F

enters its second year of
family education.

LESLEY PEARL

THE DETRO IT J EWISH NEWS

STAFF WRITER

14

ancy Vardy is in a bit
of a conundrum.
She is trying to
determine the best way
to begin classes for her
fourth- through eighth-
grades. A simple hello
will not suffice.
Ms. Vardy is the
education and youth
director for
Congregation B'nai
Moshe, specifically its
LIFE (Learning Is a
Family Experience)
program. September
will signify the pro-
gram's second year,
along with an expand-
ed curriculum.
In LIFE's first year,
grades K-three were
served.
Keeping with a focus
that brings families
into the synagogue and
that provides children
with a fun, positive
education, Ms. Vardy
began sessions last
year with 20 minutes
of song, announce-
ments and the opportu-
nity for each child to Lynn and Morgan Rose sing during a Sunday workshop.
recall "good things that
happened during the
class, students file into the
felt more leeway to imple-
week."
sanctuary to lead conclud-
ment a new approach to
Unlike most religious
ing Shabbat services songs
learning.
school programs which
and answer questions posed
Because writing is not
meet on Sundays, LIFE is
by Rabbi Elliot Pachter.
allowed on Shabbat, Ms.
held on Saturdays.
"They feel really comfort-
Vardy is forced to be espe-
"Shabbat is the tradition-
able on the bimah, like this
cially creative in planning
al day of gathering and
is their synagogue, too. And
lessons. Students act out
study," Ms. Vardy said.
it is," Ms. Vardy said.
various stories in the Torah,
"While the kids are in class,
In addition to Saturday
use their bodies to create
the parents are in services."
programming, grades three,
aleph-bet letters, discuss
The program is modeled
five, six and seven will meet
preparation for holidays,
on a plan developed by a
on Wednesdays. Grades
enjoy snacks while practic-
rabbi in St. Louis. B'nai
four and seven also will
ing brachot (blessings), and
Moshe had no school of its
attend on Mondays. Grade
sing Hebrew songs and
own — it is a former United
seven learns twice during
English songs with Jewish
Hebrew Schools branch —
the week, forgoing Saturday
content.
so the education committee
programming to attend peer
The last 20 minutes of

b'nai mitzvah.
Workshops, focusing on
a specific theme like
tzedakah, are required for
grades K-five, five times
each year. Grades six
through eight attend
Sunday workshops once a
month. In addition,
eighth-graders attend
school Monday evenings
at the Community Jewish
High School at Adat
Shalom.
Parents also attend
workshops. They are
learning about the same
topic with Rabbi Pachter
while their children work
with Ms. Vardy and the
other teachers. The
groups break at mid-
morning, share a bagel
breakfast and learn
together for the remain-
ing time.
Two Friday-night fami-
ly dinners and services,
two family retreats at
Camp Maas in Ortonville,
one youth retreat for
grades three through
eight and one synagogue
sleepover for grades two
through five also are
included in the program.
Attendance is not optional.
"It's really important for
kids to see Judaism prac-
ticed all the time as an
intrinsic part of their life,
and not drudgery. I try to
hire the most dynamic
teachers I can — individu-
als the kids can relate to,"
Ms. Vardy said.
She stressed it's not just
fun and games, though.
Torah portions are read
and discussed. Aleph-bet is
learned through Hebrew
"Simon Says" and simple
addition of numbers.

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