Wayne leads Thank Goodness It's Shabbat (TGIS) on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at Temple Israel on Longwood Avenue in Boston. TGIS is Temple Israel's special name for Tot Shabbat.
Everyone is sincerely welcome to attend, regardless of your background, knowledge, and experience. Most of our service is in English, but Wayne tries to translate all Hebrew songs and prayers into English so that no one feels left out. In the same way, we try to make everything understandable, accessible, and fun for even the youngest children.
Families are free to drop in just once, or attend every time we get together. Most of our children are infant through five years old, but we love to see older children too.
As the weeks progress we will be adding information, song lyrics, and links so that you and your children can sing and dance at home, and check out exactly what we do (songs, stories, prayers, lyrics, dances) at TGIS.
Please feel free to email Wayne if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions that you would like to share. We really appreciate your input!
Wayne's email is wayne@waynepotash.com
Our current schedule 2011-2012
9/10 and 24
10/22
11/12 and 26
12/10 and 24
1/14 and 28
2/11 and 25
3/10 and 24
4/14 and 28
5/12 and 26
6/9 and 23
Our Shabbat Service follows this basic outline. The middle of our service is determined by current holidays and the weekly torah portions, also known as parshas. We will try to add the holiday and parsha materials we use in links at the bottom of this page as well as links to other appropriate websites.
Song - Shalom Chaverim (with sign language)
Song - Zum Gali Gali
Name Song - Paw Paw Patch (we sing every child's name)
Song -Thank You God by Peri Smilow
(We have the children share things they're thankful for each week)
Holiday and/or Parsha stories, songs, and activities
Song - Ki Mitsiyon Tetse Torah (taking out the Torah)
Marching around the room with our Torah and toy Torahs
Song : Torah Torah Torah
Prayer:
Shema Yisreal, Adonoi Elohaynu, Adonoi Echad
Blessing over Children:
Y'varechacha Adonoi V'yish'm'recha
Ya'er Adonoi panav eilech vichuneka
Yisa Adonoi panav eilecha v'yasem l'cha shalom
You should have a beautiful, wonderful Shabbat, and enjoy your mothers and your fathers and your family
We return the Torah to the ark, and return toy torahs
Song: Hinei Mah Tov (dancing together)
Hamotzi
Prayer over juice
(Families with new baby, new members, and new to TGIS are welcomed):
Baruch ata Adonoy, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, Borei peri ha gafen
(washing hands)
Baruch ata Adonoy, Eloheinu melech ha-olam
asher kidishanu be-mitzvotav
ve-zivanu al netilat yadayim
CHILDREN raise challah, everyone touches someone so we are all connected as one community:
Baruch ata Adonoy, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz
children say "Amen" (rip bread and eat)
Song: Shabbat Shalom (Bim Bom) closes our service
Shabbat Blessings Link Hebrew, English and audio
Tot Shabbat website has lots of audio songs including Hinei Mah Tov, and Wayne's Six Days To Make the World
Special thanks to Meryl Goldwag, Susan Glickman, and the staff at Temple Israel for helping me prepare a wonderful Shabbat program.
Here are links to our additions for the weeks listed.
Chanukah
Practice Seder
