RELIGIOUS SCHOOL EVENTS

02.10.12 Shabbat Evening Service / Scholar-in-Residence with Professor Daniel C. Matt Join us for part or all of our Annual Scholar-in-Residence weekend with Professor Daniel C. Matt -
Friday evening - speaking on: "Shekhinah: the Feminine Half of God"
(see additional details below and on 2/11 and 2/12)

Each year, since 1980, an outstanding scholar visits Leo Baeck Temple for a weekend of study and discussion. Join us this year, as we welcome our 2012 Scholar-in-Residence: Professor Daniel C. Matt
Topic: From Kabbalah to the Big Bang: Ancient Wisdom and Contemporary Spirituality

Professor Matt will introduce us to some of the central themes of Kabbalah. On Friday night he will focus on the concept of Shekhinah (the feminine aspect of God) in the context of Shabbat. In his subsequent presentations, he will show how the Zohar interprets and reimagines the Torah, and how the mystical tradition enables us to discover God in the material world. Finally, he will address the question of “God and the Big Bang,” exploring parallels between Kabbalah and contemporary cosmology, and seeking to find harmony between science and spirituality. Please see the February/March Bulletin (page 5) for additional information and to register.

02.11.12 Scholar-in-Residence Program with Professor Daniel C. Matt

Kabbalah to the Big Bang: Ancient Wisdom and Contemporary Spirituality

Shabbat Morning Minyan / Session One 9:30-12:00   Join our Shabbat morning minyan for song, prayer, and learning, as Professor Matt teaches a passage from the Zohar on the Shabbat Torah portion. Minyan is followed by a vegetarian potluch Kiddush lunch.

Session Two   1:30-3:00    The Mystical Meaning of Torah

Session Three 3:15-4:45   Raising the Sparks: Finding God in the Material World
Havdalah 5:00
See 2/10 and 2/12 for additional topic information. Go to page 5 of the February/March Bulletin to attend Saturday's program.

02.12.12 Religious School / Scholar-in-Residence Weekend Special invitation to parents! While your children are in class, join us for the final session of our annual Scholar-in-Residence program. This year we welcome Professor Daniel C. Matt -

From Kabbalah to the Big Bang: Ancient Wisdom and Contemporary Spirituality

On Sunday morning - Session Four 9:30-11:30, Professor Matt will address the question of “God and the Big Bang: Discovering Harmony Between Science and Spirituality.” Please see 2/10 and 2/11 for additional topic details; to register go to page 5 of the February/March Bulletin.

02.12.12 Grades 7-10 Afternoon Classes

02.15.12 Wednesday Hebrew School

Religious School

Religious School, currently held Sunday mornings from 9:30am-12:15pm, engages our students in Jewish learning and living by combining the activities of interactive classroom lessons, song, dance, art, and prayer in a beautiful setting, utilizing our campus’ natural surroundings.

Kindergarten through second graders begin their mornings with a school service in our newly renovated sanctuary, and parents are invited to participate. Grades three-six begin their mornings with a communal ceremony — “morning tekes” — incorporating singing, storytelling, morning prayers and brief Jewish teachings. Students then head to classrooms for Hebrew review and core instruction. Students in grades five and six participate in electives during the last part of the morning.

Beginning in seventh grade through Confirmation class in grade ten, our teens join us on Sundays from 5:00-6:30pm. The teen curriculum includes tikkun olam service learning activities; we head into the community to help the homeless and poor, the elderly, and the disenfranchised. As teens progress through the program, they embark on a deep exploration of their connection to the spiritual, to prayer, and to the sacred. Our grade ten Confirmation class is taught exclusively by our Senior and Assistant Rabbis, includes a retreat and a trip to the Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C., as well as a powerful concluding service during Shavuot.

Family Shabbat Experience (FSE) - Leo Baeck Temple’s Family Shabbat Experience (FSE) is an alternative Religious School family program for students and their parents in Kindergarten to sixth grade. In our Saturday program, we aim to enhance families’ engagement in the Jewish values of learning, community and involvement. Parents and children join each Saturday afternoon for Shabbat worship, age-appropriate Torah and text study, and community, experiencing Judaism through the beauty of the Sabbath and the strength of our sacred observances.

Questions? Please contact our Director of Education, Avram Mandell at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

To print out Religious School registration forms for the current school year - go to this link.