We are a community that invests highly in our young people. PSC prides itself on being “Large Enough to Serve You, Small Enough to Know You” – with youth education and programming robust and comprehensive enough to match.
The word Synagogue has three Hebrew translations: Beit K’nesset, the house of gathering; Beit Midrash, the house of study; Beit Tefillah, the house of prayer. Each of these reflects the core functions of any synagogue. Remove a single one, and a community will be incomplete.
Our youth education and programming represents these core functions: learning, praying, and community-building. Whether you have a newborn, teenager, or any age in between, our intention is to give our children the entirety of the Jewish experience, in a fun, engaging and meaningful way.
The mission of our youth education and programming is to instill a lasting love for Judaism and to impart the knowledge and practical skills crucial for our students’ lifelong engagement in Jewish learning, Jewish life and participation in the Jewish community.
At PSC, we take pride in offering high-quality Jewish education and experiences for our youth through our Kesher and Kabbalat Torah programs, numerous youth tefillah experiences, and our suite of youth groups. Explore the links below to learn about all of the wonderful programs we offer for every age group!
Newborns – Preschool
Kindergarten – 2nd Grade
3rd – 5th Grade
6th – 7th Grade
8th – 12th Grade
For more information, contact the PSC Office or call us at (650) 349-2816.
Newborns – Preschool
PSC is the perfect place for our little ones to call home! We have lots of fun and engaging programs for our Tots and their parents to experience Jewish living and learning throughout the year!
Beit Knesset (House of Gathering) – Bagels & Babies, Fridays at 9:30am
One Friday morning each month, our babies and toddlers under 24 months will come together with a parent or guardian for a morning of music, play, and age appropriate Shabbat rituals in the sanctuary! As the little ones play together, the adults will have the opportunity for some learning and discussion about bringing Judaism to life at home!
Dates: View Youth Calendar
Beit Midrash (House of Learning) – B’Yachad, Sundays at 11am
Prepare to celebrate the Jewish holidays with crafts, stories, and more! Before each Jewish holiday, our 3-5 year olds and their parents will enjoy an hour of holiday-focused, project-based learning. Your child will be extra excited for the holiday with a brand-new family keepsake for them to use during the upcoming celebration!
Dates: View Youth Calendar
Beit Tefillah (House of Prayer) – Tot Shabbat, Saturdays at 10:30am
One Shabbat each month, our Tots and their parents are invited for a rousing half hour of singing, playing, and delighting in Shabbat together! Taking place in the Gruschka Play Spot, or “GPS” for short, PSC’s young and young at heart come together for our most exciting service of the month!
Dates: View Youth Calendar
Additionally, the GPS is open and available to our youngest congregants each and every Shabbat service of the year. The GPS is full of toys to play with, as well as PSC’s library of Jewish children’s books for anyone to enjoy!
Kindergarten – 2nd Grade
Beit Knesset (House of Gathering) – K’Tantanim, Sundays at 12pm
K’Tantanim is PSC’s youth group for our early elementary school students. Affiliated with USY, Conservative Judaism’s youth movement, K’Tantanim is an opportunity for our children to play and have fun together at their own monthly programs, taking place immediately after Kesher on Sunday afternoons. Open to all of PSC’s kids, K’Tantanim is an opportunity for some of our youngest members to build their own kehilah (community) through fun, age appropriate programs! Learn more about all of PSC’s youth groups.
Dates: View Youth Calendar
Beit Midrash (House of Learning) – Kesher, Sundays at 9:30am and once a month on Shabbat at 9:30am
Kesher: The Greenberg Religious School is our children’s first opportunity to engage in formal Jewish supplementary school. Our youngest grades offer the pivotal foundation for the rigorous Jewish learning and skill building in the years that follow. Kesher is the Hebrew word for “connection,” and our robust learning creates connections between our students, building a beloved, nurturing learning community that will last for years to come. Learn more about Kesher: The Greenberg Religious School.
Beit Tefillah (House of Prayer) – Mini Minyan, Saturdays at 9:30am
Each month, Kindergarten-2nd graders and their families are invited to join us for an exciting service that is both a learners’ minyan and a chance for our children to learn how to be minyan leaders themselves! We engage with the weekly Torah portion through storytelling, games, and other fun activities. It’s a wonderful way to spend Shabbat morning!
Dates: View Youth Calendar
Mini Minyan is also held on Kesher Shabbat mornings at 11:30. Learn more about Kesher Shabbatot.
3rd – 5th Grade
Beit Knesset (House of Gathering) – Kadima, Sundays at 12pm
Kadima is PSC’s youth group for our 3rd-7th graders. Affiliated with USY, Conservative Judaism’s youth movement, Kadima is a fabulous opportunity for our kids to play and have fun together with friends, old and new, at their own monthly programs, taking place immediately after Kesher on Sunday afternoons. Any 3rd-7th grader at PSC is strongly encouraged to attend! Learn more about all of PSC’s youth groups.
Dates: View Youth Calendar
Beit Midrash (House of Learning) – Kesher, Sundays at 9:30am and once a month on Shabbat at 9:30am, Wednesdays at 4pm
We strive to make Kesher: The Greenberg Religious School the Peninsula’s premier Jewish supplementary school. Our middle grades are the heart of the program. During the 3rd-5th grade years, our students are going full steam ahead in developing tefillah (prayer) skills, the study of Torah and other biblical texts, and practicing mitzvot related to the holidays and daily life. Our goal is that the rigorous learning during these years will ensure that our students are confident in their Hebrew and Tefillah skills long before they begin formal B’Nei Mitzvah training. Not only does the curriculum deepen our kids’ connection to Jewish tradition and life, collaborating with their classmates continues to shape the sacred learning community that Kesher is well known for. Learn more about Kesher: The Greenberg Religious School.
Beit Tefillah (House of Prayer) – Next Dor, Saturdays at 10:30am
During our fun and engaging Next Dor service, our 3rd-5th grade daveners come together and participate in a service meant to enhance their praying, connection to liturgy and comfort with the Torah service. This pre-B’nei Mitzvah service is great practice and a safe space to try it all out before the big day!
Dates: View Youth Calendar
Next Dor is also held on Kesher Shabbat mornings at 10:30am. Learn more about Kesher Shabbatot.
6th – 7th Grade
Beit Knesset (House of Gathering) – Kadima, Sundays at 12pm
Kadima is PSC’s youth group for our 3rd-7th graders. Affiliated with USY, Conservative Judaism’s youth movement, Kadima is a fabulous opportunity for our kids to play and have fun together with friends, old and new, at their own monthly programs, taking place immediately after Kesher on Sunday afternoons. Any 3rd-7th grader at PSC is strongly encouraged to attend! Additionally, Kadimaniks in 6th and 7th grade can attend regional Kadima events hosted by New Frontier Region, where they can make friends from all over Northern California and Nevada! Learn more about all of PSC’s youth groups.
Dates: View Youth Calendar
Beit Midrash (House of Learning) – Kesher, Sundays at 9:30am and once a month on Shabbat at 9:30am, Wednesdays at 4pm
We strive to make Kesher: The Greenberg Religious School the Peninsula’s premier Jewish supplementary school. Kesher’s top priority for this age group is to help students develop the knowledge and skills required for a lifetime of Jewish living and learning. In the years approaching the B’Nei Mitzvah, our Kesher students work directly with Cantor Doron Shapira individually and in class to sharpen their skills before the big day arrives. Our 6th graders also attend Kesher on Sunday mornings, while the 7th graders only attend on Wednesday afternoons. Learn more about Kesher: The Greenberg Religious School.
Beit Tefillah (House of Prayer) – B’Nei Mitzvah Family Learning, Wednesdays at 6:30pm
Though we strongly encourage our students of all ages to attend Shabbat services regularly, it is all the more important in 6th and 7th grade. As helpful as individual and group instruction is, there is no substitute for regularly attending Shabbat services.
In the year leading up to B’Nei Mitzvah, we offer monthly B’Nei Mitzvah Family sessions for students and their parents to learn together in preparation for this important milestone. In these sessions, families will be given crucial information about the B’Nei Mitzvah process while learning about and reflecting upon a number of different topics, traditions and rituals throughout the year. Not only is this a great opportunity for parents and their students to bond over this shared experience, it is also a wonderful community-building experience between the families involved.
Dates: View Youth Calendar
8th – 12th Grade
Beit Knesset (House of Gathering) – FRUSY, events scheduled throughout each month
FRUSY is PSC’s flagship, award-winning youth group. It is the culminating social experience offered to our teens after their many years growing up at PSC. FRUSY is affiliated with USY, the youth movement of Conservative Judaism, and gives our teens the opportunity to organize a variety of social, educational, religious, and tzedakah (charity) programs throughout the course of each year. USY’s peer-based leadership structure means that our teens have agency to build their own Jewish community by organizing events they would like to attend. FRUSY holds multiple events each month, including lounge nights and Shabbat dinners. Teens in FRUSY are strongly encouraged to attend the several regional events held every school year, where Conservative Jewish teens from around Northern California and Nevada come together for dances, service projects, and multiple weekend retreats. Get more information on our award-winning youth group.
Beit Midrash (House of Learning) – Kabbalat Torah, Tuesdays at 7pm
At PSC, we firmly believe that the B’Nei Mitzvah is not the completion of one’s studies, but a demonstration of a young person’s acquired learning. Kabbalat Torah is PSC’s post-B’Nei Mitzvah learning program. Whether we are exploring ancient texts in-depth or discussing current events, Kabbalat Torah brings relevant, thought-provoking learning and discussion to our teens at every session. Kabbalat Torah prepares our teens to go out into the world as knowledgeable and thoughtful young Jewish adults, ready to take on whatever life brings their way. Register your teen for Kabbalat Torah.
Dates: View Youth Calendar
Beit Tefillah (House of Prayer) – Madrichim Program
One of the Hebrew expressions for prayer is avodah shebalev, or service of the heart. In addition to regularly chanting Torah or leading sections of the Shabbat service, many of our teens wholeheartedly serve our community by participating in our Madrichim program. Our madrichim are important members of the Kesher team, assisting teachers in the classroom, working with individuals or small groups on their Hebrew, and doing whatever else is needed to make sure that our learning community runs smoothly. Interested teens can apply for a spot in our 2021-2022 Madrichim program by submitting an application.
