To request more information about YEP, please contact our Director of Lifelong Learning, Rabbi Howard Rosenbaum, at 860-233-8215 x2330 or hrosenbaum@cbict.org.
Every family receives a spiritually rich, relevant, and engaging experience, fostering positive Jewish identity formation. We incorporate both traditional and non-traditional learning and teaching styles to best meet the needs of our individual students and families on their Jewish journeys.
Our mission is to serve the lifelong spiritual and educational needs of our congregants within a welcoming and caring contemporary Reform Jewish community. YEP builds strong Jewish community, families, and individual identities through engagement with Torah, God, and Israel.
1. Create an awareness of Jewish history, holidays, festivals, and lifecycle events.
2. Create familiarity with Torah and Mishkan T’Filah (the Reform Judaism prayer book), Hebrew, and Jewish music in order to provide students with familiarity and comfort in any Reform synagogue.
3. Encourage thoughtful spiritual awareness in an open and safe environment.
4. Create understanding of the concepts of Covenant, mitzvot, tzedakah, and tikkun olam in our community.
5. Develop a spirit of K'lal Yisrael (Peoplehood) and strengthen the connection to Israel, its history and its people.
6. Provide necessary tools for Jewish living to complement in-home Jewish learning.
7. Maintain our commitment to the professional development of our staff to be current with educational teaching techniques, tools and technologies.
Aleinu
Al Shlosha D'varim
Torah Blessing (Before Reading)
Torah Blessing (After Reading)
Sh'ma and V'ahavta
Mi Chamochah
K'dusha (Saturday Morning)
Havdalah
HaTikvah
Haftarah Blessing (Before Reading)
Avot V'imahot
G'vurot
Chatzi Kaddish
Chanukah Blessings
Birkat Hamazon
YEP COVID Guidelines
Our YEP program follows the COVID guidelines set forth by the West Hartford Public Schools as they apply to us. The full text of the guidelines can be accessed HERE. For our guidelines for contact tracing and quarantining, click HERE.
Starting at ages 3-4, we begin to plant the seeds of a joyful Jewish life. Students learn about Jewish holidays through songs, games, and crafts. We teach through stories, art projects, music, dance, and fun, building a community of young children and families.
Students study the Hebrew alphabet, quickly learning to decode basic Hebrew vocabulary. As they progress, they practice fluency in reading, translating basic prayer vocabulary, and using Modern Hebrew vocabulary. Each level reinforces our students’ prayer literacy, building comfort at Shabbat and holiday services.
Our experiential Judaic studies courses include themes such as Jewish values, Israel, Jewish history, Torah, and Jewish arts and music. These classes engage students in Jewish life.
Our 10th grade program gives students an opportunity to engage with our clergy relevant Jewish issues and questions. A highlight of Confirmation is participation in the L’Taken Seminar at the Religious Action Center, the legislative advocacy arm of the Union for Reform Judaism in Washington, DC. Students learn about Jewish perspectives on contemporary U.S. policy issues and meet with Connecticut congressional representatives to advocate a position. At the end of the year, the Confirmation class leads a service including individual speeches about their personal connections to Judaism.
Beginning in the 2018-2019, we are partnering with JTConnect, Greater Hartford's premier Jewish teen education organization to offer programming for 8th-12th grades on Sunday mornings. Teens explore Jewish topics of interest to them and take part in social justice learning projects.
Register here for JTConnect at CBI.
Regular Family Education programs provide a venue for children and parents to learn together with our clergy. These programs may incorporate music, art, drama, and text.
