The Bayit Community kids & youth projects
Afterschool
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About the center
Vancouver, British Columbia, one of the largest cities in Canada, is home to Canada’s third largest Jewish community. It is one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the world. As part of the greater metropolitan area of Vancouver lies the city of Richmond. Jewish life in Richmond is preserved through Jewish education, youth organizations and congregations, to name a few.
The center consists of different programs that children and teenagers can take part in throughout the week. On Mondays there is a Mommy and Me class, where mothers are welcome to join with their babies. Tuesday afternoons consist of an after school program. There are currently approximately 15 students who participate in this program. It consists of a curriculum that delves into different aspects of Judaism, such as Jewish heritage in different countries around the world, Jewish holidays, etc. Coupled with the curriculum, students participate in other activities such as movie nights, trips, drumming circles, to name a few.
An additional program at the Bayit is the BJT, Bayit Jewish teens. This program takes place once a month and is geared towards teenagers. This too combines learning with activities so that teens are eager to participate, such as Torah and Taco Tuesday. And finally there is a kids zone on Shabbat that children can play in during services, followed by a Shabbat afternoon center.
All of these programs serve the same purpose and that is to create a youth movement so that Jewish students can come together to learn, create, partake in events, spend time together, enjoy Shabbat together, etc… As of today, there are 65 kids and teenagers that come at least once a week to participate in the activities. That number continues to grow because students love coming in and being part of this inclusive community.
About the community
The Bayit was established in the early 1980s as a synagogue. It consisted of a room in a building. And it remained that way until approximately 5 years ago, when the city of Richmond saw an increase in the number of Jewish families settling in. Subsequently there became an increased demand for a center that would cater to the children of the new families. That demand resulted in the Bayit that exists in Richmond today, no longer only a synagogue but rather a center where children and teenagers can come togetherThe Bayit, a welcoming and open synagogue in Richmond, has expanded to much more than what is started out as a few decades ago. Today is offers programs and services to children and teenagers within the Richmond community. And the goal is to be open to everyone within the community and to connect the various community members. Everyone is welcome and The Bayit is committed to making sure everyone feels at home.
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