Nitzanim (Sprouts)

At Beth Am Israel, we create joyous opportunities for kids ages 0-5 and their families to explore Jewish spirituality through stories, songs, crafts, prayer, and play!

Nitzanim (Sprouts) in the Ya’ar (Woodlands) is a unique program for 3-5 year-old kids and their grown-ups in Beth Am Israel’s Ya’ar/Woodlands. Engage in experiential outdoor learning connected to Jewish values on select Sunday afternoons from 3-4p.

During each session we’ll sing welcome songs, meet new friends, explore the outdoors, do nature-based projects, share at circle time, and say goodbye with songs.

Meet our Nitzanim Coordinator Gael Levin-Simon:

I’m an educator, parent coach, and nature-craft lover. My first career was an educational content developer in children’s media. After more than 20 years, I decided I’d rather create programming for kids and parents that was hands-on, local, playful and sustainable. This led me to Nitzanim which is so beshert because one of my favorite things to do is connect creatively with kids and families around Jewish values. I truly enjoy the BAI community and look forward to meeting you if we haven’t already!

Tot Shabbat is a Shabbat experience for families with children ages 0-5 from 10:15-11a on select Saturday mornings. Come sing along to Shabbat songs, participate in a story, express yourself through movement, and connect with other families with young children. Join other Shorashim families for a light Kiddush at 11a or stay through the end of our morning service for Kiddush with the community at 12p.

On Friday evenings, join families with kids ages 0-7 for a Shabbat potluck and family service from 5:30-6:30p. Together we will celebrate Shabbat through singing, movement, stories, and sharing a meal. Stay for the second half of our main Kabbalat Shabbat service afterwards if you wish!

Here at Beth Am Israel, we believe that playing is praying!  We are so thrilled to have created a Quiet Play Space for infants and toddlers and their humans!  This space is designed to allow our youngest congregants and guests to be occupied creatively and quietly, while allowing the grown ups to still feel part of the service.  We ask that children be supervised at all times by at least one parent, and that you put the toys and books back where they were when you arrived in the space. Note that this creative, quiet, play space is meant for young, pre-school age children.  On Shabbat, older children are invited to join our Shorashim Shabbat Program.  Everyone is also invited to participate in our Tot Shabbat Service, led by Cantor Jenn.

Spring 2024 Nitzanim/Sprouts

This spring, we explored the value of chesed, kindness, by making mensch monsters out of recycled materials that assisted us with tasks. We also learned about the value of hashavat aveida, returning lost objects, by creating a lost and found box for our BAI community and reading Hazzan Harold’s book with him, The Balloon That Flew to the Moon. We celebrated Passover by crossing our very own “Sea of Reeds,” the stream in our Ya’ar, and making matzah over our fire pit.

Winter 2024 Nitzanim/Sprouts

This winter, we focused on the value of tzedek, justice. We learned about food insecurity by participating in a food drive and making birdseed feeders for our woodland friends who need food. We talked about inclusion and created obstacle courses with “kavod” stations where we asked if someone needed help navigating the course. We sorted clothes from the MLK Day of Service, and we talked about housing and people who may not have homes, as well as the different homes that animals live in.