A Jewish Religious School for Everybody: BAYIT at Kehillat Ma'arav Synagogue

August 29, 2024 - Do you want your child to learn about his or her Jewish roots, to know what it means to be Jewish? Want him or to have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, but are ambivalent about joining a synagogue? Or maybe there are other issues that preclude a 'normal' religious school. On the other hand, you may simply be looking for a more creative and meaningful Jewish experience for your children.

Then BAYIT is the place for you.

The brain child of Masha Savitz, a veteran educator with 41 years' experience in religious education, the BAYIT program at Santa Monica's Kehillat Ma'arav Synagogue combines making friends, art, and traditional Jewish learning in an innovative experience designed for the modern age. BAYIT, the Hebrew word for "home," stands for Betzalel Arts Youth Inspirational Torah; Betzalel is the name of the biblical figure endowed with exceptional artistic gifts. During its inception year, BAYIT students crocheted yarmulkas, made their own Havdalah sets, and wrote letters of support to Israeli soldiers. They cooked their own latkes for Hanukah, made their own hamentaschen for Purim, and baked traditional Sephardic burekas for the spring holiday of Shavuot. To top it all off, the kids also learned Hebrew prayers, studied for their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and formed close friendships.

Meeting on Tuesday afternoons, the program offers everything needed for Bar Mitzvah preparation. Students are taught Hebrew by their assessed level and they are tutored right during the class sessions, obviating the need to set up and bring kids to separate tutoring appointments.

In general, the staff running BAYIT go out of their way to accommodate special needs. One student was unable to come to sessions on Tuesday. BAYIT sent a tutor to that student's home. Another parent had a child outside the 5-7th grade range. It didn't matter. "Whatever the age, we will lovingly educate your child," says Savitz. She also runs a Gesher program for the pre-K to 1st grade crowd, meeting on Tuesday afternoons as well.

Until very recently, membership was required at a synagogue in order to send your child to its religious school. But complex family situations, competing schedules, and overall trends in organized religion have all afforded synagogues the opportunity to rethink that paradigm. Kehillat Ma'arav is at the cutting edge of a new way of reaching the youngest Jewish generation, taking into account complex family situations, the ever-increasing time burdens placed on Middle School children, and the voracious hunger for hands-on, experiential learning to counter the deadening effect of so much time on-screen. And, of course, KM dropped the requirement to join the synagogue, though all are more than welcome to attend services and participate in the community.

To learn more about Kehillat Ma'arav or the BAYIT program, contact Masha Savitz Keys, Education Director at eddirector@km-synagogue.org or (310) 829-0566. You can also visit the synagogue at Back to Shul night (kids service, complimentary dinner, kabbalat shabbat service) on Friday September 6 starting at 5 pm. RSVP at (310)-829-0566