By Rabbi Baum • November 14th, 2011
What better way to learn about Israel than to bring a taste of Israel to us? The chaverim (friends) from Israel who are part of the Cincinnati community this year organized a great program for our Sunday School students. Check out the amazing map!
By Rabbi Baum • November 11th, 2011
An important part of our curriculum involves not only talking about our values but also acting on them. To that end, we not only talk about community service but also engage in it!
By Rabbi Baum • October 17th, 2011
We had a great morning in Religious School this week. All of our students had music in the sukkah (i.e. in our “garden” area) where they got to shake the lulav (branches) and etrog (citron).
By Rabbi Baum • October 13th, 2011
Our 4th and 5th graders are learning all about the lifecycle this year. One of their first topics was weddings, and what better way to learn about a wedding than to have one!
By Rabbi Baum • September 12th, 2011
Our Religious School year is off to a great start! We welcomed lots of new and returning students this past Sunday. Students spent about 30 minutes in class doing some icebreakers and talking about the topics for the year.
Then, we all came together for an assembly led by Dr. Vega from Mad Science. She did an extraordinary Fire & Ice Show that engaged everyone in the room, whether they were three years old, an adult, or somewhere in between!
Our mad scientist brought some dry ice, let students taste carbon dioxide, and popped the lid off of a container. She lit things on fire, made water disappear, and filled the sanctuary with fog.
Why did we bring a scientist to Beth Adam’s Religious School? Because we’re a place that values science tremendously. Our eternal light hanging over the Torah in the sanctuary has a DNA helix above it. Our stained glass windows represent the Big Bang and science. When religion and science conflict, we choose science.
Check out some fun photos from our morning!
By Rabbi Baum • August 1st, 2011
Sukkot is a fall harvest holiday. While most of us aren’t farmers today, there are still messages of the holiday we can talk about and connect to.
One of our favorite annual fall Sunday School activities involves going out to the sukkah (booth that we decorate with fall and nature symbols) and learning and signing. This year, we’ll head out to the sukkah on Sunday, September 16th during school.
As you can see, the first step is some great art projects!
By Rabbi Baum • July 29th, 2011
Special Opportunity to Experience our Congregation and Youth Education
Congregation Beth Adam is a unique place – where people can have a truly contemporary Jewish experience. Beth Adam and its Religious School provide an open and supportive environment in which to explore and question. Our goal is to encourage a healthy religious identity – dynamic for the 21st century.
Perhaps you’ve thought about Religious School for your children but aren’t sure where, how, or even why. Beth Adam can help you on your journey. There is no typical family at Beth Adam – people come from diverse experiences and backgrounds. But what unites all of our families is that they are here because they feel comfortable and welcomed – and because they want their children to have a connection to Judaism and other Jewish children.
Special Opportunity this year: Families new to Beth Adam may send their children to Religious School for one year without becoming members. Religious School fees will apply. We are hoping that this program allows you to experience Beth Adam and see if this community is a good match for you. We hope it will be! School runs from pre-K to 7th grade, and there is a teen program for 8th-12th graders. We meet on Sundays from 9:30-11:30 during the school year. In 6th and 7th grade, students who participate in the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program also learn Hebrew and come on Wednesday afternoons for two hours.
Beth Adam is a place that values:
• Learning opportunities that support members’ connection with their Jewish heritage
• Open-mindedness and respect for differing views
• Thoughtfully questioning and exploring Jewish text and other sources of wisdom
• Acknowledgment of each congregant’s religious and spiritual journey
• Evolving to meet the needs of our growing congregation and community
• Nurturing connection and building community with each other as Jews and with all humanity
• Community engagement and social justice
To learn more about Beth Adam and/or its Religious School, contact Rabbi Robert Barr or Rabbi Laura Baum at 513-985-0400 today.
School starts on Sunday, September 11th and we hope to see you then. If you would like to come to the first day without committing to signing up for the full year, just call us to let us know.
By Rabbi Baum • July 28th, 2011
Congregation Beth Adam has an amazing teen group that meets approximately twice a month during the school year. One of the most productive activities is collecting and sorting food during the High Holiday Food Drive. Teens collect bags of groceries from congregants on Yom Kippur day. The teen group them brings the food to LIFE – the Loveland Inter Faith Effort – where they sort the many pounds of food they’ve collected. Our food drive is an important source of food for many local families in need each year. If you’ll be here on Yom Kippur, we hope you’ll consider bringing a food donation. And, if you know a teen who would like to help, let us know!
By Rabbi Baum • July 27th, 2011
This year, Religious School starts (on 9/11) a few weeks before Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year, 9/28-29). Yom Kippur, the next holiday, isn’t until October 7th.
This will give our students time on Sunday mornings to learn about the holidays before they arrive. We teach our young kids some of the symbolism (apples and honey for a sweet New Year, for example) and with our older kids we talk about a range of topics (like why celebrate Jewish holidays!).
On September 29th, we’ll have a Rosh Hashanah Service for All Ages at 2:30 PM and on October 8th, we’ll have a Yom Kippur Service for All Ages. These are especially geared for 6-11 year olds, but all welcome! And you don’t need to be a member of Beth Adam or enrolled in our Sunday School to participate.
For 0 to 6 year olds and their families, we have a special High Holiday program on Friday, September 23rd at 4 PM. This will include stories, art projects, music, and more. Again, all are welcome! Just call us to RSVP.
We look forward to wishing you all a Happy New Year this September!
By Rabbi Baum • July 22nd, 2011
About three years ago we started a tradition of going to a Reds Baseball Game each fall. It’s a wonderful way to reconnect with our friends after a summer break – and of course to welcome new families to the congregation.
This year, we’re going to a Red’s Game on Sunday, September 18th. We’ll have a pizza lunch after Sunday School (at 11:30) and then we’ll head out to the game, which starts at 1:10. RSVP to the office by September 1st. As you can see from last year, it was a cold day – but still lots of fun. And Congregation Beth Adam was even welcomed by the Reds on their score board. How cool is that?
