Family-Centered Jewish & Israeli Learning
Habayit’s weekly program is centered around families celebrating Shabbat together. We create a warm, rigorous, and relationship-driven model of Jewish education. First and foremost, Habayit is a chavurah, a community of friends rather than a transactional, drop-off religious school. Families learn side by side, volunteer together, gather regularly for Shabbat and holidays, and build relationships that extend beyond the classroom.
Typical Saturday Shabbat Kehillah
Most Saturdays, our program runs from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Here is a typical schedule.
OUR KITOT
(COHORTS)
When in their kitot, children learn about Jewish values, modern and ancient Israeli culture and history, holidays, prayers, and Torah stories through arts and crafts, hands-on projects, songs, movement, storytelling, scavenger hunts, and other creative, experiential activities that make learning feel effortless.
K’TANIM (קטנים)
Little Ones
For babies and children through the age of three. Children play as parents engage in adult learning
NIVTIM (נבטים)
Sprouts
For children three, four, and five, ready to engage in hands-on, play-based learning
BONIM (בונים)
Builders
For children in kindergarten, first, second, and third grade
HOLMIM (חולמים)
Dreamers
For children in fifth, sixth, and seventh grades (pre-b’nai mitzvah)
Hebrew as a Living Language
Hebrew language acquisition is a central pillar of Habayit’s educational approach. Hebrew is taught as a living language and as a gateway to Jewish texts, prayer, and Israeli culture, with clear benchmarks and ongoing assessment.
Inspired by the Aleph Champ program, Ulpan-Or, and karate, students work at their own pace to learn the Aleph Bet, nikkud (vowels), script, and conversational Hebrew. Children are aged by ability and not by kitah (cohort) for Hebrew learning. Children start from scratch and advance through one-on-one testing with teachers, earning stripes and moving up color-coded levels. They are incredibly motivated by this system!
Early Childhood Education
The Nivtim kitah (ages 3.5–5) engages in hands-on, developmentally appropriate learning that introduces Hebrew, Jewish values, holidays, and Israeli culture in joyful and meaningful ways. Flexibility for young families is built into the program while maintaining consistent weekly exposure at a formative stage.
Children three and under play with each other as their parents learn. There are also opportunities for them to enjoy songs and stories.
Adult Learning and Connection
While children learn, adults engage in meaningful ways by:
– Joining peer-led, themed discussions and lessons about Jewish practice, Jewish texts, and Israel’s past, present, and future
– Playing board games with each other
– Chatting informally over coffee
– Helping in classrooms and/or learning Hebrew alongside their children
Shabbats at Etz Chaim Synagogue
Once a month, we spend Shabbat Kehillah at Etz Chaim Synagogue in Portland. These sessions offer the same joyful, family-centered core of our other Habayit sessions, with added opportunities to engage in more traditional tefillah and prayer with Cantor Sheila Nesis and Rabbi Gary Berenson.
Monthly Shabbat Dinners
Every month, we have a Shabbat-Luck (Shabbat potluck) at someone’s home or another space where everyone can be together. These intergenerational gatherings, where children play and adults of all ages have a chance to relax together, form the very heart of Habayit.
Holiday Celebrations
We host or participate in events for major Jewish holidays.
What Makes Habayit Different?
A chavurah, not a drop-off school
Families learn, volunteer, celebrate, and build lasting friendships together
Zionism brought to life
Israel as a real, living homeland, grounded in history, geography, peoplehood, and shared responsibility
Hebrew as a priority
A motivating system developed to teach children (and adults) to speak with and like Israelis
Engagement for adults and small children
Opportunities to connect and learn for all ages
Ready to Connect?
We’d love to hear from you!