The Lev Shalem School 2025-26
Registration for Lev Shalem Youngsters is open until October 8!
At the Woodstock Jewish Congregation, our Lev Shalem School offers a warm, inclusive, and vibrant environment where children of all ages can embark on a joyful journey of Jewish exploration together. Our name reflects our commitment to being a full, open-hearted space for learning, growing, and supporting one another. We are a spiritual community for young people to wrestle with Torah, explore spiritual practice, commune with nature and song, and build their unique relationship to Jewish identity and values.
Lev Shalem Youngsters
The Lev Shalem Youngsters is our extension of the Lev Shalem School for students ages 3-6. Our group will meet on Wednesdays from 3:45-5 PM, starting on October 8th and will be mirroring the curriculum of the older group, with playful and fun adjustments for this younger age group. We are excited to add this option to our registration page. The Lev Shalem Youngsters tuition is $500 per student. There is a deposit of $50 upon registration.
Lev Shalem School
Every week of the academic year, from September 2025 through May 2026, students will gather for an enriching experience with Judaism to learn and grow as a community. The class will meet once a week on Wednesday evenings from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM. One week a month, our Wednesday meeting will be replaced by our Saturday Shabbat Chevruta:
One week a month, we will meet on Saturday morning for a Shabbat experience from 10 AM to 12:30 PM. This will be in place of the following Wednesday’s class. During Shabbat Chevruta, students will spend time being integrated into the full community service and engage in their own Torah study, prayer, and movement in and outside of the classroom, communing with the beautiful nature trails that surround our sanctuary. We are excited for students to develop their own relationships with study and spiritual practice on Shabbat. Both during Shabbat class and our regular Wednesday evening class, parents are invited to participate in services or adult learning opportunities if they wish.
Class began on September 10th.
What to Expect:
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- Snack and Outdoor Play: Our sessions kick off with a nutritious snack and outdoor playtime (weather permitting), providing a chance for young learners to bond and burn off energy. We cherish this time each week, understanding the importance of physical activity in nurturing your child’s learning journey.
- Jewish Curricular Focus: In the 2025-2026 school year, we’re excited to delve into Jewish identity, values, chesed, spiritual practice, and literacy of Jewish time. Students will spend time in the classroom, around the building, and within the woods of our WJC Peace Trail, getting to know themselves and each other in a Jewish communal context. Whether we are looking for God in the woods or unpacking difficult verses of Torah, our Lev Shalem School community will engage in a deep journey of learning and growing Jewishly together.
- Tefillah Time: The class spends time every week singing, moving, and learning the prayers of our siddur. Prayer literacy and an understanding of Jewish rituals, spirituality, and davenning practice is an important part of the learning and connecting we do together.
- First Friday Services: On the first Friday of every month at 6 PM, the families of our school join together with our community for a festive, intergenerational Friday night Shabbat service and potluck dinner. The students of the Lev Shalem School help plan and lead the services with Cantor Raechel and Rabbi Karen. Regular attendance at First Friday services is expected of all students.
- Family Sessions: In addition to our weekly gatherings, families are invited to join us for special sessions, focusing on holiday programming or volunteer trips. Family sessions occur roughly every other month. These sessions offer wonderful opportunities for families to celebrate Jewish holidays together through interactive activities and meaningful discussions, deepening your family’s connection to Jewish traditions and community.
- Hebrew Reading and Writing: Hebrew language literacy will be integrated throughout our Wednesday class along with biweekly interactive lessons as a group. However, the majority of Hebrew reading and writing lessons will take place in biweekly private 30-minute sessions on Zoom. We find this option works better to address the individual needs and competency levels of each member of our class. The Zoom Hebrew reading classes are recommended for all students and are required for students age 11 and older. They will occur every other week at an additional cost of $300 per year.