Study - Youth Education | Congregation Rodeph Shalom

At Rodeph Shalom, instead of having a Religious School, we have what's called Mercaz Limud (which translates literally as "Learning Center"). The program revolves around six Learning Centers (Mercazei Limud) where our students live out what it means to be Jewish:

Bible
Prayer
Hebrew
Social Action
Jewish Home
Israel

We take the best of what we all love about being Jewish and give our kids opportunities to engage in those activities. So they become Jewish cooks and home builders, Israel tourists, debaters and discussers of hot issues, confident and spiritual worshippers, social justice activists, and individuals rooted in a knowledge and connection to Torah. We will do this in a creative and open environment, forming a community that fosters a sense of security and friendship.

Our students actually look forward to attending on Sunday mornings, and we hear that they complain to their parents when they have to be away. Mercaz Limud is all about having fun while being Jewish. Through quality relationships with friends, teachers and older students, and through real Jewish experiences our students learn more than they ever could in "religious school."

Logistics
Because our student population comes from the entire Delaware Valley region, the focus of our learning program must be on Sunday Mornings. The program meets from 9:30 AM -12:30 PM with the Select Youth Choir continuing until 1:30. We also have an optional midweek Hebrew program that offers enrichment in Modern Hebrew one day/week. Contact the Education Office (215-627-6747 x22) for more details about timing and placement.

Eidot (Units)
In Mercaz Limud, every student is assigned to an Eidah (Unit), where they mix with other students their age. Each Eidah is the rough equivalent of two grades (roughly 35-40 students), and the larger group size enables a wider array of programming options.

Rishonim (PreK, Kindergarten 1 & Kindergarten 2)
Talmidim (1st & 2nd Grade)
Bonim (3rd & 4th Grade)
G'dolim (5th & 6th Grade)
Chachamim (7th Grade)

Kvutzot (Groups)
In addition, each eidah is broken into kvutzot, groups, where 8-10 students meet at the start of every day to form a tighter community and share their lives as they grow at Rodeph Shalom. The kvutzot are lead by our fantastic High School students who serve as mentors and guides for our younger kids.

Kitot (Hebrew Levels)
Finally, the eidot are also broken into kitot, which are Hebrew levels (Aleph to Gimel for each Unit), so that students can progress an an appropriate pace. For most of the day they are mixed together with all of their peers, but during Hebrew the leveling enables greater educational success.

Camp Harlam Retreat
Our weekend winter retreat at URJ’s Camp Harlam in the Poconos will bring students in grades 4-7 together to celebrate Shabbat in a camp setting. Through singing, prayer, great sledding, and informal learning, our students build friendships while
having fun.

Next Year's Retreat is scheduled for February 25-27, 2011. Mark your calendars now!

The Arts
Judaism is an expression of our deepest values, highest aspirations, greatest joys and most difficult sorrows. Different forms of art help us to communicate all of those ideas and emotions. We have a dedicated art specialist, and Cantor Jaime Murley serves as our music specialist. We also engage in drama, cooking, poetry, photography, computer design, and many other forms of art that help us find our own meaning in Judaism.