Our approach is both child-centered and family-centered. We believe in focusing on “the whole family” which supports a young person’s overall growth and development, including the Jewish identity of each child. This is holy work in our eyes.
We care about knowing you, your child, and your family. We strive to create access and entry points for all Jewish family make-ups regardless of previous education and/or experiences.
We look forward to meeting you!
Our youth & family programming and approach
are guided by four core values:
FUN
We believe in supporting positive Jewish identity through developmentally appropriate learning that is joyful at its core – and therefore fun!
CHARACTER
We believe in cultivating kindness and practicing being our best selves in a world full of division and isolation. Jewish wisdom offers tools and practices to cultivate these traits, called middot, or soul-traits.
COMMUNITY
We believe in creating authentic relationships and a sense of belonging for our youth and their families, building connections with the greater Shaarie Torah community as well as the greater Portland metro community.
CONFIDENCE
We believe in providing access to Judaism’s wisdom through exposure, and customizing learning goals based on specific skills/areas of content important to each family. This value helps bring to life our student- and family-centered approach.
K'tantan
Community
* 8 Sunday gatherings *
* Kids ages 0-5 *
* Families together *
Shabbat community
* 8 Shabbat mornings *
* All ages welcome *
* Families together *
holiday community
* 8 Holiday experiences *
* All ages welcome *
* Families together *
Mensch
Community
* 24 Sunday sessions *
* Kids in grades 1-8 *
* Families join at times *
Mensch Community
Shabbat Community
K'tantan Community
Holiday Community
Mensch Community
WHAT: Mensch Community is a consistent learning community for kids in grades 1 – 8 which also invites parent/sibling participation to build community amongst families. Our learning experiences and goals are inspired by our educational values: Fun, Character, Community, and Confidence. To learn about our customized approach to preparing for and marking becoming B’nai Mitzvah, visit our Lifecycle page!
WHEN: Sundays without secular/Jewish holiday conflicts, see program details and upcoming dates below 🙂
WHO: Our cohorts are grouped by age, depending on who is in our community each year. There are opportunities to gather as larger community of all ages, as well as learning time in age-specific cohorts. This coming year (2023-2024) there will be an elementary school cohort and a middle school cohort. Email Cara Abrams to learn more about Mensch Community!
Enrollment is open now and all are welcome, members and non-members alike.
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PROGRAM DETAILS
9:30am-10:00am
Family Mensch Community – Coffee + Snacks – Upper Foyer
*parents and siblings present*
10:00am-12:00pm
Learning Mensch Community – Session – Classrooms
*kids only, age-based cohorts*
UPCOMING DATES
Sunday, Sept. 10, 9:30am-12:00pm – As a Mensch Community, we’re going to be busy lending our creative minds and hands, getting our mensch on 🙂 as we help to prepare for communal celebrations of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah.
Let the community building begin!
Check out the Holiday Community tab above for details about our High Holidays family experiences.
Sunday, October 1. 5:00-6:30pm – We will gather for a potluck dinner in our community Sukkah, with our families, classmates, and teachers.
Potluck details TBA.
Sunday, Oct. 15
Sunday, Oct. 22
Sunday, Oct. 29
Sunday, Nov. 5
Sunday, Nov. 12
Sunday, Nov. 19 – No Session – Thanksgiving Break
Sunday, Nov. 26 – No Session – Thanksgiving Break
Sunday, Dec. 3
Sunday, Dec. 10
Sunday, Dec. 17 – No Session – Winter Break
Sunday, Dec. 24 – No Session – Winter Break
Sunday, Dec. 31 – No Session – Winter Break
Sunday, Jan. 7
Sunday, Jan. 14 – No Session – MLK Day Weekend
Sunday, Jan. 21
Sunday, Jan. 28
Sunday, Feb. 4
Sunday, Feb. 11
Sunday, Feb. 18 – No Session – President’s Day Weekend
Sunday, Feb. 25
Sunday, Mar. 3
Sunday, Mar. 10
Sunday, Mar. 17
Sunday, Mar. 24 – No Session – Spring Break
Sunday, Mar. 31 – No Session – Spring Break
Sunday, Apr. 7
Sunday, Apr. 14
Sunday, Apr. 21 – No Session – Pesach Family Experience
Sunday, Apr. 28 – No Session – Pesach
Sunday, May 5
Sunday, May 12 – No Session – Mother’s Day Weekend
Sunday, May 19
Sunday, Mar. 26 – No Session – Memorial Day Weekend
Sunday, June 2
Interested in signing up? Email our Education Director, Cara Abrams at cara@shaarietorah.org
Shabbat Community
WHAT: Shabbat Community is an experience designed for families with kids any age welcome. Our hope is for families to experience the joy of tefillah (prayer) in community as a family, while engaging kids in a range of modalities – song, making music, movement, and more. Each service includes a short Parsha Play acted out by kids as well as a visit to the main service to carry a mini Torah through the community.
WHEN: Second Saturday of Month * 10:30am-11:30am Service * 11:30am-12:30pm Kiddush luncheon
Saturday, Oct. 14
Saturday, Nov. 11
Saturday, Dec. 9
Saturday, Jan. 13
Saturday, Feb. 10
Saturday, Mar. 9
Saturday, Apr. 13
Saturday, May 11
Saturday, June 8
WHO: Families with kids of any age.
Interested in joining us? Use our interest form here to get notified of upcoming events and connect with us! Email Cara Abrams at cara@shaarietorah.org to receive details about parking and building entrance. All are welcome.
K'tantan Community
WHAT: K’tantan Community is a community for parents and their young kids, ages 0-5. Our goal is to foster a sense of community, with opportunities to reflect on parenting Jewishly today as well as developmentally-appropriate learning for the littles!
We will nosh (eat) and schmooze (connect/chat) with the larger youth & family community by gathering together with families with kids in Mensch Community (grades 1-8), before moving to our 30 minute gathering just for parents and their kids 0-5. Imagine an hour each month filled with food, connecting, chatting, and playing.
*K’tantan comes from the word k’tan קטן meaning small, little, and was also the star of popular children’s stories in the 1940s, called K’tonton.
WHEN: First Sunday of Month, see below for program details and upcoming dates.
WHO: Families with kids 0-5.
Interested in joining us? Use our interest form here to get notified of upcoming events and connect with us! Email Cara Abrams at cara@shaarietorah.org if you’d like to drop-in to one gathering or enroll for the year. All are welcome.
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PROGRAM DETAILS
9:30am-10:00am
Coffee + Snacks – Upper Foyer
*K’tantan Community families + Mensch Community families (kids in grades 1-8)*
10:00am-10:30am K’tantan Gathering – Lower Social Hall
*parents with kids 0-5*
UPCOMING DATES
Sunday, Oct. 8 – This day is a chag, Simchat Torah, so our hour together will be a bit different. 9:30-10:30am – Lower Social Hall.
Sunday, Nov. 5
Sunday, Dec. 3
Sunday, Jan. 7
Sunday, Feb. 4
Sunday, Mar. 3
Sunday, Apr. 7
Sunday, May 5
Sunday, June 2
Holiday Community
WHAT: Holiday Community is a celebratory experience designed for families with kids any age welcome. Our hope is for families to experience celebrating and engaging in themes of each holiday as a family in community. Details for upcoming programs will appear below. We start a new Jewish year the evening of Friday, Sept. 15, and then dive into another joyful year together- 5784!
WHEN: 2023-2024 / 5784 Holidays – Click here to view all High Holiday offerings with the Shaarie Torah community.
5784 High Holidays
Saturday, Sept. 16, 10:00-11:30am – Family Rosh HaShanah Experience – Lower Social Hall
Monday, Sept. 25, 10:00-11:30am – Family Yom Kippur Experience – Lower Social Hall
Thursday, Sept. 28, 4:30 – 6pm Family Sukkah-Decorating – Upper Courtyard
Saturday, Oct. 7, 6:30pm – Community Erev Simchat Torah Celebration – Lower Social Hall
Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30-10:30am – First Gathering of K’tantan Community [Families with kids 0-5] on Simchat Torah
TBD – 12/7-12/14 – Community Chanukah Celebration
Saturday, Mar. 23 – Community Purim Celebration
Sunday, Mar. 24 – Family Purim Celebration
Sunday, Apr. 21 – Family Pesach Experience
WHO: Families with kids any age.
Interested in joining us? Use our interest form here to get notified of upcoming events and connect with us! Email Cara Abrams at cara@shaarietorah.org to receive details about parking and building entrance. All are welcome.
"While studying kavod (honor)
I noticed that I was trying to be
more kind to my sibling."
I noticed that I was trying to be
more kind to my sibling."
Mae Cutler, 8th Grade
mensch community student
