Education
Tesco vouchers for schools - If any of you shop at Tesco they are currently providing vouchers for schools and we would be grateful for any that you collect. Could you either give them to Maya our Head of Religion School or leave them in the Administrator's pigeon hole in the Knesset Room.
Religion School
Like most communities, education is at the heart of KLS. We have an active and busy religion school (Cheder) which is held at the synagogue on Shabbat mornings during term time.
Our approach is for the children to be happy and enjoy their morning, especially after they have spent all week at school. So lessons are mixed with a variety of activities and music. Pupils typically start coming from the age of five (see Shabbattots for younger children) and progress through a curriculum of Hebrew and religious knowledge until they are fifteen. Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparation is integrated into the religion school schedule.
Many students continue their studies to GCSE Jewish Studies level before they progress on to Kabbalat Torah (confirmation). It is a credit to our religion school teachers that many young members return to the synagogue to teach and take leading roles in the Liberal Jewish Youth Movement (LJY Netzer) both nationally and internationally.
Bar & Bat Mitzvah
Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparation at KLS is a special experience. Students study together as a peer group in their religion school classes and provide each other with support and encouragement, creating a really caring atmosphere. As a group they participate in family services, practising their Torah blessings and other prayers. Each student also receives one on one rabbinic support, providing them with spiritual time as well as practical help. Every student succeeds in leading the Shabbat service on their bar or bat mitzvah, including those who have joined the synagogue with little or no Hebrew knowledge.
GCSE
GCSE Jewish Studies is taught by religion school staff for pupils who want to continue their Jewish education after their bar or bat mitzvah. It is currently run as a 2-year course with most students taking the exam at the end of their school year 10. Many of our students get excellent results in the two papers: Jewish religious knowledge and Jewish texts though it is the all round study experience which matters most..
Kabbalat Torah
Kabbalat Torah literally means welcoming the Torah. Although Bar/Bat Mitzvahs are very significant we recognise that at 15+ you are more equipped to make a personal decision to commit to Judaism. The classes, which are as participant- led as possible, are for post-GCSE students and aim to lead towards a more personal understanding of Jewish values. Topics ranging from Torah to Jewish philosophy, Israel to Ethics, Modern Jewish Society to Jewish culture (films, music and food). Class trips are also part of the plan. The one-year course culminates with the class leading their own Shabbat service.
Adult Education
We run a very successful and respected Evening Institute for adult education, meeting once a week, usually Wednesdays. Courses vary and have covered the following subjects: Hebrew, Jewish practise, Jewish literature, history and culture. Some courses are open to the wider community. If you are interested in more information please contact the office.