2007 - United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, a Conservative congregation serving 400 member families living in Northern and
Central Vermont, is blessed with a broadly diverse community. We are elderly, life-long Vermonters whose children
have moved out of state, as well as young families whose parents and grandparents live far away. We are traditional,
two- parent Jewish families, as well as Jews by choice, single parents, partners of non-Jews, and same-sex couples. Our
reasons for being Jewish, our approaches to observance, our comfort with Hebrew and Torah, and our theological
outlooks differ as widely as we do. Our diversity challenges us to recognize the many, varied faces of authentic
Judaism, and encourages us to approach Torah as a living text that speaks to each of us according to our own particular
capacity.
Family D’Vrei Torah brought our multi-generational community together for six Shabbatot around the
common interest of Torah learning. A series of mini-courses explored selected parashot through classroom instruction
in the Hebrew School, seminars for parents and shared at-home projects for families — activities that prepared
participants to share their learning as part of the Shabbat morning sermon and discussion. After services, students,
parents, and other interested congregants shared lunch and engaged in a culminating activity expanding on the theme
from the parashah.
Family D’Vrei Torah enhanced our confidence as interpreters and teachers of Torah, encouraging us to read
Torah for personal meaning, and allow us to share our varied perspectives with one another in the context of the regular
Shabbat service. Along the way, we forged deeper ties as a community, nurtured our commitment as a community of
learners, emiched our shared Shabbat experience and fostered Jewish education in our homes. This program was created
by Ruth Horowitz, our Torah Educator and Sarah Klionsky, former principal, with the support of Rabbi Joshua Chasan.
Nuts and Bolts
The synagogue hired a Torah Educator to design and teach six five-part mini-courses based on selected
parashot. Each mini-course included two 45-minute lessons with each of two different Hebrew School classes, one twohour
lesson with parents, a discussion in conjunction with the Torah reading at the Shabbat service, and a 45-minute
culminating activity for students, parents, seniors and other interested members of the community. Each class, Daled
through Zayin (fourth through seventh grade) participated in three different mini-courses.
Though specific activities varied according to participants’ ages and abilities, during each mini-course,
participants read sections of the parashah in translation, compared and discussed commentaries from traditional and
nontraditional sources, and formulated personal responses through drama, debate, poetry, or other means. At-home
projects allowed parents and children to create collaborative responses to the text. During and after Shabbat services,
students and parents shared their learning with the rest of the congregation.
Additionally, the Torah Educator trained teachers and parents of students in Kitot Pre-school through Gimmel
(3-9 year-olds) in our “Torah Time” program. In this program, which began as a pilot for Kitot Pre-school through
Aleph, each student was assigned a Torah portion from Genesis to read and explore at home with his or her parents,
with the challenge of sharing their findings with the class through a three- to five-minute classroom activity. Parents
borrowed books, asked great question, and began to be “students” of the text as they began to “unpack” the text with
their 3, 4, 5,6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 year old. Parents were required to participate, so there was 100% participation. Parents
became conveyers of Torah values, not only to their kids, but to the whole class. This contributed to building a strong
sense of community in and out of the classroom. In some classes, parents brought snacks appropriate to their Torah
themes. Each family project was then followed-up with a lesson by the teacher.
GOLD
BETH DAVID B’NAI ISRAEL BETH AM
Over 900
Toronto, ON
Submitted by Michael A. Ferman 416-633-5500
Our family education has been extremely successful for the past couple of years and it is continually growing and
expanding. We have consistently seen an increase in program participation for the past two years and are creating niche
programming to appeal to various interests. This past year over three dozen new families joined our synagogue, which
can in part be attributed to our very successful family programming. It is the goal of our family educational programs to