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August 8, 2003/Av 10 5763, Vol. 55, No. 50
New Shul offers new option for education
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
The New Shul is taking a new approach to Jewish education.
The synagogue, which opened last fall, is headed by husband and wife Rabbi Michael Wasserman and Rabbi Elana Kanter. The traditional-egalitarian synagogue does not offer standard Sunday religious school instruction, but rather features the rabbis' own brand of "organic" Jewish education.
"We believe that children learn best in an environment that is natural to them, that is part of the overall life of their family, and that flows naturally out of their family's participation in the community," said Wasserman via e-mail from Israel.
The New Shul's educational programming is therefore family-style - once-a-month family workshops are offered for parents and children to participate in together.
"Instead of educating children in isolation from their parents and other adults, we work with them as part of a larger learning community that includes their parents," explained Wasser-man.
"We put a lot of energy into programming for families as a whole, and into developing children's programs that parallel what their parents and other adults are doing at the same time," he adds.
Additionally, The New Shul will add staff member Shani Zvida, an educational intern, as part of the Arizona State University Hillel Scholars Program.
The Teaching Scholars Program was created 10 years ago by Rabbi Barton Lee. His wife, Marcie, is the coordinator of the program, which sends five ASU students per year to work as interns in local congre-gational schools.
The program includes three hours of instruction per week by the Lees, and each of the Teaching Scholars is paid and receives a scholarship.
"We have a lot of kids here at ASU who need to work for spending money or tuition. They are good kids and they're bright, so we put them to work in the Jewish community," said Barton Lee.
The program has pro-duced a rabbi, a cantor and several Jewish educators, said Lee.
There will be Teaching Scholars at Temple Emanuel, Temple Beth Sholom, Temple Beth Israel and Har Zion Congregation this year, in addition to Zvida's position at The New Shul.
"This is an opportunity to try something with a new congregation and a different approach, experimental, and we want to be part of the experiment," Lee said.
Zvida, who was born and raised in Israel, will work at the school for both the fall and spring semesters. She will assist in developing the Shabbat morning children's program and the family education programs and will offer Hebrew lessons.
The monthly family workshops include "Yom Tov University: Preparing for the Fall Holidays," "Sundaes in the Sukkah: Ice Cream Under the Stars," "Shabbat B'Yahad: A Shul-Wise Shabbat Retreat" and "Lights, Candles, Action: A Pre-Hanukkah Workshop." Additionally, families will be given an assignment to work on together during the holidays.
"Research tells us that Jewish education has a much greater impact on children when there is continuity between their education and their family life," Wasserman said.
The New Shul is holding a Family Brunch, where families can meet the rabbis and learn about their alternative approach to Jewish education, 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, at the synagogue, 14425 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale.
Call 480-515-2272.
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