7th
Coordinator: Deb Phillips
Sunday Teachers
Steve Steinberg, Jerry Frantz
The seventh grade curriculum at Temple Isaiah consists of five components: the Parent/Clergy Sessions, the Weekday Hebrew School, the Sunday Mitzvah Corps, the Seventh Grade Fund, and the youth group, Anachnu. Deb Phillips is our seventh grade coordinator and should be contacted if there are any questions.
THE PARENT/CLERGY SUNDAY SESSIONS are designed so that the B’nai Mitzvah process includes the parents and creates a close community of families who are going through the same life cycle event. The program encourages parents and their 7th grader to discuss the meaning of becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah, engage in dialogue about the nature of prayer and Mitzvot, and delve into the levels of Torah interpretation. The parent component of the 7th grade consists of four Sunday sessions during Religious School on October 7th, 14, 21 and 28. Rabbi Shanks, Rabbi Graetz, Rabbi Forrest, and Cantor Korn will be involved in teaching these sessions. At least one parent is required to attend these sessions with his/her 7th grader.
THE WEEKDAY HEBREW SCHOOL component has three objectives: in preparation for becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah, the students will engage in the study of the Torah portion of the week, and do a weekly Prayer Service. The service is led by Cantor Korn and consists of the central prayers in the Shabbat morning service, and discussions of their meanings. Class discussions will also include how the mitzvot are derived from the Torah text, and how they are relevant to our world today.
THE SUNDAY MITZVAH CORPS will go off site every other week and give students the opportunity to engage in social action projects throughout the Bay Area. Before going on a particular community service project, the students will study the specific mitzvah that they will be fulfilling.
THE SEVENTH GRADE FUND is an exciting program that helps Temple Isaiah’s students actively learn about philanthropy and take part in Tikkun Olam through Tzedakah. The Fund was initiated by the Seventh Grade class of 1998 1999, when students agreed to forego buying each other Bar and Bat Mitzvah gifts. Instead, each family chose to donate the money that would have been spent on these gifts into the Fund. With matching grants from individuals and foundations, the class established itself as a charitable foundation. The class then engaged in a short term grant giving cycle, which included learning about philanthropy, choosing an issue, researching potential grant recipients, and distributing all of the collected money to social service organizations. Each seventh grade class has an opportunity to discuss and vote on its participation in this voluntary program at the beginning of the seventh grade year.
OUR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE YOUTH GROUP, Anachnu, adds an informal component to our students’ Jewish experience. We seek to create a supportive community of adolescents who are committed to each other, the Temple community, and the Jewish tradition. All students in the Seventh Grade will be receiving mailings about all of the Anachnu programs. Please see the Youth Groups section on page 21-22 of this brochure for additional information.
SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS AND PARENTS, begin the year with a “Getting to Know You Havdalah and Potluck Dinner” on Saturday, September 8th from 5:30-7:30 at the Abeles’s house at 3947 Happy Valley Road in Lafayette. On this occasion, our 7th grade families will have a chance to meet our new Rabbi Alissa Forrest, our 7th Grade Coordinator and weekday teacher, Deb Phillips, and our wonderful team of Sunday seventh grade teachers. Please R.S.V.P. to the Education Office if you can not come at 925-284-9191.
Dear Seventh Grade Families,
We are very excited to kick-off the seventh grade year! To get you going in the next few weeks, we would like to update you about two aspects of our Seventh Grade Program and notify you of a very important scheduling change:
B’nai Mitzvah Boot Camp
“B’nai Mitzvah Boot Camp” will be held for two weeks prior to the start of Religious School on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4:15 – 5:45pm. These sessions will be taught by the clergy, and all students should attend at least one session each week to get the extra jump start you need for the year. Feel free to attend more than once/week if you’d like!
The dates are as follows:
Tuesdays, September 9 and September 16
Wednesdays, September 10 and September 17
Thursdays, September 11 and September 18
7th Grade Family Havdallah & Pot-Luck Dinner
Click here for a flyer welcoming you to the 7th Grade Family Havdallah & Pot-Luck Dinner on Saturday September 13th at the home of the Purcell family. Please bring a vegetarian dish to share (no nuts!). RSVP to the Education Office at 925-284-9191 if you cannot attend.
Feel free to contact me with any questions about the Seventh Grade Program. We’re looking forward to a terrific year!
L’shalom,
Rabbi Nicki Greninger
Director of Education
Temple Isaiah