Sinai goes to one-day-a-week religious school in the fall of 2019

CRANSTON – On May 12, Temple Sinai announced that its religious and Hebrew school programs will be combined next year into a single, one-day-a-week program. The new Jewish education program at the Reform congregation will meet on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. starting in September of 2019.

The decision was made by Sinai’s Board of Trustees after a long process of consultation with families of children in the religious school. For more than a decade, Temple Sinai’s religious school has met on Sunday mornings and the Hebrew school has met on Tuesday afternoons.

Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser of Temple Sinai says that the change comes in response to several factors, including the fact that many families find that it is increasingly difficult to bring their children to the Temple on weekday afternoons, given the realities of work schedules and children’s commitments to afternoon activities.

“We are proud of the families that choose to prioritize their children’s Jewish education in a world that is increasingly demanding of the time of parents and children alike,” says Goldwasser. “We are responding to that choice by making it as easy as possible for families to enroll in our religious school.”

In addition to the changes in meeting times, Temple Sinai will make more Hebrew learning material available on its website, www.templesinairi.org, allowing students to learn at home. The Sunday program will include a snack time for students between Judaica and Hebrew studies.

Tuition for religious education will be reduced next year to reflect the reduced time of instruction. The school fees will be $399 for religious studies and $399 for Hebrew studies. As in the past, there will be no charge for kindergarten.

The pre-confirmation program for 8th and 9th graders, and the Confirmation program for 10th to 12th graders will remain unchanged, meeting on selected Sunday mornings. The confirmation program, taught by Rabbi Goldwasser, includes several field trips and a weekend in Washington, D.C.

For questions or concerns about Temple Sinai’s religious school program for next year, contact Susan Oclassen, susanoclassen@yahoo.com.