During the month of January, the High School class at BI-TWT will be participating in Project Save. This is a campaign to assemble backpacks full of school supplies to help serve homeless families with children in the Cleveland area. Education is a huge problem for students living in poverty, and helping them will enable the students have a path towards success in the future. The High School class has received a YOFI Grant from the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, and will use money from the temple’s Lou and Evy Rosenblum Social Action Fund to help offset the cost of the materials. During these Covid times, we are appreciative of your support of this very important project. If you would like to help, please feel free to make a donation (by check or through our website) to BI-TWT, designating it for the Lou and Evy Rosenblum Social Action Fund.
THIS Sunday, October 18th – BI-TWT’s Religious School families, along with other Jewish families from the west side of Cleveland, will be participating in a “Kids’ Tzedakah Drop Off”Noon – 2 p.m. Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs
Our students and their families have been making Tzedakah boxes and collecting monies for THIS Sunday… Families will be asked to drive up to the temple parking lot and have their children donate their tzedakah. There will be a team from the Jewish Federation of Cleveland collecting the money. The kids will also receive an ice cream treat, from Pierre’s Ice Cream. Please wear your masks; all proper physical distancing procedures will be followed. Super Sunday is Jewish Cleveland’s largest one-day give-a-thon. Join hundreds of members of the Cleveland Jewish Community in volunteering virtually this Sunday! You can sign up to make phone calls, write thank you notes, and help secure critical funds for the annual campaign for Jewish needs. Follow this link: BE A PART OF IT ON OCTOBER 18 >>
All school Zoom Tefillah with Rabbi Lader – Sunday, July 26 at 11:00 amUse the following Zoom linkJoin Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/81244912044?pwd=Y1BKdHdDSzYwM2pLSTdXOTJCeVFTUT09Meeting ID: 812 4491 2044Passcode: 344084One tap mobile+13017158592,,81244912044#,,,,,,0#,,344084# US (Germantown)+13126266799,,81244912044#,,,,,,0#,,344084# US (Chicago)Debbie ChessinDirector of Education
Dear Beth Israel-The West Temple Religious School Families,
We hope you and your children are having an engaging, productive year in religious school so far. It is exciting, week after week, to see the students coming into the temple all smiles, ready to connect with their Jewish friends and further engage in Jewish learning and living. It gives our teachers, staff and education committee encouragement to continue providing exciting programming and broad learning in Hebrew and Judaics for all our grade levels.
Providing a comprehensive Jewish education takes strategic planning in curriculum development, and it also requires financial resources. The education committee works very hard to offer outstanding Jewish curriculum while maintaining cost effectiveness. The religious school is mostly funded through tuition from our student enrollment. This current school year, there was no increase in tuition. Any programming we offer beyond our tuition funding is usually supported through grants from the Cleveland Jewish Education Center. Also, at the present time, we do not rely on the Temple’s general fund money to support our needs. This is a very good thing. Our hope is to continue to stay self-supported in order to alleviate any pressure on the already stressed Temple general fund.
To sustain financial security of the religious school, the education committee agreed to engage our religious school families in a small fundraiser.
It is simple and easy. All the fundraiser asks is each religious school family make a monetary donation of Chai, $18. It is as simple as that! No buying or selling products. No time commitment. Just a simple, one-time donation of Chai, $18. A donation of Chai, $18 per family, would not only further secure our financial independence, it would also help offset the cost of programming we are planning for Winter University in January.
We are running the fundraiser in the month of December through Hanukkah. Our goal is 100% participation from every religious school family. Please consider your involvement. We also encourage you to involve your extended family too. Many grandparents, aunts and uncles love supporting what their students do. A donation of Chai, $18 from them as well would further strengthen the religious school financially.
We appreciate all you do for the religious school already! Our teachers are volunteers and we have many parents who volunteer as well. We couldn’t do any of this without you! Please help us in this way to allow our religious school to be financially sustainable.
~ The Education Committee, Beth Israel-The West Temple
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THIS Saturday, December 7- Kinder Krafts and Kooking- 3-4:30 pm-“Baking Chanukah Cookies and Pizza Party” at Young Chefs Academy in Strongsville. This program is free to all families with children in PS-Grade 2. Please RSVP to Debbie Chessin at bitwteducator@gmail.com. NO HEAT – NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL THIS Sunday, December 8thMonday, December 9th – Hebrew School – 6:30 pmMonday, December 9th – 6:30 pm – Zikaron Ba’Salon – Conversation with Second Generation Holocaust Survivor Josh Kramer will share his grandparents’ story with HS students and their parents at Beth Israel-The West TempleNEXT Sunday, December 15- Religious School, Pre- Chanukah Assembly and… Lifelong Learning with Judge Francine Goldberg9:45-10:30-Period One10:30-11:30 – Lifelong Learning – Conversation with Judge Francine Goldbergas she shares her insights on our justice system – its challenges and benefits – and how her Jewish values inform her work 10:40-11:30- Period Two11:30-12:15 All School Pre-Chanukah Assembly and Class Presentations- Parents are invited to attend, and this will be followed by a special Chanukah treat in Ratner HallMonday, December 16- Hebrew- 6:30 pm
Religious School Updates from Debbie Chessin, Our Educator
NEXT Sunday, January 24th Zoom in for our Congregational Mini Winter University Join us as we celebrate Tu b’Shevat – Jewish Earth Day! You do not need to register for Winter U and there is no cost to attend! The Zoom Link will be as follows: Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/84719269346?pwd=aFhIR0FjMHJKS3h5bVpxQjQ2b2NqUT09 Meeting ID: 847 1926 9346Passcode: 810991 Here is the schedule with the times and class description: 9:30-10 am- “A Taste of Tu B’Shevat” and Storywith Morah Debbie and Morah Carol – Students will learn about the foods and traditions of Tu B’Shevat and make their own edible trees. This class is for students in Yad b’Yad b’Bayit and RS students in Grades PK-4/5. The foods will be sent to all the PK-4/5 students’ homes prior to the program.10-10:30- Modern Hebrew- “The Traditions of Tu B’Shevat” with Morah Shosh – Learn some new Hebrew words and phrases for the holiday of Tu B’Shevat. This class is designed for students in Grades 4/5 through High School and all Adults.10-11 am – Climate Change and Northeast Ohio: Taking Steps Toward a Better Futurebrought to you by our Social Action Co-Chairs – Barbara Feldmar and Ken Dunn Speakers: Mandi Goodsett and Evan Meszaros, Climate Reality Project and Citizens Climate Lobby ClevelandIt is now widely acknowledged beyond the scientific community that human-caused climate change is altering our planet and putting our health, safety, and wellbeing at risk. This presentation answers three questions about climate change: Must we change? Can we change? Do we have the will to change? Learn how climate change is impacting Northeast Ohio, what exciting solutions are available for addressing climate change, and what you can do to contribute to a better future for all.This class is designed for students in Grades 6/7 through High School and all Adults. 11-11:30 am – All-U Tefillah – with Rabbi Lader
