Welcome to Religious Education at Shir Chadash
Our Vision for Our Religious Education
At Shir Chadash, we believe study and learning are fundamental to the establishment of a strong and active Jewish community. We provide an extraordinary number of learning opportunities for children and adults, and we pride ourselves on being on the cutting edge of educational practice in both areas.
Click here to register your child for
the 2023-2024 Shul School year!
If you are interested in learning more about our innovative and exciting Shul School for 3-12 year olds, teen learning for 13-18 year olds or adult learning opportunities, please email our education director, Chaviva Sands.
Adult Education at Shir Chadash
Not getting our email newsletter? Click the button below to sign up for all our upcoming events and festivities.
Choose from the list of learning opportunities below, or click here to see our calendar with all our latest events. Consider joining our mailing list for all the latest events emailed directly to your inbox by clicking here.
- Every Wednesday at 10 AM, join our Sisterhood class, which delves into a variety of topics. Click here for more details.
- Once a month on a Tuesday, you can join us at 11 AM for a Lunch & Learn Class. For more information about our latest Lunch and Learn, click here.
- Join us for our Great Jewish Novels (of the Twentieth Century) Class with Rabbi Hoffman once a month on a Tuesday at 7 PM. For more details, click here.
- Additional events, such as the Daven, Dinner, and Discussion Series and various seasonal holiday learning opportunities, can be found here on our main calendar or through our weekly email newsletters.
Meet Our Director of Education and Programing
I am Chaviva Sands and I am thrilled to be your new Director of Education and Programming. I am a native of New Orleans and many of y’all watched me grow up at Shir Chadash. In addition to participating in Sunday School and youth programming here, I also attended the Jewish Community Day School (previously the New Orleans Jewish Day School), went to Camp Ramah Darom for 7 years as a camper and worked 3 years on staff, and was involved in our local and regional USY and Young Judaea chapters.
Between 2012 and 2021, I worked to complete my two undergraduate degrees from List College while working at numerous synagogues in New York City in a variety of roles. I learned a great deal about Jewish educational programming for youth and adults, as well as engaging new and old members of a congregation to build a strong and unified community. I am pleased to have this opportunity to apply what I have learned and utilize the skills I have acquired to create and expand upon the current youth and adult programming offered at Shir Chadash.
My mission statement is as follows:
- Encourage Jewish education through play, Jewish social justice, middot (values), and critical thinking of Jewish literature/scripture to develop and shape the Jewish identity of each person in the community.
- Engage people of all ages in programming to create a strong community founded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
- Make education the engine that drives membership and inspires leadership and involvement in Jewish life in New Orleans and the world at large.
- Make Shir Chadash’s educational program one that provides premier learning that encompasses ritual, culture, practice, and social justice through the lens of Conservative Judaism.
I look forward to working with our congregants and all the wonderful volunteers at Shir Chadash as I give back to the community that contributed to the shaping of my Jewish identity and who I am today.
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Meet the Shul School Teachers
Sierra Sager - Gan (2-3 years old)
My name is Sierra Sager! I am the current Board and Grants Manager at JEF by day, and an amateur climber by night. I enjoy spending time with dogs, organizing themed gatherings, live music, and going on nature excursions. I’m most looking forward to having lots of fun with my class and learning more about the world through their point of view. It’s also such a rewarding full circle moment to provide the Jewish education I had as a kid!
Penina Berman - Ilanot (PreK & Kindergarten)
I am Penina Berman, and I teach Ilanot, which is PreK and Kindergarten. I am a sophomore at Xavier University of Louisiana and I study Biology. In my free time, I like to bake fresh challah, sing opera, and draw. I am looking forward to teaching about mindfulness in Judaism, especially how it plays into prayer and our interactions with other people. Here's to another great year of Shul School!
Scott Hart - Parparim (1st & 2nd Grade)
Hi, my name is Scott Hart. I was born in Washington, D. C. and grew up in the Maryland suburbs. My alma mater is the Catholic University of America, where I studied music education. I served in the U. S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard transferred me from Alaska to New Orleans- where I met Linda. We were married 7 months later. After the Coast Guard, I studied elementary education at U.N.O., so that I could teach all subjects, not just music. I have been working as a teacher ever since. People tell me I’m a good cook and baker. I am a film enthusiast and do photography. Linda and I have a dog, a Lhasa apso named Tashi. We love the little guy and we treat him very, very well. This is my second year teaching at Shir Chadash’s Shul School.
Ali Perez - Devorim (3rd & 4th Grade) & Nesharim (5th & 6th Grade)
Hi there! My name is Ali Perez, and I am so happy to be teaching some of Shir Chadash’s youngest congregants. This year, I look forward to our Shul School students continuing to discover what aspects of Jewish life spark their creativity and curiosity. I hope to provide a nurturing, inclusive classroom where they are encouraged to explore our stories, fearlessly ask their most difficult questions, and feel how important they are to our Jewish community. By the end of the year, my goal is for all our students to both know and feel that they are created b’tzelem Elohim.
Interested in teaching Jewish education?
Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation is always on the lookout for Shul School Teachers, Hebrew Tutors, and Jr. Congregation Leaders. Email our religious director, Chaviva Sands, for more information.
