Adventure Rabbi Kids registration is open and we still have spots in many of our classes so grab yours before the cost goes up on August 1st!

Let’s take a walk down memory lane. Go back to your childhood and think about your religious school experience. If I sent chills down your spine because I conjured up repressed memories of cold chairs, lecturing adults, and clocks that never seemed to move, my sincerest apologies.

Even though religious school may not have been our most cherished childhood memory, many of us still see the value in going since, in the end, it did help to shape our Judaism.

Now, take a moment and make a list of all the things you want your child to get out of their religious school experience. I assume you will have content-based items like “knowledge of bible stories” and “understanding of Jewish holidays and traditions.” What about the atmosphere? Perhaps you want your child to be really engaged in their learning. Hopefully they’ll look forward to religious school and view it as a chance to see friends.

I would like to offer an alternative to the traditional religious school we all remember. Adventure Rabbi Kids takes a unique approach to Jewish education that is fun, inviting, and practical. We have put together a curriculum that teaches what we feel are the most important topics for Jewish literacy in ways that engage every learner type.

Our classes meet once a month on a combination of Sundays and weekday afternoons and evenings. We also have many options for class structure so you’re not left with a one-size-fits-all model. This year, in addition to our regular mixed-gender classes that span from kindergarten to 6th grade, we are offering two girl’s only classes, a boys only class, a family class focusing on Jewish holidays, and an adult only class taught by Rabbi Korngold that is conveniently held at the same time as several of our ARK classes.

Another aspect of our program that sets it apart (and dare I say above) from the memories we have of religious school is that our teachers are both full-time professionals. We do not hire college students or volunteers to be the primary educators in our classroom setting. Rabbi Evon Yakar created the ARK program 4 years ago and has shaped it into the incredible success it is today. He is enthusiastic in his teaching and very active. Elaine Barenblat is the educator for the Adventure Rabbi Congregation and devotes a significant amount of time to making Adventure Rabbi Kids the best it can be. She has a degree in education and loves to teach using new and innovative methods.

For more information about our program, click on this link: http://adventurerabbi.org/congregation/ReligiousSchool.htm or reach out to our educator, Elaine at elaine@adventurerabbi.org or by phone at 303.945.8273.

We hope to see you at the first class (which is on a ranch in the mountains and will include programming, dinner, and s’mores – See? I told you it was different!)