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)

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

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

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

Shabbat in Motion:  Join Nitzanim twice a month for Shabbat in Motion in Hebrew Tabernacle's Penthouse from 9:45-10:30.  Shabbat in Motion will be an opportunity for our Nitzanim to learn more about this week's Parsha or upcoming holidays through movement and games.  Please check the calendar and mark the dates for the year!  

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

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 Numbers (Sefer Bamidbar). 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)

As our Anafim students are approaching their B'nei Mitzvah years, they are invited to join the congreation during davening on Shabbat mornings.  Anafim can become "Minyanairs if they participate in 10 Torah Services in entirety with the congregation by December 14th. “Minyanairs” will be able to go together on a field trip to a location of their choosing (bowling, sports game, trampoline park etc.) Anafim will also be given the opportunity to join the “Chai Club” if they attend 18 services by May 30th.  Members of the “Chai Club” will celebrate the end of the year with a Pizza Party and another field trip on their choosing!

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.