Family Programs
Kane Street Synagogue has a large, active community of families with children.
Our mission:
To help families celebrate, learn and enjoy Jewish life to the fullest
• Shabbat Services and Celebrations •
• Holidays Activities and Services •
• Social Action for Kids •
• B'nei Mitzvah •
• Our Annual Trivia Night •
• Summer Camping & Scholarships •
• Build-Your-Own Jewish Musical •
Shabbat Mishpaẖa
Friday Evenings
Every 6-8 weeks at 5:00pm we hold a dynamic, warm service followed by dinner aimed at families with children age 1-8. Sign up to attend and/or sponsor here: kanestreet.org/shabbat-mishpahaThe brief service is led by Rabbi Michelle Dardashti and Landon Braverman.
The dinner is free and is sponsored by a few families each time who cover the cost of the event.
Dates 2022-2023
August 12, October 14, December 9, February 10, March 31, May 12.
If you would like to sponsor a dinner, please email or speak to Rabbi Val Lieber.
Shabbat Noar!
Friday Evenings
Erev Shabbat dinner at 5:00pm on Fridays for families with children in grades 3-7 followed by all-congregation services at 6:00pm led by Rabbi Dardashti and Cantor Sarah. Shabbat Noar means "youth Shabbat." Sign up to attend and/or sponsor here: kanestreet.org/shabbat-noarThe brief service is led by Rabbi Michelle Dardashti and Landon Braverman.
The dinner is free and is sponsored by a few families each time, which covers the cost of the event.
Dates in 2023
January 6, March 31
If you would like to sponsor a dinner, please email or speak to Rabbi Val Lieber.
Most weeks during the school year we hold Shabbat morning services for families and kids. We all gather with the main service in the sanctuary at the end to close out our services as one community.
Youth and Family
Shabbat Morning Services
In the Goldman Educational Center Building
2022-2023: September 10 through June 3.
(No services 11/26, 12/24, 12/31, 2/18, 2/25, 4/8, 4/15, 5/27)
Mini Minyan
10:15-10:50amRoom 7-8, 3rd floor of the Goldman Educational Center
for children ages 1-4 with a grown up.
Led by Landon Braverman
Songs, dancing, giving thanks through prayers, a mini Torah parade, a story, and kiddush blessings with challah and juice.
Kinder Minyan
11:15am-12:05pmRoom 7-8, 3rd Floor of the Goldman Educational Center
for children in Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2, and their families.
Led by Landon Braverman
A warm, fun service, full of energy, with prayers, a story, and learning.
Minyan Noar
11:15am-12:05pm,In the Chapel, 2nd floor of the Goldman Educational Center
for children in Grades 3 through 6, and their families
(We welcome parents to drop off kids here so they can go to the main service)
Led by Rabbi Val, Melissa Zimmerman, and Teen Apprentices.
Prayers, singing and learning. Features either a play based on the week’s Torah portion for kids to spontaneously act out or a Torah reading and discussion.
Havdalah
During the winter months when the sun sets early, we hold Family Havdalah Nights on selected Saturday evenings with music, singing, refreshments and activities. The Havdalah separates Shabbat from the rest of the week with a brief ceremony which engages the senses and the spirit.
There are two consecutive Havdalah celebrations led by Rabbi Dardashti, Rabbi Val and Landon Braverman: Havdalah Mishpaha for families with children age 1-7, which included a spicebox project, and pajamas are encouraged! It's followed by Havdalah Noar for families with children age 8-12, with activities like making your own chai (tea) with fragrant spices, or making a beeswax candle.
High Holy Days
Each year for High Holidays families with kids gather for dynamic services in the main sanctuary and we hold Family Services as well. These are led by Rabbi Val Lieber, Melissa Zimmerman and Landon Braverman.Services are by age cohort. Service leaders cater the tone and level to each age group as follows:
Mini Minyan
for families with infants, toddlers and preschoolers.Kinder Minyan
for families with children in K-grade 2.Minyan Noar
for families with children in grade 3-6.At this level several children practice and prepare a 1-2 verse Torah chanting and lead the Torah reading.
Teen Service
for students in grades 8-12
Rosh Hashanah
We welcome the new year with blasts of the shofar, stories, Torah and song. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah we hold services. On the second day we have games, singing, a play and a story to highlight the meanings and purposes of Rosh Hashanah. Children get apple and honey candy.
2022:
Monday, September 26 - first day of Rosh Hashanah
Tuesday, Sepetember 27 - second day of Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
We observe the Day of Atonement through prayer, stories and finding ways to express how we are sorry for failures in the past year and our hopes for the coming year.
2022:
Wednesday, October 5
Sukkot & Simẖat Torah
Sukkot is the Jewish harvest holiday each fall. Children and families join us to create decorations for the Sukkah in our courtyard.For the past several years we have held a festive block party on Kane Street in front of the synagogue to create decorations, play Sukkot related games, participate in a service project for the needy with Repair The World Brooklyn and to nosh and schmooze.
We welcome Sukkot with a family service with joyous singing and games plus lots of shaking of the lulav and etrog.
We often hold dinners in the Sukkah during the holiday for families.
On Simẖat Torah we finish reading the end of the Torah scroll and start again at the beginning. We
We welcome families to our all-synagogue Simhat Torah service, and some years hold a separate family service as well, depending on scheduling.
H̱anukkah
H̱anukkah is the festival of lights celebrated at the darkest time of year. We bring light and joy to families in our celebrations.Our annual H̱anukkah party for families with kids age 1-6 is always a blast. Led by preschool and Hebrew School teachers, we offer offer crafts, cooking, games , refreshments and singing for families.
2022:
Sunday, December 18, 10:30am-12:00pm
Register here.
Grades K-2 - Tuesday, December 20, 4:45-5:45pm
Grades 3-6 - Wednesday, December 21, 5:00-6:00pm
For those not enrolled in Hebrew School, please email Rabbi Val if your child will join us.
Purim
Purim is a holiday to rejoice, wear costumes, give gifts and gather as a community to acclaim the Jewish heroes who bravely stood up to tyrants.Our annual Purim party for families with kids age 1-6 is always a blast. Led by preschool and Hebrew School teachers, we offer offer hamantashen baking, face-painting games crafts and refreshments.
2022
Sunday, March 5, 10:30am-12:00pm
We invite all children to join us for our Hebrew School Purim parties as follows:
Grades K-2 - Tuesday, March 7, 4:45-5:45pm
Grades 3-6 - Monday, March 6, 4:15-5:15pm followed by kids' Megillah reading 5:15-6:00pm
For those not enrolled in Hebrew School, please email Rabbi Val if your child will join us.
Passover
Passover is the festival of freedom.Activities for families may include a Block party with crafts, games and fun; a chocolate seder with silly candy items filling in for the usual seder foods; a scavenger hunt and games in the park; or a social action project to benefit those who are not fully free.
Some years we hold workshops on the best haggadah to use at a family seder with young kids.
Other years we hold model seders for families to demo some great ways to tell the story and keep kids engaged.
Yom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut is Israel's independence day when we celebrate Israeli culture.Some years we have had a big festival with other synagogues; other years we offer a special "shuk" or food market. Some years we have had live music or a dramatic performance. Other years we offer games and crafts.
Our members and friends have widely divergent connections to and views about Israel and our Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration is cultural and apolitical.
BUILD-YOUR-OWN JEWISH MUSICAL
Bringing Stories to Life
In the Build-Your-Own Jewish Musical program children in grades 3-6 create and perform an original musical based on a Jewish story. Led by Musical Theater composer Landon Braverman, BYOJM meets weekly on Mondays 6:00-7:00pm.
Build Your Own Jewish Musical is an immersive and engaging theatrical program that gives participants the exciting opportunity to be the creators and stars of their own new original musical. Throughout the program, participants learn the basics of how to adapt a Jewish text, write music and lyrics, and stage their show. The program culminates with a fully staged production of their show. The program instills collaboration, leadership, crreativity and a sense of one's place in Jewish history.
To see past musicals from 2020, 2021 and 2022, please go to kanestreet.org/BYOJM.
TRIVIA NIGHT
Trivia Night Friendraiser & Fundraiser
Since 2016 each February people of all ages flock to the synaogogue for the best event all year - Trivia Night.Trivia Night is what we call our annual party to raise funds to support all of the youth and family program at Kane Street Synagogue.
There are also Experiences for sale which are incredible social events, gastronomic occasions and cultural activities.
The funds raised allow us to continue to offer high quality, substantive Jewish programs for the families in our community.
NEW DATE!
February 5, 2023, 5:00-7:30pm
YOM SIDDUR
Yom Siddur or Prayerbook Day
is an annual event in which each of the 3rd graders in our member's families receives their very own inscribed prayer books during the main sanctuary servies. This is a highlight event for the 8 year olds each year, and they relish carrying their siddur to services when they attend.November 5, 2022
JEWISH SUMMER CAMPING & SUMMER CAMPING SCHOLARSHIPS
Summer Camp
Many children in the Kane Street Synagogue community attend Jewish summer camps, and the synagogue promotes Jewish camping - both day camping for young children and sleep-away camp for older kids. The synagogue has a scholarship program to support member families sending their children to Jewish overnight camp and teen travel programs.
For more information about the value of camping and about specific camps please click here.
To apply for overnight camp scholarships, please click here.
Social Action & Community Service
Pursuing social justice is important for many families in our community. We provide many opportunities to gather and do the mitzvah of tikkun olam together - thereby instilling a desire in our children to continue to fulfill this sacred calling.
Over the years with even the youngest kids we have volunteered at the Gowanus Canal Conservancy; collected and sorted baby clothes for new mothers lacking the resources to purchase them; created bike-a-thons to send bicycles to girls in East Aftrica; did bakesales for new refugees; walked to support research for Juvenile Diabetes and Juvenile Myocitis; filled and mailed backpacks full of daily necessities for children in Texas who had just crossed the border; and many more.
We often work together with Repair The World Brooklyn whose family service program is terrific.
B'NEI MITZVAH
Coming of Age with B'nei Mitzvah
B'nei Mitzvah is a personal milestone for 13 year-olds and also a significant time of transition for the entire family. At Kane Street, B'nei Mitzvah is an opportunity for an adolescent and their family to celebrate on the way toward living a full adult Jewish life.
Rabbi Dardashti and Cantor Sarah have shaped the B'nei Mitzvah program to be full of meaning, powerfully transformative and joyous.
Come attend a B'nei Mitzvah service on Shabbat. See the synagogue calendar for all the dates.
For more information about the preparation, please see this document.
KEEPING IN TOUCH
Communication with Parents
- Calendar of upcoming events
- Shabbat service schedule
- Websites to visit for books to read
- Fun family activities
- Explanations of upcoming events, fundraisers and other things happening in and around Kane Street
- Photos of families having a great time.
If you would like to receive the weekly e-newsletter about all of the synagogue programs, please keep scrolling down just a bit and fill out the form at the bottom of this page to be added to "Kane Street Connections."
About Our Director
Contact
For further information about our family Programming, please contact: RabbiVal@kanestreet.org or at 718-875-1550.
Location
236 Kane Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Kane Street Synagogue
Contact Information
office@kanestreet.org
