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Shabbat and Holiday Youth Engagement
Shabbat and Holiday Youth Engagement
There’s always something to celebrate at Temple Emanu-El – even if it’s just another Friday night Shabbat. Temple Emanu-El isn’t just a place you can come to pray, but also to sing and dance with your family, instilling a love of Judaism, ritual, and worship in our youngest generations.
There are plenty of opportunities to clap your hands, sing, and feel a little extra joy at Temple Emanu-El.
Tot Shabbat
Tot Shabbat is a fun, free celebration geared towards families with small children, from the littlest infants to eight years old! Tot Shabbat typically takes place once a month at 5 p.m. for about 30 minutes, prior to our main Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat services. We welcome Shabbat with music, dancing, and socializing, led by our music teacher Morah Matt (Matty Roxx) and Rabbi Ruberg, and cap it all off with a special Shabbat snack! Sometimes there’s even an ice cream truck. When the weather gets warm, we move outdoors to enjoy the beautiful weather from our courtyard. Dress is casual and all are welcome!
Want an email reminder about upcoming Tot Shabbats? Contact Shelby Effron to get on the list!
Student Shabbat Services
Student Shabbat Services are similar to our Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service – however, each month at Student Shabbat Services, one of the classes from the Temple Emanu-El religious school is invited to lead us in prayers and songs that they learned with Moreh Matt. The goal is to give our students exposure to a grownup Friday night service, the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and to allow our students to feel a sense of participation in prayer. Adults, kids, and families of all ages are invited to join for these special Friday nights.
Musical Family Shabbat
Musical Shabbat is a Friday night service that is a variation on our traditional Friday night service, with more music and even guitar accompaniment. Led by Cantor Singer and Matt Krass (Moreh Matt), Musical Kabbalat Shabbat is not exclusively a family service, but the instrumentation and melodies are conducive to a family prayer experience. Students from the Temple Emanu-El Religious School and Jewish day schools are sure to be familiar with the melodies and tunes used, with participation being encouraged.
Shabbat Morning
Kids Club
Kids Club is our Shabbat morning kids program for kids ages 2-10. On a typical Shabbat morning, we begin together in the Daily Chapel for a short Shabbat program that includes singing and snacks, and then divide into younger and older groups. Our youngest kids then enjoy free time in our playroom or on the playground, while the older kids either help mind the younger kids, or enjoy a program of their own. At the end of services, all kids return to the main sanctuary to receive a special blessing from the Rabbis and Cantor. At kiddush following services there is often kid friendly food like pizza bagels, mac and cheese, and ice cream.
Shabbat Together
Once a month on Shabbat mornings, parents and children from grades K-5 are invited to join us in the Daily Chapel for a Family Shabbat Service. Following the model of our Family High Holiday Service, we meet at 10:15 a.m. for a 45-minute service and program that includes conversations and activities appropriate for younger and older siblings. Around 11 a.m., we join the rest of the congregation in the sanctuary for the conclusion of services, ending at approximately 11:15.
Each month we honor a different grade from our TE Religious School, presenting them with a Jewish book that connects to their course of study in the school. All are invited to join!
The congregants and leadership of TE have been warm and welcoming, and although we have only been members for a short time, TE already feels like home.
- Brittnay Alter 
Our family has found a second home at Temple Emanu-el. For us it is a place for meaningful worship; but also it's a vibrant community that caters to every member of our family. From enriching religious school programs and fun holiday celebrations for our kids, to engaging study sessions and social activities for my husband and me, there's always something happening at the Temple.
- Ruthie Nussbaum 
I can’t believe our Hebrew school journey has come to end. Thank you to all of our Morahs, the Rabbis, Cantor Singer, and Adam who have all made an impact on my Jewish values. I always love learning about where I come from and the traditions we keep. Not to mention the ice cream truck we get rewarded with at the end of the year has made it all worth it. But seriously, learning the stories of our people and seeing how they connect to the traditions my family observes during the holidays has given more meaning to those stories.
- Maya Kent 
I am blessed to have four generations active as members of Temple Emanu-El. Spending time here with my grandkids creating lifelong memories is a priceless gift.
- Robin Miller 
The first time I arrived on the Temple Emanu-El campus I could feel the vibrant and warm energy. I knew immediately that this is where I wanted my children and family to engage in their Jewish life. Since then, we have been blessed to watch our children move through the Temple’s Hebrew school and become Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Jillian and I have built deep and meaningful friendships with fellow members and the clergy. The energy we felt at the beginning has grown to become a vibrant Jewish light.
- Daniel Herz 
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