Young Families

ICCJ rejoices in the sounds of children filling the sanctuary, welcoming Jewish families of all shapes and sizes with compassion and without judgment. Our Young Families committee caters to the needs of our youngest members and their families by hosting child-focused events and activities throughout the year.

• Tot Shabbat: Two Shabbat mornings each month, we hold a Tot Shabbat program for families with children aged 0 to 6. Families gather and learn about Shabbat and holidays while singing songs, playing games, reading stories, and enjoying a snack. The children join the rest of the congregation at the end of the main service, and are invited onto the bimah by the rabbi to help lead the concluding prayers. During our Kiddush reception, parents schmooze while the children play with our extensive toy collection. Everyone is welcome! Please use the form below to RSVP for Tot Shabbat, or email us at: YoungFamilies@iccj2004.org .
• Junior Congregation: Twice a month (coinciding with Tot Shabbat) our 7 to 13 year old members gather in our small chapel for a kid-friendly Shabbat service. The children are encouraged to ask questions, become familiar with a typical service and take part in it themselves, while having fun with their friends.
• Monthly Programs: Monthly family activities include holiday celebrations and social events such as chocolate seders, Havdallah and movie night, ice cream socials in the Sukkah, paint nights, pool parties, service projects, barbecues, and art supply drives for the local children’s hospital.
• General Congregational activities: Not all events enjoyed by our young families are exclusively for young families! The synagogue hosts a monthly Shabbat dinner which is delicious and fun, sing-along events led by our musically talented rabbi, and memorable Ḥanukkah and Purim parties, to name just a few. ICCJ loves to do things b’yaḥad — all together!
• Ohr Chadash and the Sport Clinic: ICCJ members are fortunate to be able to take one-on-one swimming lessons at our synagogue. There are weekly open congregational swim sessions for members, and women’s water aerobics. On Sunday mornings from 9 am to 12:30 pm many of our members attend Ohr Chadash, the award-winning Hebrew school program that is a joint effort of ICCJ, Hillcrest Jewish Center, and Etz Ḥayim at Hollis Hills Bayside. ICCJ members get a discount on tuition.

We hope to see you at our next event!