Gesher
Our Program
Gesher is an active, engaging, experiential program. In Hebrew, gesher means bridge. We are connecting students to Jewish ideas, Jewish identities, and Jewish practices. We are rooting our learning in Jewish values and texts, concentrating on a range of Jewish themes, and focusing on celebrating and living Judaism. Gesher serves students who are in kindergarten through grade 7. The components of our program include:
Twice a month gatherings — We meet for three hours twice a month on Sunday mornings.
Hebrew tutoring — Students in grades 3-6 meet with a tutor half an hour a week.
Intergenerational Shabbats — Students attend three Saturday morning services with singing and stories.
Havdalah potlucks — Families share a meal together on Saturday nights and end Shabbat with havdalah.
Holiday celebrations and services — Families celebrate together over the year, from Rosh Hashanah through Passover.
What We Care About
Our students learn Jewish values, community, history, rituals, prayer, holidays, ethical dilemmas, life cycles, and Israel/Palestine. Here are some of the questions that form the foundation of our curriculum:
How do we create meaningful Jewish communities rooted in justice and kindness?
How can Judaism's ethical tradition, along with critical thinking and reflection, give us a framework for making difficult decisions?
How do we absorb the breadth of Jewish history, practice, and peoplehood while also cultivating our own particular Jewish identities?
How do we live out Jewish tradition’s insistence on debating important ideas grounded in Jewish texts?
How can Jewish ritual enrich our lives and give expression to the range of feelings we experience?
Hebrew Tutoring
Each student in grades 3-6 works with a tutor throughout the year. Students and tutors meet one-on-one. We try to accommodate parents’ schedules and preferred locations, and we have a virtual option. We schedule three or four students in half hour increments, one immediately after the other. Students go at their own pace and tutors are able to work with their particular learning styles. They focus on first learning to read. After that, they learn Hebrew prayers and have an option to learn modern Hebrew and Hebrew script.
Schedule of the Year
Register
Ready to join us? Fill out this form to register for our program.
Questions?
We are happy to answer your questions. Just reach out to Rabbi Laurie, Director of our Gesher Program.