Jewish Culture School:

 Jewish Culture School provides a broad hands-on approach to Jewish life and learning focusing on history, music, literature and ethics. JCS students cook, sing, dance and engage in lively discussions of the lessons of Jewish history. They also participate in Secular Humanistic holiday celebrations and learn cultural ways of celebrating at home. We derive progressive social messages from our studies of Jewish history and express those messages in our songs and our community service projects.

This year, our focus will be on Eastern Europe and the Eastern European immigration to America. We will cover the growth of the various movements of Jewish life, the flowering of Yiddish culture, the labor movement and the history of the Secular Jewish community in America. Each session, we'll start with a story from the time and discuss what we learn about the lives of our ancestors from the story. Then we'll learn a little Hebrew or Yiddish, sing, and cook a Jewish dish from the area.

JCS culminates in a Secular Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony in which the students demonstrate what they have learned. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation, consisting of a series of projects including community service, is aimed at making connections between Jewish life and the every-day interests of the students. Projects are chosen in consultation with parents, teachers, mentors and the students to reflect those interests.

JCS meets twice a month, on Sunday mornings from 10:30 to 12:30 in Castro Valley. Parents are welcome to attend, but we'll put you to work helping with the cooking!

The school welcomes children from dual-cultural households and those from non-traditional families. We make a special effort to integrate the child's full heritage into the Sunday School and Bar/Bat Mitzvah experience.

If you are interest in joining, please call us at (925) 485-1049 or email JCS@Tri-ValleyCulturalJews.org. We'll send you some forms and a fee schedule. Scholarships granted upon request.

JCS schedule for fall semester 2010
Introduction to JCS for parents and students: Sept. 12, 10:30 a.m. at the Bothwell Center, 2466 8th St. in Livermore. (Thereafter, class meets in Castro Valley.)
September 26 - Sukkah-building party in San Ramon
October 3,17 and 31
November 14
December 5 - Chanukah party
December 19

JCS schedule for fall semester 2009
Introduction to JCS for parents and students: Sept. 13, 10:30 a.m. at the Bothwell Center, 2466 8th St. in Livermore. (Thereafter, class meets in Pleasanton.)
October 4 - Sukkah-building party
October 18
November 1, 15 and 29
December 13 - Chanukah party

JCS schedule for winter/spring semester 2010
January 3, 17, 31
February 14, 28 (Purim party)
March 14, 28
April 11, 25
May 2, 16, 23 (note: two weeks in a row)
June 6

JCS Schedule for 2008-2009 - second semester
January 11 and 25
February 8 - Tu B'Shvat seder
February 22
March 8 - Purim party
March 22
April 5 and 19
May 3, 17 and 31
June 14

JCS Schedule for 2008-2009 - first semester
September 14 - first class. Visitors welcome.
September 28
October 12 (sukkah-raising party)
October 26
November 9 and 23
December 7
December 21 - Chanukah party

JCS Schedule for 2007-2008 - second semester
January 6 (Rosh Chodesh)
January 20 (Tu B'Shvat)
February 3 and 17
March 2
March 16 (Purim Party)
April 13
April 20 (Second Seder - evening)
May 4
May 18 (Lag B'Omer picnic)
June 1

JCS Schedule for 2007-2008 - first semester
September 9 and 23 (sukkah-raising party)
October 7 and 21
November 4 and 18
December 2 and 9 (Chanukah party)