535 Progress Avenue
Munster, Indiana 46321

Ben Kramer, Rabbi

Susan Tepperman, President | Aaron Frankel, Principal

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Religious School 

The new CBI Religious School 2008 - 2009

A unique and innovative combination of features make this year at the CBI religious school particularly unique.
Why?

1. We’ve hired eleven talented and dedicated high school students to function as teaching staff and mentors for our fifth, sixth and seventh grades.
2. We’re in a dynamic place mid merge between our two religious schools here in Munster, Indiana:  Congregation Beth Israel (Conservative), and Temple Beth El (Reform).  Our K, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades are completely merged, meeting Sunday mornings at Temple Beth El, and Wednesday afternoons at Congregation Beth El.  CBI is providing the Hebrew instruction, and TBE the English/religious school component.  The fifth, sixth and seventh grades are combined once a month in a special comparative Judaism program, studying five different denominations of Judaism.  A different rabbi facilitates each meeting, providing a general introduction to the philosophy and principals of the denomination they represent, and teaching the version of the Shema and the Amidah that their movement uses.
3. Our first grade class meets on Sunday mornings at CBI taught by the talented Stacy Z.
4. A typical Sunday for our fifth, sixth and seventh graders goes like this:
1. The morning begins by dividing into three groups and then moving between three special twenty minute lessons: 1) reading through and analyzing the entire book of Genesis (facilitated by President Susan) 2) Hebrew prayer study, and 3) an ongoing service leading workshop with Ed for our pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah students, and a special conversation with the rabbi for those who have already become Bar or Bat Mitzvah.  Each small group includes one high school mentor. 
2. Meanwhile, the rest of our high school staff are preparing and rehearsing the day’s primary lesson, using the excellent and well-vetted lesson plans of URJ’s Chai Curriculum.  For the last hour or so of the morning, these high school students teach this interactive lesson to all our fifth, sixth and seventh grade students, along with some eighth graders, parents and additional high school students, who function as a combination of peers and mentors.
5. A typical Wednesday for our fifth, sixth, and seventh grades students:
1. 4:30 – 5:15 – peer prayer tutoring.   Each post-Bar/Bat Mitzvah student has their own tutoring station, with a sign and a list of the prayers they are “authorized” to teach.  Our pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah students are then tutored individually by our post-Bar/ Bat Mitzvah students for twenty minutes each, in order to accomplish each student’s personal daily prayer goal (generally about two lines of a prayer).  Aaron meets then with small groups to verify that the day’s prayer goal has been met.
2. 5:15 – 6:00.  A weekly, challenging, and dynamic Tikkun Olam class, in the library, taught by the rabbi.
6. A typical Sunday for our TBE and CBI third and fourth graders, over at TBE: 
1. A forty-five minute Hebrew lesson taught by the excellent Cynthia O.
2. Religious School lessons from the Chai curriculum, plus rotations sessions in music, art, and library.
7. Wednesdays for our TBE and CBI third and fourth graders, over at CBI:
1. A forty-five minute Hebrew lesson taught by Cynthia.
2. A forty-five minute conversational Hebrew/Israel lesson with our new Shaliach, Oded.
8. Sundays for our CBI and TBE K and 2nd grade students over at TBE: Religious school with fun activities and lessons from 10 to 12: Chai Curriculum, Art, Music, library, dance, etc.
9. Once a month, the larger high school program meets, with as many as 20 students from eighth through twelfth grades.  Our teaching staff has the day off to attend this program, including a conversation with Rabbi Kramer about Judaism and the world, and a visit to the Bet Café.

    10)  Bet Café, our community brunch.  A typical Sunday ends with Bet Café, from 11:30 to 12:30 or so,  including periodic special programs.  Coming soon:  A ping pong tournament fundraiser, a mezuzah election/selection, senior day, father/child latke bake off, etc.

Principal: Aaron Frankel

Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2008

Study Prayers Online Developed by Aaron Frankel and Produced by Aaron Fankel and Ethan Hirsch

Religious School Blog:
Every Sunday, one of our High School staff will provide a real time, while it is happening, overview of the morning’s events and lessons.  Feel free to comment, and to offer suggestions and observations.