NNJJA Religious School

Building Jewish Identity

Part of building your child’s Jewish identity is having them be part of a dynamic and diverse Jewish community. NNJJA (pronounced ninja) is a well-rounded, community-based religious school experience. NNJJA is open to families who are members of Temple Israel and to unaffiliated families through grade three, after which membership in Temple Israel is required.

Curriculum and Schedules

The NNJJA curriculum combines hands-on fun and experiential learning with strong academics to teach Jewish tradition, culture, prayer, history, and Torah. Our young learners have music once a month. Students in grades 3-7 participate in electives of their choice on Sunday mornings.

Torah Tots: Ages 1 through 4. This Sunday morning preschool program centers on a Jewish themes and incorporates music. Each session ends with a snack and time to hang out.

Prekindergarten/kindergarten. Children ages 5 and 6 enjoy an interactive Sunday morning program that features crafts, music, and stories. The curriculum includes Bible stories, holiday enrichment, and the introduction of Hebrew words.

Grades 1-2. Students in first and second grades will love learning about Bible stories, Jewish holidays, and Hebrew and Jewish tradition through games, crafts, and drama as part of this weekly Sunday program.

Schedule. Programs for tots through second grade are held on most Sunday mornings and approximately one in-person Shabbat morning a month.

Grade 3 (Kitah Alef). The beginning of our five-year religious school program starts students on their path toward becoming bnei mitzvah. Grade 3 classes introduce Jewish prayers and Torah enhanced with music, games, and classroom instruction.

Grades 4-7 (Kitah Bet through Kitah Hay). The curriculum at this stage is rich in classroom instruction, hands-on experiential workshops, and special programming that create a strong foundation in ritual and synagogue skills, customs, Jewish culture, Bible study, and Hebrew language. Sundays are devoted to Jewish history and culture. Students in these grades choose semester-long electives in subjects that interest them. Examples are cooking, art, library, and more.  This helps bring Jewish education alive for our students.

Schedule. Classes are held on most Sundays from 9:00-11:30 am and on Wednesday afternoons from 4:00-6:00 pm. There is approximately one in-person Shabbat a month. On Wednesday afternoons:

• Third graders meet in person.
• Fourth through seventh graders meet over Zoom where they receive individual instruction that allows educators to tailor learning to each student’s needs.
• Seventh graders also have an in-person history class with Rabbi Fine with pizza dinner on Wednesdays at 6pm.
• All Wednesday students meet on Zoom for a 15-minute community tefilah.