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September 14, 2001/Elul 26, 5761, Vol. 54, No. 1
Local offerings make holidays meaningful for Valley youth
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
Remember, as a child, waking up on the morning of Rosh Hashana, excited to be "skipping" school, only to realize - an hour into services - that you'd rather be with your friends than listening to a rabbi you could not understand?
Well, those were the High Holidays of the past. Now, synagogues and schools offer an array of age-appropriate activities to make the holidays meaningful - and fun - for kids of all ages.
In addition to the traditional services on the first day of Rosh Hashana and on Yom Kippur, most synagogues offer additional family or children's services.
Family services are held at a separate time than the adult services, so parents can join their school-age children for the holiday without missing out on the traditional service for adults.
Rabbi Peter Levi says Temple Chai's services for families are essentially the same as the traditional services, with modifications to make them more appropriate for their audience.
"We try to put the same message in our sermons, for example, but on a different level," he says. "We want them to have a High Holy Day experience that's appropriate for them."
Other synagogues, such as Temple Beth Sholom, hold children's services concurrently with the adult services. Beth Sholom's children's services are led by members of the congregation.
Services for preschool-age children include stories, songs and a basic introduction to prayer, while the elementary-age children participate in a more traditional service.
Temple Emanuel holds a children's service, during which the children's choir sings, that is much shorter than a traditional service. Kids ages 3-7 can then attend Camp Rosh Hashana and Camp Yom Kippur while the adults participate in the regular services. Rabbi Andrew Straus says the camps are run by non-Jewish staff who are trained to teach High Holiday curriculum.
Congregations are trying to cater to older children's needs, as well. Temple Emanuel is planning a new program for this year in which children from fifth grade through high school will attend most of the adult service, but during the Torah reading will go to another room to have age-appropriate activities and discussions.
Temple Beth Sholom and Temple Chai also hold separate teen services, which the teens lead themselves. Beth Sholom's teens have even created their own prayer book to use for the holidays.
With all of these options, when is it appropriate for kids to begin attending regular services?
Levi says around the age of their bar or bat mitzvah, children should attend adult services, while Straus suggests traditional services for a younger crowd.
"We suggest starting around fifth grade. They're welcome before that, but by around fifth grade they should really be able to sit much longer for the adult service," he says.
Rather than a specific age, Rabbi Bonnie Koppell of Temple Beth Sholom suggests a progressive approach.
"Kids of any age can come in and spend a little time. We get ready to have a big shofar service and go round up the kids and make sure they can all be there," she explains. "They're never too young to start coming in to the adult service. It's more of a natural progression rather than an age cut off. The older they get, the more they're able to participate."
Of course, the High Holidays are not just about the services. Children who attend religious school, Jewish preschools or day schools spend several weeks preparing for the holidays.
Eileen Bayer, teacher at the Tri-City Jewish Community Center preschool and pre-K teacher at Temple Emanuel's religious school, suggests sensory activities for introducing the holidays to young children.
"What we try to do is make everything concrete so they have something to touch and taste and smell," she says.
She does activities with the kids, such as making honey cake, designing New Year's cards and decorating shofars. And, of course, children love to sing.
"(Singing) is a good way of teaching them the vocabulary and the concepts," she explains.
Some synagogues, such as Chabad of the East Valley, offer educational activities in addition to religious school classes. This year, Chabad held its Shofar Factory at Zany Brainy in Phoenix. At the Shofar Factory, children learn about the history, purpose and construction of the shofar, and even have the opportunity to make their own. Chabad of the West Valley also held a Shofar Factory.
Part of a meaningful holiday experience is not only celebrating with the congregation or learning at school, but also how the ideas are incorporated into life at home.
Bayer says that it is important for the ideas and concepts to be reinforced at home. "It's very hard for them to remember something they only see once or twice."
Koppell says her own children were always in a Jewish preschool program and she would prominently display their holiday artwork in their home.
Levi, who has two young children, says it's important to involve children in the rituals of the holiday.
"You want them to have all of the associations: the apples, the honey, the shofar," he says. "They understand the form of a special meal and the foods we have and the rituals and the blessings. ... You want them to have foods and images and music and sights and sounds and tastes - that connects them with holiday."
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