Youth Shabbat Programs

All programs will meet in the Youth Wing. Please see below for service dates.

Moadon Shabbat (Shabbat Club), 10:00am-10:45am, is an informal program for children from 18 months through 4th grade. Three rooms containing age-appropriate toys and games will be set aside for the program: 18 months-4 years old, K-1st Grade, and 2nd-4th Grade. Caregivers will supervise each room. Parents are asked to accompany their children to the Youth Wing, rather than sending them on their own. At 10:45am, the Moadon Shabbat rooms will close, and all children will be escorted to the age-appropriate youth service.

Tot Shabbat, 10:45am-12:00noon, is an early childhood service for children 18 months old to 4 years old.* The service includes prayers, songs, stories and activities. Parents are invited to participate in Tot Shabbat, or they can choose to rejoin the main service after dropping their children off. Tot Shabbat will meet every Shabbat morning (with the exception of a few holiday weekends) during the school year. The service will conclude at 12:00pm with a snack. Children will then be escorted back to the main sanctuary to rejoin their families in time for Adon Olam.

Shorashim, 10:45am-11:45am, a youth service for children in Pre-K* through 1st grade, includes prayers, stories and discussions. Participants will have opportunities to lead prayer and add their voices to discussions and interactive activities. They will meet every Shabbat morning (with the exception of a few holiday weekends) during the school year. The service will conclude at 11:45am with a snack. Children will then be escorted back to the main sanctuary in time for Ein Keloheinu. A special section of the sanctuary will be set aside for participants and their leaders to sit in when they rejoin the service.

*Parents are asked to use their best judgment when choosing between Tot Shabbat and Shorashim for their Pre-K-aged child. Shorashim participants should be able to attend the service without their parents, participate in about 30 minutes of interactive prayer, and follow basic instructions for age-appropriate games and activities. It is expected that in their Pre-K year most children will begin in the Tot Shabbat program and transition to Shorashim when they are ready. The leaders of both programs will work with parents to find the best fit for every child.

Junior Congregation, 10:45am-11:45am, a youth service for children in 2nd through 4th grades, includes prayers, stories and discussions. Participants will have opportunities to lead prayer and add their voices to discussions and interactive activities. They will meet every Shabbat morning (with the exception of a few holiday weekends) during the school year. The services will conclude at 11:45am with a snack. Children will then be escorted back to the main sanctuary in time for Ein Keloheinu. A special section of the sanctuary will be set aside for participants and their leaders to sit in when they rejoin the service.

Kehillah Youth Service, 10:00am-11:45am, is the first of a two-part Shabbat program for students in 5th and 6th grades. The service, led by the OT rabbis, is structured similarly to the main sanctuary service and includes the Torah reading. Participants will be called up on to be leaders throughout the morning. In addition, it will include discussions about prayer and Torah. The Kehillah youth service will meet 16 Shabbat mornings during the school year.  Kehillah service participants will return to the main sanctuary in time for Ein Keloheinu.

Watch our video introducing Kehillah!

The second part of the program will be a self-study experience that will occur in the main sanctuary. Each month, participants will receive a study guide. The study guide will help participants focus their attention on specific concepts in the service. The content in the study guide will be included in the Kehillah services as well. Study guides are available online: Study Guide 1, Study Guide 2, Study Guide 3, Study Guide 4.

Youth Shabbat Service Dates

Pre B'nai Mitzvah Main Service Participation

Children who are proficient at chanting Ashrei and Anim Z'mirot are frequently invited to lead these prayers in the main sanctuary. Please contact one of the rabbis if your child is interested in leading one of these prayers.  See our Ritual and Prayers page for information and recorded prayers.