Registration: Timeline and Process
Friday, May 5th: Registration is open to current Kollel families, families who filled out the interest form, and waitlisted families.
Friday, May 13th: Registration is open to all NSP members.
Friday, May 20th: Registration is open to all interested families (participation in the program is contingent on membership at NSP; please see below).
Saturday, June 24th: Open House during last day of 22-23 Kollel school year for current and prospective families. RSVP here to join us.
Wednesday, September 27th: Registration will close following Yom Kippur. However, depending on registration numbers, certain classes might reach their cap earlier. Classes will be divided by grade, and capped at 15 students.
Saturday, September 30th: First day of Kollel!
Participation in the program is contingent on membership at NSP. You can learn more about membership and join here or speak with a leader of NSP’s membership team by emailing membership@newsynagogueproject.org.
Kollel is geared toward rising kindergarteners (children 5+) through 7th grade, and will not have capacity this year for pre-k to participate in regular classes. Sometimes, however, younger siblings do participate in special crafts.
If you have any questions about the program or would like to learn more, please email Liora, NSP’s Education Director, at liora@newsynagogueproject.org.
Teach at Kollel
We are hiring educators for the 2023-24 school year. To apply, please email a resume (and optional: brief cover letter) to liora@newsynagogueproject.org with the subject line “Kollel application.” You can find out more here:
About the Program
NSP Kollel emphasizes living the rhythms of Jewish life, connecting to the NSP community, and taking action for justice by linking Jewish principles to applied experiences.
Our yearly curriculum covers holidays, Shabbat practice, and basic liturgy and Hebrew. Each year, we will focus in-depth on a particular Torah story and its related themes and modern justice topics. The 2023-2024 curriculum will focus on tzedek (justice) and chesed (loving-kindness) through stories of Sarah and Avraham.
Kindergarten through 5th grade will ground our lessons in six areas of content which will explore this focus in depth and be guided by these goals and understandings. We will explore these focuses in depth through a coherent curriculum across elementary school grades, adapted to be developmentally and educationally appropriate for each class.
The 6th-7th grade cohort will ground their lessons in eight areas of content and be guided by these goals and understandings in preparation for B-Mitzvah.
Caregivers and community members are invited to be involved in Kollel as participants, volunteers, or leaders. Some programs will be geared directly at educating the entire family unit with the aim of supporting home-based practice and learning.
We will meet primarily on Saturday mornings between 9:30am and 12:10pm. This includes regular classroom instruction, outdoor snack time, and Hebrew instruction. Classes of up to 15 students will be split by age, based on registration numbers.
Sometimes, the entire group will be together for a field trip or extended activity.
Highlights
In 2022-23 we focused on renewal and tikkun (repair) through the story of Noah, did a deep dive on Megillat Esther (the Scroll of Esther), and more:
In 2021-22, in honor of Shmita, the biblical sabbatical cycle, we focused on renewal, the creation story, and Shabbat practice:
Hebrew at Kollel
Students in 3rd grade and above can participate in an additional 40 minutes of Hebrew instruction on Shabbat, from 11:30-12:10. Additional tuition for Hebrew learning at Kollel is $300 per child for those who can afford to pay that amount.
Students will work their way through a series of 12 units to learn decoding (sounding out Hebrew) and basic translation skills through liturgical vocabulary and excerpted stories from the Torah, Tanakh, and liturgy. The decoding curriculum will be followed by an extended liturgical curriculum which draws on the same skills and vocabulary.
This curriculum is designed to be in line with the values of NSP’s community: it honors the diversity of our community’s practice, offers gender-expansive language for liturgy and Nonbinary Hebrew adaptations, and emphasizes Hebrew as a rich and holy language: the language of the Torah, and of most of our blessings and prayers.
Hebrew with a 1:1 Tutor
For students in 3rd grade + who need 1:1 attention, either because of learning needs or because they are close to their B’Mitzvah date, NSP will match students with tutors according to special interests, needs, and availability. All tutors will undergo a background check. Families will be responsible for coordinating meetings with and paying their tutor. Families who register by Sunday, Sept. 10th can be matched with a tutor by Kollel’s start.
There will be a one-time $120 fee to register with an NSP tutor. This fee goes toward: 1. background checks for tutors; 2. printing; 3. paying for the tutor’s time in preparing for lessons, assessing student progress, and meeting with Liora as needed to review the student’s progress.
Please note that we have fewer in-person tutors than virtual, so tutoring may only be available online.
Goals and Understandings
Jewish Art/Culture/Song
Humor and joy are integral to our culture and traditions.
Jewish culture is alive: we draw from the past to create contemporary culture.
Hiddur Mitzvah, “beautifying the mitzvah,” is a Jewish value.
Social Justice
Values are integral to Judaism. We express our values through the choices we make, justice work and learning, and mitzvot. We choose ways to take action for justice.
Ritual
Judaism is dynamic: we activate our traditions, and express our Jewish identities in unique ways.
Jewish prayer and ritual helps us to practice gratitude and wonder, identify hopes and purpose, and connect with Divinity.
Text Study
We are active readers: text study allows us to learn and interact with our ancestors, narratives, values, and traditions. We respond, interpret, and ask questions that enable us to make personal and communal meaning, ground ourselves in tradition, and enrich our lives.
The Jewish Year
The Jewish year is full of moments and cycles that connect us to nature, Jewish history, and the larger Jewish community.
It is a mitzvah to observe Shabbat. Shabbat is holy and “set apart.” On Shabbat we focus on rest, renewal, and community.
Jewish History and World Culture
Judaism changes throughout time and space. There are many ways to “be Jewish.”
History informs Jewish life today.
Shabbat Considerations for Kollel
Shabbat is a time for resting and learning, leisure and pleasure. It is also a time to be present in the world and with one another in a sacred way, different from the rest of the week. Shabbat is central to our community life. NSP observes Shabbat as sacred. At the same time, in NSP spaces, we do not observe all of the prohibitions around Shabbat found in classical halacha (Jewish law). We expect and respect that individuals and households will decide for themselves how they will observe Shabbat in their homes.
In practice, this means that our education program will honor Shabbat as a holy time dedicated to joy, community, spiritual growth, prayer, Torah, and reflection. Teachers, NSP staff, volunteers, and service leaders will generally refrain from activities on phones and computers that often pull us away from the present moment and the people in front of us, including work communications and commercial activity. We will not be actively enforcing this practice with parents and other members of the community. If there is anything outside of this policy that we expect to happen during Shabbat, staff will be in touch with parents in advance.
We welcome:
- Singing, praying, and dancing
- Studying Torah, reading, and relaxing
- Crafting activities
- Writing
- Cooking and food preparation
- Gardening
- Musical instruments
We will avoid:
- Screens or use of devices except for use as accessibility devices, playing music, to livestream events, or amplify class or services.
- Photography, video, and audio recording on Shabbat.
- NSP business communications on Shabbat, except in cases when it is necessary to communicate with parents and members, for example: medical emergencies and last minute class cancellations.
- Commercial activity on Shabbat, including fundraising or paid entertainment. This does not include paying teachers, service leaders, or others for their services in leading Shabbat activities. It is also acceptable to make announcements about fundraisers on Shabbat while not actively fundraising.
We will do our best to accommodate the needs of students who have personal or family Shabbat observance practices that differ from this policy.
Tuition
Base tuition for Kollel is $800 per child, and $600 per additional child in a family, for those who can afford to pay that amount. Those who cannot afford full tuition are asked to pay an amount that is affordable and meaningful to you – $0, $200, $400, or $600. Those who can afford to pay more are encouraged to make an additional contribution to help keep the program accessible to all regardless of means.
Additional tuition for Hebrew learning at Kollel from 11:30-12:10 is $300 per child for those who can afford to pay that amount.
We are committed to a set of shared values that are embedded in the everyday practices and structures of our community, including justice, equity and liberation. Access to the community and its programs regardless of financial means is core to our mission and values.
The total cost of this program is estimated at $130,000. Our budget is based on an estimated tuition payment of $800/child. We expect tuition to cover roughly 50% of the total cost of this program. If you are able to make a gift in addition to tuition, or have family members who might be, please contact Lauren Spokane, Synagogue Director, at lauren@newsynagogueproject.org.
FAQ: We have a non-traditional family structure. Should we apply the sibling discount?
Answer: Yes!
Suggested Tuition Summary:
$800 per first child
+ $600 per subsequent child
+ $300 per child for 11:30-12:10 Hebrew