From the Educator

On occasion, one can become a little pessimistic about our Jewish future. Both from within & without, we are suffering attacks on our Judaism. Our legitimacy as a people & our hope for a continued Jewish homeland are often in jeopardy. Statistics of a 50% assimilation rate terrify us. And we become, as was once said by a noted scholar Simon Rawidowicz the ever-dying people. Each one of us is thinking that we may be the last generation of Jews.

However, I just, once again reread an article which, at least, in part, gives me hope & assurance. So I’d like to share a part of an article written by Mark Twain in September 1899 in the Harper’s New Monthly Magazine.

NB Twain’s daughter Clara married a Jewish pianist & conductor Osip S. Gabrielovitch.

Arliene

Up

Arliene's "Doing Jewish" Part 2 - Life Cycles Adult Education Course
January 11

A 5-week course to be held on Wednesday evenings, at Solel. - free for Solelniks - $10/session for non-members - attend 1 or all 5 sessions (from January 11 - February 8, 2012) - Call the Solel office to register at 905-820-5915 - topics include Brit Milah & Brit Nerot, Consecration, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, Marriage & Divorce & Death & Mourning

Bet Sefer Solel

Bet Sefer Solel has full programmes in Judaica and Hebrew for grades ranging from Pre-school through grade 10. Pre-school classes are held bi-weekly and all 3 year olds (with parent accompaniment) are invited (members and non-members) to attend Sundays, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. From JK through Grade 3, classes are held weekly (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) and include Hebrew music, texts, arts and crafts and telfillah. Grade 4 through Grade 8 meets twice a week (adding an additional Hebrew component Tuesday evenings) and our Grade 9’s and Grade 10’s meet only once a week. All Bet Sefer Solel students are committed to our programme and our retention rate through Grade 10 is near 90%.

After 4 years in our programme, students (both girls and boys) are prepared to begin their preparation for becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah. They are taught by an avocational set of tutors who are experts in teaching trope. Our students are able, (on their Bar/Bat Mitzvah day) to lead their service with the Rabbi, to give the D'var Torah and to confirm with pride their Jewish identity.

Confirmation Class

Our students, once they are in our Grade 9 class, also begin volunteering at our school as Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutors and peer teachers. Our entire staff is made up of congregants and their young adult children who have maintained their commitment to our school.

That commitment is firmly formed in our grade 10 year – (the Kallah Class). In this programme, the wider issues such as faith, identity, mitzvot are thoroughly discussed. Our confirmands have bonded over their years at our school and remain friends well beyond the walls of our school. The highlights of the Kallah year are a Retreat at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati and a graduation service (which they lead) and luncheon at the end of the school year.

JIC - Jewish Information Class

Do you have a partner who really wants more information about Judaism, perhaps with the intention of converting?. Over the course of 30 weeks, the JIC class meets and we study together a wide range of topics that cover our history, our holidays, customs, symbols and life cycle events and beginning Hebrew. If you'd like to know more about the JIC, please call Arliene at Solel.