Temple Hillel B'nai Torah

If you would like to register a new student please email; HPengler@templehbt.org

Who We Are

Chaverim at Temple Hillel B’nai Torah is a warm, joyful, down-to-earth synagogue school in the city of Boston. We serve children ages 4 through high school and their families, with weekly sessions Sunday mornings. (Grades 3-6 meet mid-week as well.) Chaverim literally means “friends,” a nod to the importance of community, social connection, and our responsibilities to one another. As a Reconstructionist congregation, we are rooted in tradition yet responsive to the world in which we live.

OUR Students

Students at Chaverim learn about Judaism through experience— at Shabbat and other shared Jewish holidays, in regular, structured times for services, including traditional prayer liturgy and guided meditation to help students access the divine in and around themselves. We study Torah and Jewish values, and draw on Jewish texts and teachings to help us engage in the world around us. Students gain competency in tefillah/prayer and learn to participate in and lead services (a skill they will carry with them throughout their lives). At the same time, we apply our knowledge to address the existing brokenness of the world; we participate in Black Lives Matter events, strive to support labor rights and raise awareness about climate change, and do what we can to bring more tzedek/justice into the world. We help connect students to Judaism not just through prayer and social justice work, but through Jewish cooking, art, Hebrew, sports, and more, in a safe, caring environment.

We are committed to being an anti-racist community, supporting and celebrating LGBTQIA+ families and individuals, and welcoming members regardless of their finances. HBT is not just a place to celebrate holidays, learn about Judaism, and acquire the skills necessary for becoming bar or bat mitzvah, but a respite from our modern culture’s focus on consumerism and achievement. It is a safe place for children to learn to carve out sacred time, listen to the still, small voices within them, and wrestle with life’s big questions, grounded in traditional and modern Jewish answers as they develop their own.

Our Mission

We work together to help our children develop into thoughtful, engaged, and grounded young adults who have their own unique personal connections to Judaism, as well as a connection to one another and to the larger world. For students in K, 1st, and 2nd grade, families may enroll their children in the Chaverim School for one year without being members of Temple Hillel B’nai Torah. After one year, families who wish to continue in the Chaverim School are expected to formally join the Temple. Dues for Temple membership are on an income-based sliding scale. Families with children entering the Chaverim School after 2nd grade will need to meet with the Education Director to assess the child’s knowledge level in areas of study. Additional makeup work may need to be completed to bring the student up to grade level skills.

Chaverim School by Grade

Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade (Gan, Alef, and Bet) students meet weekly on Sunday mornings from 9:45am-12:15pm, except for pre-scheduled Saturday Kulanu Yachad (All of Us Together) programs.

Grades 3-6 (Gimel, Dalet, Hey, and Vav) meet on Sunday mornings 9:45am-12:15pm and Wednesday afternoons from 4:30-6pm. They also participate in our popular, mixed-grade B’reirot/Electives program.

Grade 7 (Zayin) meets weekly on Sunday mornings from 9:45am-12:15pm. They also participate in 5 pre-b’nai mitzvah family education sessions with Rabbi Penzner. 

Teen Group grades 7-10 grade meet for informal monthly classes. Additionally, high school students are eligible to apply to become madrichim (junior teachers) in the Chaverim School.

CHAVURAH/COMMUNITY

We are all part of K’lal Yisrael, the Jewish community, and have a responsibility to actively support and sustain the Jewish community in various ways.  Alongside this responsibility, we acknowledge the fact that as Jews, our obligation to the Jewish people stands in perpetual tension with our obligations to humanity. Our Chaverim School community is a microcosm of the broader community, in which we live out our values of supporting one another, respecting one another, and treating each other thoughtfully and kindly.  Creating community is not always easy, but as Jews, and especially as Reconstructionist Jews, we believe it is worth the effort.  It helps us see beyond ourselves and learn to accept others’ differences, which makes us stronger individually and as a community. We foster both school and class community through shared meals and events, and encourage Chaverim School families’ connection to and participation in the broader Temple community.

MITZVOT

We teach about mitzvot (Jewish obligations toward others, ourselves, and the world, which are our framework for righteous behavior) as “what you do ‘cause you’re a Jew.” The students study mitzvot related to ritual observance, caring for the environment and natural world, and ethical behavior in relationships.  As Jews, we do not face the world passively, looking to consume and receive, but rather with an awareness of our responsibility to appreciate what is good and strive for what is right.

We believe that as Jews, we are obligated to sanctify our everyday lives, to treat others with kindness and respect, and to help repair the world whenever and wherever possible. Our community is inspired to act by the ancient words: “Lo alecha hamlacha ligmor, v’lo atah ben chorin lehitabel mimena; It is not up to you to complete the work, yet you are not free to avoid it.” (Pirkei Avot 2:21).  Students have the opportunity to do acts of tikkun olam (repairing the world) through various hands-on activities. Students learn about mitzvot/Jewish obligations as they are connected to and stem from Jewish values, which they study through stories, ethical dilemmas, and core texts.  We want students to be able to make informed decisions about their own Jewish practice, with an understanding of the range of mitzvot and their sources. 

The students learn about Israel as our ancient Jewish homeland, a place where the Hebrew language thrives, and the only country in the world that is a “home” for the Jewish people.  We emphasize the relationships between Jews and other citizens of the State of Israel, and enjoy exploring modern Israeli culture.  While recognizing the complexity of the current political climate, we seek to stress positive developments, and remain passionately hopeful about peaceful co-existence between Israeli Jews and our neighbors in the Middle East.  We also encourage families to consider traveling to Israel and to enroll students in the Passport to Israel program.

Philosophy

We believe that for students to learn and participate fully, they must first feel safe, and creating and maintaining a safe environment for all children is a prerequisite function of our staff.  We believe that every human being is created b’tzelem elohim, in the Divine image; as such, each child must be valued for his or her unique self.  Teachers model respect for all children and what they bring to the community.  As a Reconstructionist congregation, we emphasize the value of Jewish peoplehood.  Judaism is viewed as an “evolving religious civilization,” and there is a place for all of our children within that community.  At HBT, each child is cared for as a person and an important member of the community.

We strive for all students to feel safe, valued, and cared for in the Chaverim School community.

We warmly welcome many different kinds of families into our community and school, including interfaith, differently-abled, single-parent, gay/lesbian, transgender, multi-racial, and multi-cultural households, and parents of all different Jewish backgrounds.  We consider the diversity of our school to be a unique gift that organically fosters tolerance and acceptance, reflects our Jewish values, and is a great source of pride to our community.

Curriculum

We want our students to develop basic literacy in Jewish values, history, spirituality, peoplehood, and the language of Judaism.  But equally importantly, we want our students to know that they are an important part of the Jewish community, and to find their own ways of connecting to and participating in that community.

We create a warm, dynamic, multifaceted learning experience for our students that encompasses many aspects of Judaism within the context of being part of a community. Teachers engage students via different learning modalities and activities, both traditional and innovative.   We recognize that there are many varieties of Jewish experience and expression, and seek to provide students with a level of competency in certain areas of Jewish living, while also exposing them to a broader range so that students can choose to further explore their own interests within Judaism.

There are six main components to the curriculum, which are interwoven throughout all grades in developmentally appropriate ways:

TORAH

In Torah study, the students encounter not only the Five Books of Moses, but other Jewish texts from the Bible and Talmud, midrash (creative exegesis) and stories.  We teach the Bible as the special book of the Jewish people that reflects our encounter with the Divine.  The Bible is viewed as neither a history book nor a science text, and its protagonists do not always act nobly, but it contains stories from our ancient tradition that can still teach us today.

When students engage in discussion and debate about some of the key human themes that emerge in Torah--family, responsibility, justice, leadership--they are connected to generations of Jews who have wrestled with these same texts throughout history.  We invite students to hone their critical thinking skills in textual analysis, to engage in dramatic retellings, and to enter into the stories and truly empathize with the characters’ struggles.

IVRIT/HEBREW

Hebrew is a key to the treasure box of Jewish heritage and culture.  The Hebrew language connects us to Jewish people of all lands, throughout history, and is also valued as a language of the modern State of Israel. 

Teachers infuse the classrooms with modern Hebrew.  We learn and use Hebrew when studying holidays, when labeling common objects, and in appropriate situations (such as taking attendance) so that students can really see Hebrew as a living language.

Students learn to decode Hebrew fluently (with regular homework).  They also learn to understand and translate key words and phrases that are important for understanding and participating meaningfully in Jewish prayer.

CHAGIM/HOLIDAYS

Jewish holidays help us to lead a life of meaning by creating and recognizing sacred time.  Jewish identity comes from celebrating Shabbat and the holidays together, as well as recognizing that we are Jewish every day. 

Students learn about different holidays as they arise throughout the school year.  Each grade focuses on particular holidays, and students learn different aspects of the holidays as they revisit them each year.  Over time, studying and observing the holidays at school, synagogue, and home helps the students internalize the rhythms of the Jewish year in their lives.

AVODAH/WORSHIP & SPIRITUALITY

Avodah is a special kind of work that we undertake to find sacred connections to God, community, and self.  Prayer strengthens our sense of appreciation for what is good, reminds us of work still undone, and helps us find our place in the world. 

Our students also explore their connections to God and spirituality in age-appropriate ways in each grade, developing their own concepts of Godliness, holiness, and divinity as they encounter these subjects in prayers and elsewhere.  We encourage students to consider what is sacred, special, and holy to them, and learn to value and strengthen these connections.  We recognize that as for adults, children’s spirituality is not “one size fits all.” Students may find (or not find) God/holiness in formal services, the natural world, meditation, or other people.  We teach respect for others’ beliefs, and the importance of actively developing spiritual awareness and skills in a busy world.

Students learn different key prayers each year in class (for holidays, meals, special times, and services), study the structure of the prayer service, and have the opportunity to participate in and help lead our twice-monthly Chaverim School community Ma’ariv (evening) and Shaharit (morning) services. Students in sixth and seventh grades frequently assist the rabbi in leading the Torah service on Shabbat as they are preparing for the bar or bat mitzvah ceremony.   Students are always welcome at Temple HBT services!

Over time, students become comfortable and competent in the prayer service, a valuable skill (and key element of Jewish literacy) that they carry with them throughout their lives.  Students study the contents of the prayers, as well as when and why we pray.  Engaging in the practice of avodah can bring order, beauty, meaning and insight to our lives.

School Cancellation/Snow Policy

On Sundays when inclement weather is forecast, the Education Team will make a decision about holding class by 8:00 a.m. and will activate the school emergency phone system. Decisions about Wednesday cancellations will be made as quickly as possible.  Please be sure that we have your correct emergency contact information.

We will list school cancellations on WBZ (online, radio and TV).

The Temple HBT website and office phone (617-323-0486) will also have school closure information available.

Teachers

Our wonderful teachers bring so much to our children and our community! We have some faculty members who have been with us for many years, and some who are newer, but all share the Chaverim School mission of educating children in a warm, dynamic, and joyful environment.  As with our synagogue community, we value the diversity of our staff, who represent a range of life stages and Jewish beliefs and practices, modeling various ways to live an authentic Jewish life.  Some of our faculty members have advanced degrees in education and/or Jewish Studies, while some are still completing their undergraduate studies at nearby universities.

We employ teachers who are passionate about Jewish living, who love working with children, and who are experienced in the classroom and/or camp settings.  We also expect our teachers to be “reflective practitioners” who are thoughtful about their skills and techniques in the classroom and are always open to continued growth and learning.  We support our teachers with opportunities for professional development throughout the year, and strive to create a supportive atmosphere in which teachers work together, and learn with and from each other. All of our teachers have been cleared by a CORI criminal background check.