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Shabbat Family Programming (SFP)

 

April 21, 2021

9 Iyar 5781

 

Dear SFP April 24 Torah Readers, Featured Leaders and Am Yisrael Families,

We very much look forward to celebrating Shabbat with you this Shabbat morning, April 24, via Zoom!  

1. Please feel free to invite family and friends, literally from all over the world to join us for SFP!  Since we are very careful about only letting those in whom we know, if you plan on inviting a special guest, please send me the name or names of your guests.  

2. Thank you to our Torah readers who have been mastering verses and sending them to me along the way.  Please know that if I haven’t responded to a Torah Reading you have sent within the past 24 hours, it is my plan to get back to you ASAP.

3.  Here are key instructions to get us all on the same page:

  • The main Shabbat service begins at 9:30 a.m.  You are of course welcome to join that service via Zoom, this week and every Shabbat morning. 
  • Our SFP service, geared toward our youth and their families, begins at 10:15 a.m.  
  • At 10:50 a.m., we will be shifting to the main Shabbat service Zoom to do the Torah readings.  
  • Once we reach the Torah readings, we will recite the blessing for the study of Torah and we will do a screen share of the verses that many members of our Am Yisrael community have learned so beautifully.  Once we get to a Torah Reader's verse, we ask each Torah reader to please unmute and sing loudly, slowly and clearly so we can hear every word. 

We look forward to seeing you on the screen in a couple days.

Thank you and Shabbat Shalom,

Charlie/Mr. Sherman, MAEd, CJE, Head of School

SFP During the Time of COVID

We encourage your families to attend Shabbat and holiday celebrations and commemorations at Am Yisrael as often as possible. It is fulfilling to celebrate as a synagogue community and this is one of the best gifts to give our child(ren). Having positive associations with attending synagogue and school services and programs is crucial to the process of giving our students a strong Jewish identity. Those of us who are able to develop happy associations with the synagogue and school are often the ones who choose to continue the traditions L’Dor Vador, from Generation to Generation.

 

A golden opportunity for all of our SJS and Day School students and madrichim within our congregational family to spend quality time together. During the COVID-19 pandemic we are holding SFP remotely via Zoom.  We encourage our 5th Graders and older to attend the main service via Zoom beginning at 9:30 a.m. and our 4th Graders and younger to begin in the learner’s service beginning at 10:15 a.m.  We will come together as a community to read Torah at around 10:50 a.m.  SFP will take place on the following dates in the 2020-2021 (5781) year: 

  • Saturday, October 24, 2020
  • Saturday, November 21, 2020
  • Saturday, December 19, 2020
  • Saturday, January 23, 2021
  • Saturday, March 6, 2021
  • Saturday, April 24, 2021         

Structure of Shabbat Family Programming (SFP) on Shabbat Mornings during the COVID-19 pandemic:

 

Main Shabbat Service beginning at 9:30 a.m.Our School of Jewish Studies (SJS) and Day School students and Madrichim from 5th-12th Grades are full participants in the Main Sanctuary. Parents and other family members are strongly encouraged to attend. Rabbi Newman Kamin delivers an interactive D'var Torah and Cantor Simon and leads the spirited prayers.  This service includes very popular breakout rooms.  The Sanctuary Service offers our pre-B'nai Mitzvah students amazing practice and keeps the skills fresh for our Madrichim.

 

Family Shabbat Tefillah at 10:15 a.m.: Mr. Sherman and Mr. Marc sing a family-friendly, spirited prayer service with many explanations and blessings of the children for 4th Graders and younger.  The Family Shabbat Tefillah offers our 4th Graders and younger the necessary skills to be able to attend the main services.  

 

We join together as a community in the same Zoom (Main Shabbat Service) at 10:50 a.m.: We open with a special English reading, recite the blessing for the study of Torah and our pre-assigned Torah readers chant their verses.  We then sing concluding prayers as a community, chant kiddush and motzi and wish each other a Shabbat Shalom!

 

SFP During Time of COVID was Revised 8-31-2020   11 Elul 5780

Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784