 |  | |
|
The goal of Junior Congregation is to afford our Religious School students a solid understanding of the Shabbat morning service to help them prepare for their upcoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah and their role in the Jewish community. | ||
 |  |
|
Junior Congregation at B'nai Tikvah
|
The Junior Congregation Family Service is a mini-service, held in the Beit Midrash.
It highlights the prayers our students learn in Religious School and the ones
they should know for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Numerous honors, such as: opening the Ark, carrying the Torah, leading prayers, receiving aliyot, etc., are given to encourage active participation in the service. Parents are encouraged to join their children in Junior Congregation or participate in services in the main sanctuary. |
Schedule of Services
|
Junior Congregation is offered most Saturdays throughout the school year.
The exceptions, being Thanksgiving weekend and sometimes the December winter break.
Credit for attending Junior Congregation is also given for Shabbat service on such dates. The service is held Saturday mornings from 10:30 am - 12:15 pm. We have our own special Kiddish following services. |
Attendance
|
Younger students will be given a sticker booklet at school at the beginning of the academic year.
Every few weeks, stickers will be pasted in for the services they attended.
This is a fun way for the children to keep track of their attendance.
The booklet will be given to students to take home at the end of the school year. Each week, an attending monitor will have a book with a separate page for each student. It's the child's responsibility to check in with the attending monitor who will separate the pages of the book and later update the attendance records after Shabbat. There is a separate attendance book for Friday evening services. At the conclusion of the service, an announcement will be made for all attending students to check in at the bima. Within 6 months of a child's B'nai Mitzvah, attendance should be in the main sanctuary. Prior to that, students of the Hei class may attend in the main sanctuary. |
Requirements
| Students are encouraged to attend Junior Congregation often and, depending on their Religious School grade, are required to attend a minimum number of services as follows: |
| | ||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |
|
As a guide to help "stay on track", divide the total number of times required
by nine (9) months. For example: Dalet students requirement of 18 / 9 equals
2 attendances per month. It is expected that children attend for the entire service. Early departure or late arrival may, on occasion, be unavoidable. However, if the length of an attendance is not deemed sufficient, then no credit will be given for that service. Attendance of a Sunday morning Bar/Bat Mitzvah or Friday evening service can account for up to 5 times of the requirements. Havdallah (including Mincha & Maariv) can count for up to 2 of those 5. Anything over those 5 are still counted towards the bowling party and book awards. Students must attend a minimum number of Shabbat morning services at Congregation B'nai Tikvah. This mandatory service requirement is included in the total requirement for each child. |
Incentives
| There are attendance levels which students are encouraged to achieve by specific dates. The following incentives are being offered for the various grade levels: |
 |  | |||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
 |  |
| | |
| 2007 SCHEDULE |
| | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |
Dress Code
|
The children will be in a religious service and therefore, we request appropriate Shabbat attire (no sports uniforms, t-shirts, shorts, tanktops or baseball caps).
Ideally, we'd like to see our Junior Congregants in shoes and slacks or shoes and skirts/dresses. |
Parental Involvement
| We welcome all parents to come and see the progress their children are making with their prayers and to share the Shabbat experience with them. Your example and support go a long way toward instilling Jewish values in your child. |
Oneg Shabbat
|
The Junior Congregation Oneg is an after services snack for Junior Congregants, separate from the main congregation.
Typical items include; flying saucers, brownies, doughnut holes and ice cream sundaes. We are open to more suggestions as long as they conform to the laws of kashrut and can be served on Shabbat. All are invited to sponsor this special Kiddish for only $18. The sponsor's name and event will be posted on the web site, mentioned in the CBT Newsletter, and read from the pulpit in the main Sanctuary. More than one family may sponsor, on a given date, to celebrate any mitzvot, such as: a child's birthday, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a grandparent's anniversary, or any other special occasion. |
Sponsored by:
In honor of: (occasion)
Saturday date: Email:
| If you wish to have a picture posted on the web site and emailed in the newsletter, send it as an attachment to Webmaster@BnaiTikvah.org or drop it in the Webmaster's box in the synagogue office with a note attached. Your photo will be returned in the same condition as received. |
Frequently Asked Questions
|
Q: If a student attends Shabbat services with a parent, does it count towards their requirements?
A: Yes. Any child who wishes to attend adult services with a parent or attends services at another synagogue may do so. To ensure correct attendance records, child should check in with the Junior Congregation monitor or write a note to the Junior Congregation facilitator that their child attended such a service. For additional questions regarding Junior Congregation, please feel free to contact me anytime before 9 pm, except on Shabbat. |
Barry Safeer, 732-432-9622
top of junior congregation
