Ganeinu for Babies 0-18 Months
The Ganeinu Baby Shabbat group is an adult participation group geared for parents of newborn infants to early-walkers.
This is a facilitated parenting group as well as an activity group for the babies. You can play, learn, and create with or for your child, enjoy a Jewish environment, and share with other parents.
Our goal is to stimulate the infants’ cognitive, social, and motor development, using developmentally appropriate toys, songs, and Jewish celebrations, as well as strengthening the parent-child relationships, and creating a community.
A typical day includes discussion of parenting issues, Jewish themes and Jewish holidays and traditions. We encourage you to raise issues of your own, as you like. Each week there is a visit from Temple Isaiah’s Rabbis and/or Cantor, as well as professionals from Gan Ilan Preschool, to enhance our discussions and knowledge.
You will often get a chance to create something special for your child. Examples of previous projects are a hand-painted Challah cover with your child’s handprints/footprints, a special Mezuzah for your child’s doorpost, a special individually decorated Chanukiah (menorah), Havdallah spice boxes, Shabbat candles, Tzedakah boxes, and many more.
We sing a repertoire of songs every week, and you will receive a CD of the songs to listen to at home or in the car with your child. The small infants usually open their eyes and listen carefully to the music, and the older babies often participate by clapping their hands, dancing to the music, or singing their own songs with us.
We always end our group with a very child-friendly Shabbat service where we sing Shabbat songs, light candles, bless the wine, and eat Challah (at least the adults, if the little ones are still not ready). The children enjoy this ritual and always look forward to this special moment.
Program Schedule
9:45-10:15 Individual Activity/Snack Time
During this time, your child can explore the environment and experience different activities in the room. The infants can explore different toys in different areas of the room and the crawlers can explore the room and other age appropriate toys. Take this time to play with your child or to observe what your child likes to do.
This is also a great opportunity for the adults to socialize with each other. Additionally, the adults are welcome to raise parenting issues and questions for the facilitator and we can informally discuss the Jewish holidays and Jewish rituals. The toddler group will also be present, and the children absolutely adore being in the presence of one another with multiple ages. Great care is taken to make sure everyone at every age can play in a safe and comfortable manner.
We will also use this time to experience the topic of the day or an upcoming Jewish holiday in a developmentally appropriate way. Frequently, the caergiver will be the ones to create the actual project, however, the older kids, can help, or create these projects themselves. The activity will either be done individually to take home (such as a Challah cover for Shabbat) or as a group project that will stay at Temple (such as decorations for the Temple’s Sukkah). This will also be the time when snack is available for the parents and for the little ones who are ready for it. There will be a sign up sheet for snack.
10:15-10:30 Clergy Visit
This is a special time that truly sets our program apart! One of our wonderful Rabbis or our amazing Cantor comes for a weekly visit to answer your questions, explore various topics, and share their rich knowledge of Judaism. Recent topics have included how to raise a child in an interfaith home, baby naming rituals, Jewish bedtime rituals, an informal question and answer session about all-things Jewish, guitar time with the cantor singing holiday songs, and more!
10:30-10:45 Circle Time and Shabbat
At this time we will gather together as a group and welcome each child. We will sing classic early childhood songs, Shabbat songs, and some finger-plays. Please have your child sit on your lap at the beginning of circle time so that they get used to the routine. If they do not want to stay seated, it is absolutely okay for them to move around with the music or play. We may also play with bubbles or a parachute during this time. At the end of circle time we will say the Shabbat blessings together and enjoy our Challah.