Programs by Name

Meet other new and expectant parents and get to know the Sholom Sprouts community at this free bagel brunch in Central Park!

Beginners at Rodeph Sholom School is an early learning program offered to children who are not yet enrolled in school, but are ready for a separated and more structured school experience.

Chanukah starts on the 25th of Kislev, a month in the Hebrew calendar that usually falls within November or December. Also known as the Festival of Lights, the holiday celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Maccabean revolt against the Syrian-Greek army. The holiday takes place for eight nights and days, commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple.

This grown-up and me playgroup offers an opportunity to meet new friends and learn and grow from one another! Our time together will include opportunities for sensory exploration, play-time in our mini-gym along with celebrations of Shabbat with visits from our clergy!

Meet other new and expectant parents and get to know the Sholom Sprouts community at this fun game night.

Learning Together classes introduce children to the richness of a school setting. Each session children experience different classroom activities, including free choice, group time, and playtime in our mini gym. All classes incorporate celebrations of Jewish holidays and Thursday/Friday classes celebrate Shabbat with a special visit from our clergy.

Led by Rabbi Juliana Karol and Hannah Lavan, LMSW, this group will meet weekly to discuss what is relevant to you—recovery from childbirth, bottle- and breastfeeding, and the anxieties and pleasures of these early days during this unsettling time. Our conversation is grounded in Jewish values, but is open to all. Enjoy some social time and a safe space to discuss new motherhood. Let’s navigate this journey together.

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a major Jewish spring festival celebrating freedom and family as we remember the Exodus from Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. The main observances of this holiday center around a special home service called the seder, which includes a festive meal.

Purim is an early springtime holiday of fun, fivolity, and generosity. It’s a holiday that feels like it’s made for families. Traditions include dressing up, sharing gift baskets or mishloach manot with friends, making noise by shaking groggers, and staying up late with your friends and community. People do tzedakah and also read the Book of Esther, or megillah, which shares the story of how the Jews of Persia were saved from annihilation.

The Jewish ritualizing of birth is nearly as old as Judaism itself. Brit Milah (covenantal circumcision ceremony) is first mentioned in the Torah, as a sign of the relationship between God and the people of Israel. The parallel biblical covenantal ritual for girls is what is known as a naming ceremony in which the child is presented a name in Hebrew.

An independent school guided by Reform Jewish values, Rodeph Sholom School inspires each student in Nursery through Eighth Grade to love learning, act with responsibility, and engage in community. We educate the curious learners of today to become the purpose-driven leaders of tomorrow. Please email our admissions team with any questions you have at admissions@rssnyc.org and they will get back to you soon.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year. This means celebrations, happiness, and also reflecting on the past year and setting goals for the coming one. For families, there are so many wonderful traditions to engage in–dipping apples in honey, braiding and tasting round challah, making cards, and listening to the blast of the shofar. Be sure to wish your family and friends, “L’shana tova,” a happy and sweet new year

Seven weeks after Passover ends, it’s time to celebrate Shavuot. This holiday marks the biblical story of receiving the Ten Commandments and the Torah at Mt. Sinai. While many families don’t regularly celebrate Shavuot, it’s a holiday that’s totally made for kids –a perfect excuse for sleepovers, flower picking, ice cream socials, and lots of other fun activities.

Meaningful, grown-up free fun!  Sholom Adventures offers your child a path of discovering what being Jewish means to them through dynamic engagement and community. Epic song sessions and dance parties, art exploration, and a variety of interwoven experiences give Adventurers the opportunity to be seen and heard by their teachers and a community of peers. This action-packed hour is a purely joyful addition to their day.

Sholom Adventures is non-stop fun (with additional activities for the whole family) and bonus opportunities to learn about new ways to be part of our community for families and adults.

Sholom Adventures is open to the community. Members receive discounted program fees and priority registration.

Sholom Baby connects young families who anticipate or have recently experienced the birth or adoption of a child (newborn through 12 months of age) with Congregation Rodeph Sholom and the greater Jewish community, assisting in supporting and building social connections.

When you sign up for Sholom Baby, you will receive a gift bag filled with fun and helpful gifts as well as information on parenting, Jewish resources for families, a gift from PJ Library, a Sholom Sprouts onesie and more!

Let us know if you’ve recently had a baby so we can welcome you and your child with this special gift!

Simchat Torah is the exuberant conclusion to the fall holiday season in the Jewish calendar. It is an unforgettable outpouring of joy and celebration, all about one thing: the Torah, the first five books of the Bible.

Come shake your sillies out at this 30-minute Shabbat sing-along, make happy noise and meet other parents and clergy followed by playtime in our mini gym! Learn about our updated COVID protocols.

Pre-registration required.

On Sukkot Jewish families build a temporary hut (sukkah) with an open roof made of branches to let in moonlight and an open side to welcome guests.

Thursday mornings rock with Sholom Sprouts Baby—a fun and interactive drop-in singalong with a Jewish twist! Each session is packed with singing, stories, bubbles and more! We hope to see you there!

Rosh Hashanah is just the beginning of the new year festival. Ten days after Rosh Hashanah comes Yom Kippur, a day focused entirely on apologizing for our actions over the past year.