Torah School
We at Temple Emanu-El of San Diego are immensely proud of our Torah School, our core educational program for our children from Kindergarten through 7th grade. Our Torah School values teaching our kids by doing Judaism and prioritizing experiential learning and creating a camp-like environment.
At Torah School, your children will learn the basics of Jewish life—how we celebrate holidays, the stories we tell from our sacred texts, our people’s rich history, and the values we hold as Jews. We focus on community and hope that through involvement in our Torah School, your kids will form the beginnings of life-long friendships and deep connection to our people and culture.
Youth Programs
One of our top priorities as a synagogue is fostering community and making sure our students have Jewish friends and connections here at Temple. We offer youth group opportunities for all our kids from Kindergarten all the way through high school and beyond.
When our kids are in Torah School, they have the opportunity to participate in clubs which meet after Torah School during the school year. Through clubs, they get to do an activity they are passionate about—art, musical theater, dungeons and dragons, and more—with their friends as they deepen their connections to each other and to our Temple.
Kabbalat Torah
Our Kabbalat Torah program engages our teens from 10th-12th grade. For our students who stay involved in Youth Group and CJH, our Kabbalat Torah program is available as a way of deepening their learning and connection to our Temple community and to Judaism.
In the spring semester each year, our Temple offers a Kabbalat Torah learning trip for our students, which may take them to New York, San Francisco, or the South to learn more about those Jewish communities. At the end of 12th grade, our Kabbalat Torah Students graduate and lead a Shavuot service.
WHAT WE DO
On Sunday, students learn about Shabbat, Jewish holidays, Jewish history, Jewish heroes and heroines, Torah and Bible stories, Jewish values and ethics as seen in the mitzvot, the history of the modern state of Israel, the rise of Reform Judaism, Hebrew and more.
Our Hebrew program readies our students for our Bar/Bat Mitzvah program. In addition to learning the prayers and blessings of the Shabbat evening and morning services, students read or chant a Torah and Haftarah portion. They also, if they are able, learn to translate their Torah portion.
After Grade 7, our students attend the Community Jewish High, a coalition of two area congregations: Temple Emanu-El and Tifereth Israel. There are a wide variety of classes available including Hebrew study for high school credit. Our 8th grade students may attend our Madrichim Program on Sunday mornings. For more information, call the Torah School School office at (619) 286-3096.
Torah School Sample Schedule
Interested in what a typical Torah School day looks like?
9:00-9:50 Judaica
9:50-10:20 T’fillah
10:20-11:15 Hebrew
11:15-12:00 Electives/Enrichment
Choice of Art, Cooking, Musical Theater, K’rav Maga, Gaga, Gardening, Drama
OPTIONAL:
12:00-1:15 Pizza Lunch and Youth Group Clubs
Choice of Art, Musical Theater, Dungeons and Dragons, Camp Club, Painting
YOUTH PROGRAM
SANETY
San Diego Emanu-El Youth for grades 9 – 12 (SanETY) holds activities each month and participates with the Temple on several social action projects. The goal of SanETY is to provide high schoolers leadership skills and active involvement in community.
WHAT DOES SANETY DO?
SanETY has planned and executed a Midnight Run to collect supplies from the community and distribute them to the homeless in the area. They plan and lead Shabbat services for the community on occasion and they also do fun social events such as Hanukkah Parties, Halloween fun time and much much more.
SanETY plans and hosts many of their events and incorporates Judaic content into their programs. They also actively participates with the North American Federation of Temple Youth, also known as NFTY. For more information contact Rabbi Benj Fried at rabbibenj@teesd.org who oversees the Youth Department.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
Bulletin
Read the official newsletter for Temple Emanu-El, Ha-Sofer (The Scribe).
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Services & Events
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6299 Capri Drive, San Diego, CA
(619) 286-2555
temple@teesd.org