Mid-Willamette Valley Jewish Community
Join Jewish families with young kids for singing, movement, crafts, and stories!
Who: Open to all Jewish families* in the mid-Willamette Valley, this parent/guardian-child class is aimed for kids in the 0-4ish range; older children are welcome too. Kitah Keshet means the Rainbow Class. An important focus of this class is building relationships with other Jewish families in the area.
*Jewish families includes all families with members who are Jewish, Jew-ish, are becoming Jewish (and thus are already included in our Jewish mishpacha - Yiddish for family), etc. Children are welcome to attend alongside a parent, teenage-or-older sibling or cousin, guardian, grandparent, aunt/uncle, caregiver etc.
This class is perfect for your family if you're not sure about engaging Jewishly, or you love everything Jewish and can’t wait to get your kid engaged more Jewishly; if you know a lot about Judaism, or you know nothing about Judaism. Everyone will learn in this class!
Where: At Beit Am!
What: Our families will begin with some singing prayer time (tefilah) led by Rabbi Phil, in the sanctuary, alongside all the older students at Beit Midrash and their families. We’ll then have our own circle with stories, movement, songs, arts and crafts, open play time, and snack (things like string cheese, tangerines, crackers, etc). There will be age appropriate toys out the whole time for kids to play with.
Each day will follow a similar rhythm so children know what to expect. We will repeat songs and motions so kids can learn them. We will incorporate mindful movements and silly movements. We will also share with each other and provide fun activities to engage with.
Beit Midrash literally means “house of learning” and is the name of the youth education program at Beit Am. Beit Midrash strives to provide a source of Jewish identity and Jewish cultural literacy. The school-wide curriculum focuses on Jewish practice, values, history, and Torah-- but Kitah Keshet will mostly be too busy singing, dancing and finger painting to talk a lot about “big kid” stuff.
When: About 3 times a month, Sundays 10am-noon through Shavuot (mid-November through sometime in May or June). We understand that life with young children is unpredictable! Come when you can, arrive when you arrive, and leave when you need.
What to bring: Warm clothes for when we’re outside; any other snacks* or comfort items your kiddo might need. *Beit Am keeps a dairy/vegetarian-style kosher building space - no meat or shellfish is permitted in the building.
Cost: This class is offered on a sliding scale. The actual cost is $300 for the entire year, 18 classes. Please see below for more on thinking about what to pay.
Beit Midrash staffing, educational supplies, and snacks are made possible through several means of support: Beit Am Membership Dues fund over 70%. Beit Midrash tuition - paid by member families who are able - covers the remaining 30%. We want participation in Kitah Keshet to be easy, so pay what is affordable for your family. Maybe that’s full cost at $300, or maybe it's just covering snacks and materials at $54.
Submit your online payment here
Teacher
Brian Primack: After exploring careers as a junior high phys ed teacher, composer, cryptographer, and actor, Brian Primack finally settled on academic family medicine. He moved to Corvallis a year ago to become the Dean of the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at OSU. But in his free time, he can think of little more fun or rewarding than working with Jewish babies and toddlers and their families. He's delighted to be involved in Kitah Keshet.
For any additional questions, please contact Beit Midrash Director at beitmidrash@beitam.org or Beit Am Office Administrator at office@beitam.org.