For Families

Celebrating and Learning as a Family

At BHS, parents are acknowledged as the most influential teachers of their children.  Brooklyn Heights Synagogue offers several opportunities throughout the year for parents and children to celebrate and learn together.   Brooklyn Heights Synagogue offers several opportunities throughout the year for parents and children to celebrate and study together, and for parents to teach their children.   Some of these opportunities may take place during class time. Click here for this year’s Religious School calendar.

High Holiday Family Services and Youth Programs

Religious school students and their families are invited on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur morning to attend hour-long family services. These services are held while the main service is in progress. There are two services offered one for our K-3 students and families and the other for our 4-6 grade students and their families. 7th and 8th graders are encouraged to attend our main service.

Shabbat B’yachad (Together)
Shabbat B’Yachad is a special celebration of Shabbat for our BHS community that especially includes Religious School families.  Once a year each grade has an opportunity to shine by leading services together for the entire congregation.  There are two parts:
•Friday night Shabbat service lead by a grade of BHS Religious School students for the entire congregation.  For Kindergarten, First and Second Grade the service is abbreviated and for the Religious School families only.
•Dinner, blessings and singing after the service for the Religious School grade families.
Siyyum
A Siyyum is a celebration held upon completing the study of a unit of Torah or a book of Mishnah or Talmud. It is customary to save the last bit of the text that is being studied so that all of the invited guests can complete the study together.  Similarly, at BHS each grade holds a siyyum at the end of the year where parents join to support and celebrate the learning of their children.  Parents learn with their children and help them reflect on, and make meaning of, their new knowledge.
Family e-mails
The Director of The Religious School and the Education Program Administrator serve as the liaisons between families and teachers. Weekly parents receive email updates with Lesson Plans and an overview of each class.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Religious School Committee: The Religious School Committee is a vital pillar of the synagogue community.  Working in partnership with BHS professional staff, the committee helps develop school policy, reviews curriculum and accomplishments, oversees operation and helps coordinate activities and enrichment programs for the Religious School students. Among the many projects the Religious School Committee sponsors each year are Rosh Hashana Programming, the Consecration Dinner, the Winter Coat Drive, the Shul-Inn overnight, the Purim Carnival, and Shabbat B’Yachad family dinners.

Class Parents:  Class parents serve as ambassadors to their child’s class to create a warm class community among the parents, transmit important information and help parents come together as a grade to support the learning at BHS.