Interfaith Community for Jewish-Christian mixed marriage families in New York that celebrates the distinctiveness of both traditions, providing religious services and education for adults and children. It does not aim to blur the traditions or to discourage affiliation with church or synagogue.

Children's Programs

How to educate the children is the most pressing issue facing interfaith families.

In response, we have designed a comprehensive educational program that teaches about both traditions, clarifying the distinctiveness of each, and exposing children to both churches and synagogues. We aim to nurture continuity with each faith, but not to blur their differences or to indoctrinate. Instead, we hope to provide children with basic literacy in each, to foster respect for religion and the meaning it can bring to life, to inspire joy and delight in their religious heritages and practices, and to lay a foundation for their own religious journeys.

4th graders with their "manuscripts"

Parents, teachers, and children have been delighted with our courses thus far. Parents have observed that:

"The children like being in a community of other 'interfaith' children."

"The children learned that they can bring their own interpretation to, and think critically about the Bible."

"Having two teachers who are each strongly engaged in their respective religious traditions gave the children a 'model of respect'."

CLASSES FOR CHILDREN

The Interfaith Community has built a multi-tiered curriculum for children pre-K-8. Designed by consultants from the Jewish Theological and Union Theological seminaries, our courses were initially piloted in 2004. Courses are developed and, to model mutual respect, are taught side-by-side by teams of Jewish and Christian educators. Courses also encourage active parent involvement and education. In addition, the Interfaith Community provides holiday celebrations, which reinforce learning about each tradition.

The Interfaith Community's pioneering courses expose children to both of their religious heritages, allow them to cultivate their own spirituality, and provide a foundation to enable them to follow their own paths. Our mission centers around three main goals: exposure, respect, and delight. We do not teach children what to believe, but we give them the literacy and comfort that they need to relate to each tradition. We provide a supportive and vibrant community for this process of learning, questioning, and engagement.

In keeping with our educational goals, children who participate in our educational programs will:

Have respect for religion in general and the meaning it can bring, and be exposed to role models of religious people in both traditions
Have a basic literacy in both Judaism and Christianity, understand their common roots, similarities and differences, and appreciate what is distinctive and authentic in each
Be aware of their own distinctive spiritual nature and be encouraged to pursue their own spiritual journeys and develop their own concept of "the Divine"
Develop values, ethics, and commitments that grow out of their Jewish and Christian heritages
Find joy and delight in their religious heritages and practices

Courses are usually comprised of 10 sessions, book-ended by an additional opening and a closing "Family Day," at which all children and their families come together in a lively and spiritual setting to anticipate or conclude the experiences. Each class session is typically an hour, though lessons may be tailored or combined by the educators to fit certain schedules.

The Interfaith Community currently has several fully developed courses and is in the process of developing or modifying others to provide children with basic familiarity with both traditions, in particular with:

Bible stories
Major holidays
Major life cycle rituals
Sacred spaces/ house of worship
Ethics and values
Historical and cultural context for understanding the two traditions

In addition, all courses will aim to help children develop their individual spiritualities and connections to God.

Courses are intended to introduce key themes and concepts from both traditions throughout a child's growth, revisiting many of those concepts at deeper levels later in the curriculum. However, our courses are not cumulative, so students who enter in later years will not find themselves behind the class.

Courses are normally developed with a particular age group in mind, but teachers are assisted in adapting the curriculum to different ages. The grades listed by each course title are suggested.

Courses are offered in our growing network of chapter locations: greater New York --New York City, Westchester County, Orange/Rockland/Bergen, Long Island; Denver; Boston. A listing of courses which are currently offered or will be offered follows.

Interfaith Community Curriculum

Celebrating Our Songs (Pre-K)- This class designed for pre-Kindergarten children emphasizes song, dance, and playful exposure to two traditions with both child and parents.

Celebrating Our Traditions: Great Stories (K-3) - This course aims to familiarize learners with the yearly cycle of holidays by emphasizing the ways the stories connect us to the traditions and inspire us to celebrate, learn and grow together. It is a chance to enter into the captivating stories associated with different holidays and traditions.

Celebrating Our Traditions: God and Me (K-3) - This course continues to familiarize learners with the cycle of holidays through Biblical stories with an emphasis on creating a personal relationship with God. Through a deeper understanding of the holiday traditions and the relationship with God behind those traditions, the students will also connect feeling close to God with celebrating as a community

Doing the Right Thing (K-3) - This course aims to introduce children to basic Bible stories from the Torah and the Gospels, with an emphasis on the ethical values drawn from these stories.

Bible Heroes (K-3) - This course aims to familiarize students with the great Bible characters from Biblical stories in both Jewish and Christian tradition – such as Joshua, David, and Paul. Students will learn the stories of these heroes and heroines and will understand why we continue to tell their stories today.

Bible and Prayer I: Sacred Texts (4th / 5th grade) - This course aims to provide children with an understanding of the holy writings of both traditions, how they are organized and the roles they play in supporting the teachings of each faith and in fostering a connection to God. This course will deepen the children’s understanding of the major Biblical stories and will also introduce them to Psalms, prayers, and other sacred texts.

Bible and Prayer II: Sacred Spaces and Rituals (4th / 5th grade) - This course introduces children to the importance of houses of worship and life cycle rituals in Judaism and Christianity. They will learn about the value of sanctifying key moments in life, in particular: birth, coming of age, and marriage. And they will directly experience these by visiting a synagogue (to observe a Bar/Bat Mitzvah), a Protestant church (to observe a baptism), and a Catholic church (to observe a wedding mass). They will appreciate the way sacred spaces reinforce ritual and prayer and will also learn some key prayers that are common to regular services or special occasions.

Identity & Transition (6th-8th) This course, designed for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will focus on the history and culture of the two traditions, introducing students to the development of Jewish and Christian tradition over the years. As they explore the developments of Jewish and Christian identity, they will also be developing their own spiritual identity, exploring what it means to have an engaged spirituality in either tradition.

OTHER ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN


Sukkot festival celebration		Lighting the Advent candle before Christmas

In addition to formal classes, some of our chapters also provide arts-based educational programs related to each major holiday for children ages 4 - 8 during the their major holiday family services - Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Easter. Some of our chapters also hold their own Sukkot/Simchat Torah celebrations and model Passover seders, which are aimed at families with your children.