Children's Services

FTJC welcomes families of all kinds into our community. Each Shabbat at , beginning at 9:45am,  we hold age-appropriate children’s services and programming that are warm, vibrant and accessible, whether you are new to Shabbat services or familiar with them. Come for singing, grape juice, and challah. All are welcome!

Zera’im / זרעים / Seeds (Ages 0 – 3)

Seeds of Shabbat - monthly gatherings for children 0-3 and their grown-ups: Join us for a Shabbat experience filled with songs, stories, hands-on activities and community-building as we teach our children about Shabbat and upcoming holidays.

Weekly Saturday Morning Tefillah / Prayer - Zera’im weekly Shabbat morning tefillah / prayer, “Seeds of Prayer,” takes place at 10:40 AM in The Penthouse.

**Zera’im Seeds of Shabbat meets monthly on Shabbat afternoons. This initiative is supported by a generous grant from UJA Federation of NY

**Zera’im Seeds of Shabbat meets monthly on Shabbat afternoons.

This initiative is supported by a generous grant from UJA Federation of NY

Nitzanim / ניצנים / Sprouts (Pre-K – 2nd Grade)

Nitzanim Sprouting Mitzvot - monthly experiential and service-based learning about mitzvot. Programs will incorporate key Hebrew words and phrases, Torah learning, and fun and meaningful ways of engaging with others in the community.  This program will take place once a month on Shabbat afternoons.  Please look at the calender for details.

Weekly Shabbat Morning Tefillah / Prayer - Nitzanim weekly Shabbat morning tefillah takes place at 10:40 AM in Classroom 1 preceded by snack.

Shabbat Yoga: - Nitzanim will have Shabbat Yoga twice a month in the Penthouse from 9:45-10:30.  Shabbat Yoga will include text, learning and movement and will be a fun, educational, and meaningful way for the Nitzanim children to release some energy on Shabbat mornings.  

Shorashim / שורשים / Roots (3rd – 5th Grade)

Shorashim God-Talk - In this monthly class we will learn about God—we ask “Big Questions”: What is God? What does Judaism have to say about God? Is God a person, a thing, an idea, a force? How does the language and imagery we use affect the way we conceive of and talk to God in our prayers and private reflections?  We address these questions and more through looking at our siddur, Torah, stories, and poetry, and learn how different names and language give us different access points to understanding God.

Weekly Shabbat Morning Tefillah / Prayer - Shorashim weekly Shabbat morning tefillah takes place at 9:45 AM in the Library followed by snack.

Weekly Limmud: "Torah Stories" - Shorashim meets weekly at 10:40 in the Penthouse to learn, play, and think about the stories and lessons in the Book of Exodus (Sefer Shemot). Torah Stories will include  acting, playing games, having debates, and engaging with Torah in age-appropriate ways.

See the Table Below for all Shabbat morning programming for Zera'im, Nitzanim, and Shorashim:

Anafim / ענפים / Branches (6th – 8th Grade)

Stay tuned for more information....

Teens (9th – 12th)

Stay tuned for more information...

Family Experiences

Mishpacha Minyan – Our family minyan meets seasonally to bring in Kabbalat Shabbat together
Chavurot / Family Learning Groups – this year we are hoping to build family learning experiences that cater to family needs and desires on a small scale. If you are interested in joining with other families in the community to participate in guided learning, please contact Mira Kessler, our Youth & Family Community Organizer at mira.kessler@ftjc.org.
Resources for Family Learning – we are working to build our resources to help families learn together at home. Please check back for our growing resource library, and for now enjoy the following helpful tefillah / prayer resources:

Modeh Ani - I Give Thanks

Blessing Children

Blessings before & after eating

Ritual Ideas

Zera'im Siddur

Shabbat & Holiday Programming

FTJC welcomes families of all kinds into our community. Each Shabbat at 10:40am we hold age-appropriate children’s services that are warm, vibrant and accessible, whether you are new to Shabbat services or familiar with them. Come for singing, grape juice, and challah. All are welcome!

We offer holiday programming that helps children and their grownups become familiar with key symbols, rituals, and practices of major holidays. Check the FTJC Calendar for updated information about holiday programming.