Youth Education

A message from Brian Avner, RJE, Director of Congregational Learning

Dear Congregation Shalom School Families,

Registration is now open for the Religious and Hebrew School 2023-24 school year!  Enrollment can be accessed through your member portal on the website.  If you need directions to access your account, please contact the school office.

Our first day of school will be Sunday, September 10th, 2023.  Throughout the school year, each grade will have a grade level Shabbat service they will help lead.  There will also be monthly Shabbat dinners before Family Shabbat Services and a delicious oneg with a fun activity after each Family Shabbat Service.

Students can elect to join our Youth Choir with Cantor Perper and Wendy Cohen.  They will meet approximately two times per month to rehearse and will sing at all family Shabbat services.

K4-7th Grade

All K4-7th grade students meet from 9:30-11:30am on Sunday mornings.  Our morning begins with a 30 minute, all-school tefilah (prayer service) led by our clergy.  All family members are invited and encouraged to join us for tefilah.

Hebrew (3rd-6th Grade)

Our 3rd-6th grade students will also enroll in our Hebrew School (unless they attend a Jewish Day School).  Hebrew School meets either Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons from 4:30-6:15pm.  In addition to over an hour of classroom instructional time, our students also have a weekly tefilah for more practice learning and mastering their prayers as well as bi-weekly visits from our Shin Shinim (Israeli young adults who bring Israel enrichment education to our school).

For families that absolutely CANNOT attend on Tuesday or Wednesday, there is the Boker Tov Hebrew option on Sundays from 8:15-9:15am.  This option has a cap of six students per grade, does not include the extra tefilah or visits from our Shin Shinim, and comes at an additional cost.  Boker Tov Hebrew students must also maintain 80%+ attendance to keep their spot in the class. 

Please note that B’nei Mitzvah tutoring arrangements are handled through Cantor Perper’s office.  Please also note that in order to commence B’nei Mitzvah tutoring, a student must be enrolled in the Religious School and have completed 4 years, or their equivalent of Hebrew School.  Please contact Brian with any questions about this policy.

Post B’nai Mitzvah (8th-12th Grade)

8th-12th graders are invited to join our madrichim program.  Madrichim assist our school by working in the classrooms or the office to help the school run smoothly. 

• Junior madrichim (8th-10th graders) will spend part of their morning working and part of their morning attending their own Religious School class.  10th graders meet with the Rabbis each week as part of Confirmation class.  Junior madrichim can earn a scholarship for their work in the school by maintaining at 75% attendance throughout the year.

• 8th-10th graders may also enroll in their own class without becoming madrichim.

• Senior madrichim (11th-12th graders) will work the full morning in a classroom or the office.  They will be hired as employees and paid based on the amount of time worked.  Senior madrichim do not need to enroll in Religious School.

Payment

At Congregation Shalom, we strive to fulfill the mitzvah of v’shinantam l’vanecha, you shall teach [our traditions] to your children.  The clergy, staff, and faculty at Congregation Shalom work together to create the very best experience for your child(ren).  Of course, this comes at a monetary cost, much of which is subsidized by the congregation’s general membership.  Please see the fee schedule below.  This year, we are asking that each family contribute the following amount of money, per child enrolled in each program:

• Religious School (K4-7th Grade)                                                                $260

• Religious School (8th-9th Grade)                                                             $210

• Confirmation (10th Grade)                                                                       $260

• Hebrew School (Aleph/3rd Grade - Dalet/6th Grade)                               $260

• Boker Tov Hebrew                                                                                       $375

Please note that these fees are non-refundable.  You will need to pay for enrollment at the time you fill out this registration.  You can set up a payment plan if necessary.  Please ensure your payment will be made in full no later than March 31st, 2024.  If you will need financial aid, please fill out this form completely and click 'Save Enrollment' at the bottom.  Then email Mandy (mandy@cong-shalom.org) so we can confirm your enrollment.  Financial hardships should not deter anyone from providing their children with the very best Jewish Education.  The actual cost for a child in our school is over $1,000 per student.  If you are able, we would appreciate any contribution that you might be able to make, above and beyond the tuition.

We are so looking forward to sharing a wonderful year of learning and growth with all of you in the coming year.  As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or to set up an appointment so we can continue to get to know one another.  You can reach us by phone (414-352-2549) or email.

B’Shalom,

Brian Avner                                                           Mandy Wienke

Director of Congregational Learning                    Religious/Hebrew School Administrator

brian@cong-shalom.org                                       mandy@cong-shalom.org