Family & Youth Services

Shabbat Services for our Children

You’re never too young for Shabbat at Adat Shalom.  Our community offers many age-appropriate entry-points for services with an understanding and an invitation that ALL are welcome in our main sanctuary for Shabbat morning services.  (There is a quiet room in the back of the sanctuary if someone gets fussy or needs to move around a bit).

Tot Shabbat (infants to pre-K) with Miss Ellie introduces our youngest members to songs, prayers and movement along with Shabbat props and a stuffed Torah parade.  Parents and grandparents join the children for this energetic and spirited celebration of Shabbat.  (this can link to the current Tot Shabbat Page).

Once our children “graduate” from Tot Shabbat and enroll in our more formal education program, they will attend a grade-level minyan/service that are building blocks to developing comfort and familiarity with the structure of Shabbat services and the prayers.

Each minyan is led by a music teacher and assisted by a student “rosh (head) giving each child the chance to lead their peers in this joyous, song-filled service, complete with an age appropriate story/discussion of the weekly Torah portion.

The goal of these services/minyanim is to guide our children through the prayer experience and help them develop an understanding of and confidence with a Saturday morning Shabbat Service.  We want our students to be comfortable in any congregation service wherever they find themselves.

Each year more content and depth is added to the minyan to prepare our students for becoming b*mitzvah.  They develop prayer fluency, are introduced to Torah trope (cantillation), and become confident in their ability to lead a Torah service.