Kindergarten through High School students are expected to regularly attend Shabbat morning services. Shabbat is a time that allows us to build community, learn prayers, and become more comfortable in services. Gan Shabbat for families in K-2nd grade occurs just prior to Yachad class, on Saturday and is part of the Yachad learning and community experience. Sanctuary attendance for families in grades 3rd-6th occurs just prior to classes and is also part of the Yachad learning and community building experience. Attendance at Shabbat services is extremely important in the years leading up to a child’s B’nei Mitzvah. Students in 2nd – 8th grade who do not attend Yachad classes on Saturday are required to attend a minimum of seven Shabbat services throughout the year. There is also a monthly Yachad kiddush following services.
Curriculum
Our ninth-grade curriculum marries the stories of Jews in America with the transformative principles of community organizing, all rooted in the bedrock of Jewish values. Our students will draw inspiration from our American story and activism to empower themselves with essential skills for effecting positive change. Through captivating historical analysis, interactive workshops, and real-world applications, our young learners unearth the strategies of coalition-building, advocacy, and collective action that underpinned the American Jewish quest for justice and equality. By weaving the threads of Jewish values such as community engagement and social responsibility, we illuminate the path towards impactful change.
Our tenth-grade curriculum explores the diversity of Jewish theology across history and geography, while also providing inroads for an understanding of non-Jewish theological perspectives. Students engage with the complexities of belief systems that have shaped Jewish thought over millennia. Through thought-provoking discussions, comparative analyses, and respectful dialogue, our young learners gain insight into the myriad interpretations of divine connection. By embracing a spectrum of Jewish theological perspectives and extending the conversation to include a broader interfaith lens, we cultivate a spirit of open-mindedness and intellectual curiosity. This curriculum fosters respectful engagement with both Jewish and non-Jewish theological discourse, leading our students to emerge as empathetic thinkers, poised to navigate the rich complexities of spirituality and contribute meaningfully to interfaith dialogue and understanding.
In their time at CBE, our 11th and 12th graders have learned the stories of our Torah, the stories of a Jewish year and life, the stories of our people’s past and present around the world, and the story of our values as expressed through our prayers and our mitzvot. And now, as they come into their own as Jews and prepare to leave this place, it’s time to imagine the stories of our (and their own) future. Who do we want our people to become? What do we want Judaism to be about? Who do they want to be as Jews? This year will center on our trip to Israel in February, where we will not only tour the land but also grapple with the struggle there over the identity and future of the Jewish people as we relate to one another and as we relate to others. We will look at how antisemitism and trauma have affected our people and imagine what healing can look like. We will look at the conflict between Ultra-Orthodoxy v. progressive and secular Judaism, and contemplate possibilities for a way forward. We will consider Jewish nationalism – what it has given us and what it has cost us – and imagine how it should change. And we will of course confront the relationship with and occupation of the Palestinian people, and imagine how we want to coexist with our neighbors. These themes are remarkably parallel to the themes at work for Jews in the United States, and in particular those that the students will need to navigate as they make their way into the world. The goal is for them to emerge from the year feeling clearer about how their Judaism is an expression of their values and what that means for the kind of Jewish community and Jewish life they want to be a part of in the future.
Add-On Programs
BESTY is a teen run organization within CBE. We plan monthly programming for 9th-12th grade students. Our programming consists of events that focus on social justice, and sometimes our events are just social! To learn more about BESTY, email Teen Director Rose Snitz at rsnitz@cbebk.org.
The Madrichim Program is open to high school students who are excited to enhance their knowledge of Judaism and Hebrew, and are enthusiastic about developing meaningful relationships with our students by serving as role models in the classroom. Madrichim (“leaders” in Hebrew) not only aid teachers in the classroom, but act as leaders at CBE. All madrichim receive monthly training in education and leadership development, and are supervised and coached by the Madrichim Program Supervisor Rose Snitz. Madrichim will be paid or receive school community service credit to work in classrooms with Yachad teachers and students.
It is CBE’s policy that madrichim must be enrolled in Yachad; if you have any questions about this, please contact Zach Rolf at zrolf@cbebk.org. If you are interested in hearing more about the Madrichim Program or would like an application, please contact Rose Snitz at rsnitz@cbebk.org.