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Task Force Attendees:
Rina Liebeskind, Or Chadash Exec. Admin & Director of Youth Engagement
Jill Sobieszyk, 3rd-4th gr. Or Chadash RS Teacher
Suzie Stadheim, 4th & 7th gr. Or Chadash Parent
Abby Limmer, Temple Emanu-El Kurn Religious School Director
Allison Neja, 6th gr. Temple Emanu-El Teacher, 5th gr. Parent
Marla Harris and Jared Rubin, 2nd and 4th gr. Temple Emanu-El Parents
Brie Finegold, Temple Emanu-El Board of Directors, 8th grade teacher, 3rd grade parent
Existing Collaboration/Commonalities
The joint 8th grade trip to Jewish Los Angeles transformed last year into a joint 7th-8th grade trip that will repeat in 2021. One joint Camp Experience rather than separate camp fairs. Working to rename JCTEY and JJCTEY to include OC students in TE’s NFTY-affiliated youth groups.
Both synagogues participate in the Shinshinim program and both have a madrichim program.
Existing Schedules
| Day of the Week | Temple Emanu-El | Or Chadash |
| Sunday | 9:00-noon | 9:30-noon |
| Tuesday | 4:00-6:00 p.m. | |
| Thursday | 4:30-6:30 p.m. |
Steps to a Future Merger
- Have social functions for the students to become one community. Recruit middle schoolers from OC and TE with older kids’ help into NFTY-affiliated youth groups.
- Work with Finance Task Force to determine to what extent merging of schools will change budget and/or reduce tuition. Note that cost of supplies would remain the same.
- Decide how to align schedules for both Hebrew School. Possibilities include:
- Two days per week of Hebrew school to which any member can choose to attend one or the other consistently throughout the year – this could be transitional or permanent
- Have same curriculum, same teachers
- Have different curricula, different teachers
- One day per week of Hebrew school
- Two days per week of Hebrew school to which any member can choose to attend one or the other consistently throughout the year – this could be transitional or permanent
- Decide how to align Sunday School schedules and curricula:
- Later than 9am start and have 3 hours or have 2.5 or 2.75 hours
- 9am start and noon end (no one seemed interested in ending earlier than noon)
- Work to keep Chuggim (electives) as well as signature events like Mitzvah Fair, etc.
- Set aside appropriate furniture and custodial help to accommodate larger classes (this is plausible to do at Temple Emanu-El)
| Current Grade | Cong. Or Chadash | Temple Emanu-El | Total # of Students |
| Pre-K* | 10 | 4 | 14 |
| Kindergarten | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 1st | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| 2nd | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| 3rd | 7 | 15 | 22 |
| 4th | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| 5th | 6 | 8 | 14 |
| 6th | 13 | 7 | 20 |
| 7th | 12 | 6 | 18 |
| 8th | 3 | 5 | 8 |
Table 1: These are the numbers per grade for the 2019-2020 years. Once combined, some of the grades will have to be divided into 2 classes.
*Pre-K includes 2 years of students, 3- and 4-year olds.
- Decide on B’nei Mitzvah Schedules and Training
- Resolve conflicts for 2 dates: 10/17/20 and 10/24/20
- Unify B’nei Mitzvah Training practices with Ritual Committee help
- Work to unify Hebrew school curricula and incorporate Hebrew@Home.
- Decide whether to pursue accreditation, since that will be lost.
Risks and Mitigations
- People may feel like they “don’t know everybody”
- More kids means stronger sense of Jewish belonging/identity, less chance of being the only one
- Changing the schedules may alienate people
- Offer both schedules on weekdays to find what people gravitate towards
- Offer some of the same activities but on a different timeline/compromise on timing
- People may lose programs that they enjoy or that curricula has changed too much
- Point out new opportunities due to larger classes and more resources
- Work to identify people’s favorite activities and preserve them
- Work to include teachers (and parents) in unification of curricula
- Or Chadash would lose its accreditation
- Work to regain it so as to preserve prestige as only AZ accredited religious school
- Change of location may alienate people
- Facilitate carpooling
- Strengthen Hebrew@Home
- Having to reduce staff or financially support two sets of staff
- Allow for natural attrition
- Conflicting B’nei Mitzvah schedules may force kids to choose whose to attend or alienate families with special ties to that date.
- Joint B’nei mitzvah
- Morning and afternoon service