By the time you receive this bulletin, the High Holidays and the Fall “foot festival” of Sukkot will be behind us. As a new director, the holidays presented an interesting challenge—organizing the kids’ room, name tags, snacks, services, teaching staff, and volunteers. Thank goodness for volunteers! What would I have done without you! Next Fall things will be less frenetic.

Before coming to B’nai Moshe I had little concept of the workings of a “Shabbat” oriented Program, previously having worked at synagogues that offer Sunday Schools. I wasn’t quite sure how things would go—how would we teach Hebrew without writing? How would we take attendance? How could we fill out activity sheets and workbook lessons? How quickly I “got with the Program.” Congregation B’nai Moshe is blessed with a teaching staff that goes above and beyond. The teachers and support staff are devoted to the safety and well being of their students, to raising the bar on academics, and to sitting with students at Shabbat L.I.F.E. Services and encouraging them to participate/even lead in the Service and in the Torah reading.

B’nai Moshe’s L.I.F.E. Program teaches students Jewish subjects on “Jewish Time.” In other words—we do not talk about the Shabbat Service, we practice it every week. Because of this, I am confident that our students, in due course, will be able to enter the main Congregation and feel right at home as they do in the Klein Chapel. I encourage those of you who have not yet stayed for a Shabbat morning to see what goes on here. I couldn’t be more proud.

We have also encouraged our students to come to the Synagogue on Sukkot to experience the shaking of the Lulav and Etrog and to view the student art that adorns the Sukkah.. Also, on Simchat Torah, synagogue members and students will be visiting the Fleishman and the Meer Residences. What a duel mitzvah--visiting the elderly and experiencing the joy of dancing with the Torahs and Israeli flags. Once again we are fortunate to have the professional Israeli dance instructor, Uri Segal, leading our Hora!

New programs to watch for:

• On October 11, we began our weekly Shabbat Experience for our L.I.F.E. Program 7th graders (they don’t attend the L.I.F.E. Program on Shabbat), and any other students who want an enjoyable Shabbat experience. The Program starts at 10:15-11:00 a.m. with Services led by Gabe Pachter in the Klein Chapel and continues at 11:00-11:45 a.m. in the library with a different and exciting program each Shabbat. Please encourage your children to attend this new venture. The ever-popular Josh Berkovitz will be leading our first program.

• We are also starting monthly Family Services; the first one will take place on November 22. The students from the L.I.F.E. Program, plus others, will join families as they gather in the Klein Chapel in an informal, family-friendly service led by Rabbi Pachter and Cantor Berris. You are sure to find this service most enjoyable!

• Any teen who is interested in volunteering at our L.I.F.E. Program, either on Saturdays, or Tuesdays, please contact the Religious School office. There are a number of activities a teen can volunteer for (don’t forget, most students need these volunteer hours for their high schools): helping with special needs children, helping out in the Tot Shabbat room, and tutoring Hebrew reading. Students not only get credit for this experience, it is an enjoyable way to learn and to develop new skills.

• On Sunday, November 2, 4th-7th grade B’nai Moshe girls will be attending a special Hadassah program at Adat Shalom Synagogue called, “Girl Force.” In this program they will learn about positive self-esteem, proper nutrition, and negative advertising that targets young girls. If you have not yet signed up your daughters for this program, please call the religious school office.

B’Shalom,
Gail Gales, Director of Education and Youth