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Hebrew School and Jewish Education

Congregation Shaara Tfille Hebrew School

Our Hebrew School

Congregation Shaara Tfille’s program strives to provide our students with awareness of their Jewish identity and values through education. Formal classroom study and experiential learning encourages them to develop a lifelong love and commitment to their heritage. We teach Jewish traditions, history, Hebrew, and life cycle events in a warm and individualized environment. Our goal is to give each student the knowledge and skills necessary to become proud, participating members of any Jewish community.

We offer classes for children up to age 13, including Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation. A post-Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program that follows the students through their senior year in high school, includes advanced lessons in Judaism, Jewish History and Contemporary Jewish Culture. Post-Bar/Bat Mitzvah students also perform community service at the synagogue and receive a certificate of participation each year.

The school year is September through May, with breaks in the schedule consistent with local school calendars. The Hebrew School Calendar is part of the Main Calendar.

Classes will be held in the synagogue starting in September, 2021.

Hebrew School Fees

  • Hebrew School, ages 7+ – $400/child.
  • Non-member families may attend school for an additional fee of $500/family for one year only. They must join the congregation for a second year and beyond.
  • Financial consideration is possible for those in need (including for larger families!). Contact the Rabbi or the Office if this may apply to your circumstance.
  • Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation requires additional individual tutoring. Please contact the Rabbi if this applies to you.
  • You can apply by downloading our School Intake Form (.pdf file), printing and after completing it mailing it to or dropping it off at our office.

If you have additional questions please contact Rabbi Marmon or the Chair of the Education Committee by using our contact form.

Chanukah Stories Videos

Stories for each night of Chanukah by Rabbi Marmon and members of Congregation Shaara Tfille.

Just for Kids

Congregation Shaara Tfille welcomes your children to participate in our services, celebrations, activities and Hebrew School. For when they are not at the synagogue, we provide links to stories, activities and games for children from preschool to middle school.

To view our links just click on the month or season of your choice and a PDF file will open which you can view and download if you wish.

Stories, Activities and Games

Our current and archival list

Hand of person reading the Torah

Torah Readings

This new page provides information and guidance on the reading of the Torah, the proper protocol for receiving an aliya and provides audio recordings for aliya blessings, Torah tropes, Haftarah tropes and for the blessings after the Haftarah.

Library

Congregation Shaara Tfille is fortunate to have a well-stocked Library, thanks to donations and gifts from congregants and friends. Our collection is diverse, including scholarly treatises and histories, biographies and books about Israel, both fiction and non-fiction books written by Jewish authors or about Jewish subjects, best-sellers, romance, mysteries and books for children of all ages.

Listings of currently available books by category appear below.

Saratoga Jewish Community Center Librarian Sharon Dunn

Books by Category

To view our books Just click on the category of your choice and a PDF file will open which you can view and then choose to download and print it if you wish. Check back frequently because we are in the process of cataloging and rearranging the books in the Library.

Members may request books from the Library by going to our contact form and selecting Library from the Recipient list. Please be sure to include the book’s title and author.