion during their classes. We continue to offer classes that are engaging, interactive, and creative. Over the course of Kehillah High’s three trimesters, students will have an opportunity to learn from multiple rabbis and educators from our community. We are thrilled to be able to offer classes covering a wide variety of topics, including “Monsters and Terror in the Bible: What Secrets Lurk in our Holy Texts?”, “God on Trial”, “Jews and the Mafia”, and many more. The students come, talk, connect and feel good about being Jewish. Aryeh Gruber, a Beth Yeshurun 11th grader and on the Kehillah High Leadership Team said, “Kehillah High is truly a place for every Jewish teen, because no matter our differences or quirks or whatever, we are all Jewish and leading the Jewish community together. Kehillah High is something I look forward to every Wednesday, because I get to see my friends, teachers, and rabbis. It's a place to find out which parts of Judaism interest you because the teens have input in what we get to learn. It is a place where I am really happy!” In addition to Wednesday nights at Kehillah High, the 10th graders will celebrate Shabbat together in Galveston on January 8 - 9, and the 12th graders will attend the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, DC in March. Kehillah High is a multi-denominational partnership with Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Beth Yeshurun, and Congregation Brith Shalom, partly funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and Houston Jewish Community Foundation. For more information or to sign up for Kehillah High, go to WWW.KEHILLAHHOUSTON.ORG or contact Danielle Alexander, Kehillah High Director, at 713.271.7369 ext. 334 or email her at DALEXANDER@KEHILLAHHOUSTON.ORG.
Sulam 7th Graders Volunteer with Count Me In
Congregation Beth Yeshurun recently received a Solomon Schechter Award at the USCJ Convention held in Chicago. The award was given for the Religious School family program, ISRAEL-A-PALOOZA, held last spring. Pictured are USCJ CEO Rabbi Steven Wernick, CBY Past President and USCJ Board Member Sandy Herskovitz, CBY Vice President Arlene Staller, CBY and USCJ Board Member Richard Kammerman, and USCJ International President Margo Gold.
Sulam 7th grade students spent a morning volunteering with Count Me In. Garrett Johnson and Max Barrocas are shown helping organize gifts to be donated.
8