Registration 2020-21

Lese Center for Living Judaism (LCLJ)

Bringing Jewish Learning to Life

We are continuing to incorporate more “flexibility, community, and content” into our LCLJ programming next year! You’ll be able to choose from one of these great options for this fall:op

LCLJ Weekday (for grades Pre-K–12)

• Weekly courses using project-based learning
• Choice between day and/or time by grade
• Explore Judaic topics through technology, art, movement and more!

LCLJ Downtown (for grades K–6)

• Weekly courses using project-based learning
• Explore Judaic topics through technology, art, movement, and more!
• Tuesdays at 4:15 pm (Grades K–6) and Thursdays at 4:15 pm (Grades K–4) 

LCLJ Shabbat (for grades K–6)

• Family Shabbat experience twice per month on Saturday morning
• Family-centered service with Central Educators and Clergy
• Child and parent learning together and separately
• Weekly 30-minute online Hebrew tutoring session through the Jewish Journey Project

Learn more in our LCLJ Registration FAQs below.

Registration is now open!

Registration Deadline: Friday, May 29, 2020

When registering your child for the upcoming year, you will select one of the following options within their grade.

Pre-K

Mondays at LCLJ Weekday (Community House) – 4:15–5:45 pm
Tuesdays at LCLJ Downtown (Hebrew Union College) – 4:15–5:45 pm

Kindergarten

Mondays at LCLJ Weekday (Community House) – 4:15–5:45 pm
Tuesdays at LCLJ Downtown (Hebrew Union College) – 4:15–5:45 pm
Saturdays at LCLJ Shabbat – 9:00–11:30 am

1st Grade

Tuesdays at LCLJ Weekday (Community House) – 4:15–5:45 pm
Tuesdays at LCLJ Downtown (Hebrew Union College) – 4:15–5:45 pm
Saturdays at LCLJ Shabbat – 9:00–11:30 am

2nd Grade

Mondays at LCLJ Weekday (Community House) – 4:15–5:45 pm
Tuesdays at LCLJ Downtown (Hebrew Union College) – 4:15–5:45 pm
Saturdays at LCLJ Shabbat – 9:00–11:30 am

3rd Grade

Mondays OR Tuesdays at LCLJ Weekday (Community House) – 4:15–6:15 pm
Tuesdays at LCLJ Downtown (Hebrew Union College) – 4:15–6:15 pm
Saturdays at LCLJ Shabbat – 9:00–11:30 am

4th Grade

Mondays OR Tuesdays at LCLJ Weekday (Community House) – 4:15–6:15 pm
Tuesdays at LCLJ Downtown (Hebrew Union College) –4:15–6:15 pm
Saturdays at LCLJ Shabbat – 9:00–11:30 am

5th Grade

Wednesdays OR Thursdays at LCLJ Weekday (Community House) –  4:30–6:30 pm
Thursdays at LCLJ Downtown (Hebrew Union College) – 4:15–6:15 pm
Saturdays at LCLJ Shabbat – 9:00–11:30 am

6th Grade

Thursdays at LCLJ Weekday (Community House) – 4:30–6:30 pm
Thursdays at LCLJ Downtown (Hebrew Union College) – 4:15–6:15 pm
Saturdays at LCLJ Shabbat – 9:00–11:30 am

7th Grade

All 7th Graders meet on Wednesdays at the Community House from 5:00–6:30 pm (This includes those who currently attend LCLJ Shabbat or LCLJ Downtown.)

8th & 9th Grade

LCLJ Weekday
Tuesdays • 6:30-7:45pm
We are thrilled to continue offering two options for our 8th and 9th graders: the yearlong Jewish Leadership Institute and 6-week Seminars. Click here to learn more.

10th Grade

LCLJ Weekday
Tuesdays • 6:30-7:45pm

11th & 12th Grade

LCLJ Weekday
Tuesdays once/month • 6:30-7:45pm

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Just give me the highlights.

• Choice of day and/or time
• Program Options: LCLJ Weekday, LCLJ Downtown, and LCLJ Shabbat
• Project Based Learning (see below for more information)
• Engaging Programing for 7th-12th graders

What are the options this year?

For grades K-2, families can register for either LCLJ Weekday (after-school) or LCLJ Shabbat (two Saturdays per month).

For grades 3-6, there are three options: LCLJ Weekday (one day per week), LCLJ Downtown (Tuesdays), and LCLJ Shabbat (two Saturdays per month, plus weekly online Hebrew tutoring).

Teens have one day per week classes spread out over different days of the week. For grades 8^th-9^th, information about our new programs for the school year can be found here.

The exact days are available on the registration form, once you select your child’s grade.

Do I have to be a member to register my child?

LCLJ registration is a benefit of membership. Registration for non-members will open on May 1. We will email all households on the waitlist who’ve indicated interest in LCLJ. You can join our waitlist here.

What are the different options for 8th and 9th graders?

This year 8th and 9th grade students can choose between Jewish Leadership Institute and Seminars.

Jewish Leadership Institute includes:

• 5 seminars (6 weeks each), each culminating in a special event or trip in line with the theme of the course
• Exclusive access to our Jewish Leadership seminar, in which students will hear from influential lay leadership within our congregation, explore how Jewish values have dictated their professional growth and success, and begin to develop their own role as leaders within Central Synagogue’s community

Seminars include:

• Flexibility to enroll in 1-4 seminars (6 weeks each), each culminating in a special event or *trip in line with the theme of the course
• Program options fit to students’ schedules

Click here to learn more about 8th and 9th grade Jewish Leadership Institute and Seminars, including a detailed schedule and pricing.

Will days of the week get full?

YES! There is a cap on each day of the week, so if you want a particular day, please register now.

What is LCLJ Downtown and how is it different from LCLJ Weekday?

The primary way LCLJ Downtown differs from the rest of our program is in the location. LCLJ Downtown will meet on Tuesdays, K-6th grade, or Thursdays, K-4th grades. On both days, grades K-2 meets from 4:15-5:45pm and grades 3-6 meets from 4:15-6:15pm at the Hebrew Union College (HUC) at West 4th Street between Broadway and Mercer. Students in 7th grade and above will join our teen program that takes place only at our 55th Street Location. The calendar for LCLJ Downtown will be the same as our regular LCLJ calendar. The program will be run by Central’s education team and include Judaic studies through Project Based Learning, Hebrew, and tefillah (prayer). More than likely, we will have mixed-grade classes. In addition, all LCLJ Downtown families will be invited to any grade-wide Shabbat, holiday, social, and social justice programming in our main building on 55th street.

What is LCLJ Shabbat? Who should register?

LCLJ Shabbat is a family experience for students in grades K-6. Twice per month, families come together with our clergy and educators for a service, learning, and building community. This is a perfect track for families who want to celebrate Shabbat together, want to feel more connected to the Central community, or who don’t want to add another weekday commitment to their child’s schedule. LCLJ Shabbat has a weekly Hebrew component run through the Jewish Journey Project – Hebrew Homepage. This is a half-hour weekly online tutoring session structured to fit the Hebrew needs of your child.

What are the fees associated with each program?

Different grades have different cost structures depending on the number of hours they are in class. LCLJ Weekday, LCLJ Downtown, and LCLJ Shabbat have the same price for each grade. Click here to view the tuition costs for each grade.

What about Hebrew?

Every grade K-7 will have formal Hebrew instruction as part of the curriculum. Students in K-1 will have Hebrew Through Movement and language sprinkled throughout their curriculum. In 2nd grade, students begin the process of learning the letters, vowels, and sounds, and putting them together to create small words. Decoding begins in 3rd grade and continues until 7th grade, with primary emphasis on prayers. Students are divided into small groups by level.

Students in LCLJ Shabbat will have one-on-one skype tutoring, provided by the Jewish Journey Project. This one-on-one tutoring is scheduled between parents and tutors.

I didn’t think my kid needed to go until 3rd grade? Why should I put my kid in K-2?

LCLJ is a comprehensive program that begins in Kindergarten and ends in 12th grade. While students must be enrolled by third grade to receive a bar or bat mitzvah date in fourth grade, we strongly encourage parents to register their children sooner. Students who do not attend LCLJ before 3rd grade will miss out on vital learning and community-building opportunities that provide the foundation of Jewish education in the upper grades.

I want to learn more about Project Based Learning. Where can I find more info?

• Here is a short explanation of Project Based Learning and here is a longer one
• Project Based Learning resources for parents
• Here is a short video showing how Project Based Learning was applied at a school in Boston

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