Am Yisrael offers several programs and prayer services designed for our families. All our programs feature meaningful experiences and learning opportunities with Judaism at the core.
For the past 15 years, we have provided opportunities for Intergenerational Torah Reading on various Shabbatot and holidays such as Simchat Torah, Pesach, and Shavuot. We have had two, three, and even four generations of Torah readers sharing verses to chant within an Aliyah. To date, 140 Torah Readers have earned the opportunity to design a personalized Yad as part of this program. This year, we are expanding our Intergenerational Torah Reading further into the Sanctuary, keeping our teens actively chanting from the Torah scroll along with their parents and grandparents.
In 2025-2026, we will begin our third year as grant recipients of the Better Together program. This program inspires our students to express their Jewish identity while creating connections with older adults, bridging the generations. In our first two years, we established the L’Dor VaDor Intergenerational Choir, hosted sessions with special guests, initiated the Better2Write program, and continued our long-standing Intergenerational Torah Reading program. In the upcoming year, we will build upon these experiences. The impact is tremendous and can be seen within these pictures and videos.
Rabbi Newman Kamin meets with each of our Kindergarten through 8th Grade classes in our School of Jewish Studies (SJS). Students, parents, grandparents, and other family members are welcome to join these sessions. These classes with the Rabbi concentrate on topics students are learning in their SJS classes.
The Clergy and Staff will meet with parents and students of Vav (6th Grade) students on their date listed below to discuss components of B’nai Mitzvah.
Family Shabbat is a core component of our School of Jewish Studies (SJS) Jewish educational experience. Please click here to learn about Family Shabbat and access additional details.
We love inviting the participation of our SJS & Youth Community in our services in the Sanctuary. These services are one of the many ways that our students gain a tremendous comfort level in our Sanctuary and on our bimah. We invite specific portions of our SJS & Youth Community to take English reading honors connected to themes in our prayers and/or help lead specific prayers they have been learning at our main Friday Evening Services throughout the year.
Please click here to read about our featured program for our littlest children and their parents, sponsored by JBaby Chicago, called Torah Tots.
We hold eight separate services for our youth and their families over Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur:
Each service and program aims to provide our youth, along with their adults in six of them (excluding the teen programs), with a spiritual and meaningful experience. Participation in these programs prepares our youth for the main services. We take tremendous pride in these eight highly engaging and participatory services and programs.
On Sukkot, we bring our youth to the sukkah that we build in the courtyard. We decorate the sukkah and teach the themes, blessings, and songs of the holiday. Everyone has the opportunity to fulfill the mitzvot of the holiday, including shaking the lulav and etrog. It is a joyous experience that embodies the spirit of the season.
Immediately following Sukkot, we celebrate Simchat Torah and the completion of the Torah reading cycle for another year. We chant the final verses of Devarim and begin anew with Beresheit. Our festivities vary slightly each year, often focusing on intergenerational Torah reading. We honor children and teens along with their parents, family friends, and grandparents by having them chant these sacred verses of Torah. Like Sukkot, celebration is a key component of this holiday.
For as long as we can remember, Am Yisrael has held Purim Carnivals, featured Intergenerational Megillah readers, and brought in Matanot La’Evyonim for our friends at The Ark. Within the past several years, we have greatly enjoyed participating in the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot. This will be the third year that Cantor Rosenblatt and Mr. Sherman will team up to do Megillah Madness, as we get as many Megillah readers as possible, spanning the generations, on our bimah, using our brand new Megillah for much of the chanting, along with using a portion of our original Megillah scroll that was scribed by our founding Rabbi William Frankel z”l.
Each year, we prepare our students to be active participants in the Passover Sedarim they attend or host. We tier the teaching of the Haggadah sections based on each student’s age and Hebrew level. The Passover Seder is the most widely participated-in event on the Jewish calendar, and we consider this teaching to be as sacred as anything we teach throughout the year. Additionally, we aim for additional Intergenerational Torah Reading every year on this holiday.
Each year, we focus on a different theme when commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day. While older students and members of our Madrichim team delve into further detail, it’s essential that our elementary school students understand that the Holocaust happened and recognize the many vital lessons we can learn from it.
For Yom HaZikaron, we honor the memory of Israel’s fallen soldiers. It’s incredibly important that our students know our Jewish homeland would not exist without the sacrifices of these soldiers.
On Yom Ha’atzmaut, we celebrate the Independence Day of our Jewish homeland, Israel. This celebration typically involves Israeli dancing, Israeli food, and games played in Israel.
We’ve celebrated Shavuot in various ways over the years. This year, we’re holding a service that combines our regular prayers with families being honored with English readings connected to the holiday. We’ll also have a special dinner following the service.
We often incorporate Intergenerational Torah Reading on Shavuot and have even held field days for families on this sacred holiday, celebrating the receiving of the Torah.
Updated May 29, 2025 2 Sivan 5785