Who We Are

Northern Hills Synagogue is more than just a house of worship, a Conservative congregation affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. We are an extended family where people of all ages are welcome and encouraged to become actively involved in our services, programs, and leadership.

Northern Hills Synagogue is a place for prayer and religious education; it is a place for Jewish children to meet and be with other Jewish children; it offers an opportunity to learn more about our religion, and a chance to meet and socialize with other Jewish people.

The synagogue is a focal point in the lives of those families who choose to join. It fulfills spiritual, cultural, educational and social needs in the warm,. intimate and informal environment of a smaller congregation.

HISTORY
Northern Hills Synagogue - Congregation B'nai Avraham - is the product of a spiritual and organizational union between two earlier groups, Congregation B'nai Avraham of Norwood (founded in 1913) and the Northern Hills Synagogue (founded in 1960). The Northern Hills group, after wandering from one temporary location to another during its first four years of existence, purchased the land where the synagogue now stands in 1964. Without money or a significant position in the community, but with overwhelming spirit, the Northern Hills Synagogue was on its way. Thirteen members co-signed the note for the land, most of them young and still struggling, and many are still members today. Moreover, most of the founding members are still very active workers, determined to see that the synagogue continues to serve the needs of its members as effectively as possible, and that the warmth, intimacy, and brotherhood that built the synagogue will continue to serve as its foundation.

In 1987, another merger occurred when a group known as Havurat Tzedek became affiliated with Northern Hills. Over the years this group has become an extremely active, vital part of our synagogue community.

After making the difficult decision to relocate to the northeast suburbs of Cincinnati, Northern Hills Synagogue began the lengthy and time-consuming relocation process. It closed its doors at 715 Fleming Road on January 15, 2004. Due to delays in construction at the new site, services, classes and office work were continued at various locations, thanks to the generous support of Yavneh Day School, Jewish Familiy Service, Jewish Vocational Service, Congregation Ohav Shalom, Congregation Adath Israel, and the law offices of Landrum & Brown.

On March 19, 2004, Northern Hills Synagogue officially opened its doors at 5714 Fields Ertel Road, becoming the first synagogue in Warren County, Ohio. A gala Dedication Weekend featured guest speaker Rabbi Martin Pasternak, Director of Congregational Services for USCJ in New York.

While the synagogue has certainly grown in recent years, it is still relatively small and, more importantly, has retained the character of its early years. Northern Hills Synagogue is dynamic, open to change, and an extremely warm and friendly place, where newcomers are most welcome and made to feel at home right away. To learn more about our history, please click here.

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PROGRAMMING FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES
The Northern Hills Synagogue community holds a strong commitment to Jewish education for all age groups. The professional staff and many volunteers work very hard to ensure that education continues to be a top priority. Both formal and informal programming allow us to transfer and share information surrounding Jewish ritual, heritage, history, language, holidays, and many other topics.

We encourage all family members to be a part of our educational program and to learn and participate together. Jewish learning occurs at Northern Hills in many places. We offer special religious services during Shabbat and holidays for our younger congregants and their families. We also conduct inter-generational programs for all of our families, which focus on different themes throughout the year.

Our religious and Hebrew school program boasts a highly qualified teaching staff and we were recently certified as a Framework for Excellence School by United Synagouge of Conservative Judaism. Our High school aged students learn as part of a community High School program known as Mercaz. We even offer a very unique class for pre-school aged children and their families called Gan Mishpacha. Providing a quality Jewish education for our youth and for all members of the Northern Hills family dor l'dor (from generation to generation) is a top priority. We are committed to building upon our rich heritage and encouraging its growth through learning.
"And you shall teach them diligently" (Deuteronomy 6:7)

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T'FILOT FOR SHABBAT AND HOLIDAYS
Tot Shabbat
The Northern Hills Tot Shabbat is held on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 10:45 a.m. This is a very unique way for children to attend services. Children who are aged 4 - 2nd grade will find Tot Shabbat to be a fun alternative service and a place where they can learn new prayer skills. During each session, time is allotted for a special activity that focuses on the Torah parsha of the week. This activity is one that is meant to be energy-filled, participatory, and packed with learning.

Junior Congregation
Third graders thru Sixth graders will love this alternative minyan, which is structured especially for their level. Every 2nd and 4th Saturday at 10:45 a.m., a special service is held, which builds upon the Shabbat prayer service skills of our younger congregants. Not only is the weekly Torah portion discussed, but considerable time is spent on learning and understanding one prayer each week. This minyan allows the young congregants to spend time with their peers, while learning about the significance of some special pieces of the Shabbat liturgy. We also offer a special study session periodically for 5th and 6th graders with Rabbi Mark Washofsky, renown scholar and NHS congregant, who spends time with the children studying Torah text and Torah trope.

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Holiday Services
Special services are held each year for younger congregants during the fall High Holidays and other holidays as well. Services are structured differently for varying ages and encourage active participation. Many younger congregants lead parts of the services themselves! Please look at the Northern Hills calendar of events to find out more about holiday services for children and youth.

A special brochure is available, which lists the dates and times in which Shabbat morning services and activities occur. It also lists our Shabbat morning babysitting schedule, which generally occurs every 2nd and 4th Shabbat morning from 10:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m.

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RELIGIOUS AND HEBREW SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Our highly qualified and professional teaching staff help us to individualize our educational program to fit the learning styles of each of our students. Our Religious and Hebrew school curriculum ensures that Northern Hills students gain Jewish knowledge in areas including Torah, T'filah, Talmud, Hebrew language, holidays, Israel, Jewish history, the Jewish life cycle, current events, and other topics.

Our educational program not only encourages learning in school, but also learning at home and with the family. Each class participates in a family education session at least once each year so that parents can be involved with and understand more about exactly what their children are learning. The entire school often gathers together for fun-filled music sessions and Israeli dancing too. For more information, click on the Education link at the top of each web page.

Gan Mishpacha
We offer a class one Sunday every month for pre-school children and their parents. The class allows children to begin to feel comfortable in a classroom setting and it also allows parents and children to do activities and learn together. The Gan Mishpacha class offers many different hands on activities to help everyone learn the touch, smell, taste, sound and importance of the different Jewish holidays. We encourage ongoing discussions and send home a great deal of informational materials surrounding holiday rituals and activities. The class meets from 11-12 on specified Sunday mornings. This is an award winning program designed by our own NHS congregant, Diana Newman. The program recently won a gold Solomon Schechter Award in the area of family education.

Kindergarten -  2nd Grade
The graduates of the Gan Mishpaha class are ready for a more structured educational outlet. For these students, we offer a K 2nd grade class, which meets every Sunday from 9 a.m. until 12 noon. It resembles a more "traditional" class and introduces the students to the places and parts of the synagogue. The children are also introduced to the prayer book and some of the more basic prayers. All of the Jewish holidays are reviewed each year as well. The K-2 class also introduces students to the Alef-Bet!

3rd  -  7th Grade
Children in grades 3 through 7 attend classes Sunday morning from 9 to 12, and on each Monday and Wednesday from 4:30 until 6:00 p.m. The Sunday school program begins with morning T'filot in the style of a learner's minyan, and students take turns leading the prayers. Classes continue following T'filot and each grade focuses on a variety of topics each year.

Hebrew is taught on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Students learn spoken Hebrew at the same time they learn the Hebrew of the prayers and receive a great deal of one-on-one attention from their teachers. Students in the mid-week Hebrew program also receive instruction in cursive Hebrew writing.

High School
Northern Hills Synagogue students participate in Mercaz, which the joint high school program of the Conservative congregations in Cincinnati. A variety of classes for grades 8 through 12 are offered on Sunday evenings. Students choose two different courses to take each year. Northern Hills students are also able to meet and socialize with other Jewish high school aged students in Cincinnati during their Mercaz class sessions. Northern Hills Synagogue offers a separate Confirmation class for our 10th grade congregants, which is an experiential program organized by Rabbi Barnard.

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YOUTH GROUPS
The synagogue family includes Chaverim (grades 3-5), Kadima (grades 6-8) and United Synagogue Youth (grades 9-12) chapters. These groups provide our young people with an opportunity to socialize, to make new friends through contacts with other youth groups in Cincinnati and throughout the Midwest; and to take part in a wide variety of social, cultural, and religious activities. Our youth group members are encouraged to take leadership roles in USY and Kadima and often plan their own events and activities under the supervision of an advisor. In 2003, the Northern Hills Synagogue-USY chapter won the award for most improved chapter in the Great Lakes and Rivers Region, and in 2004, NHS-USY was chosen as the best small chapter in CRUSY. Our youth groups are quite active and a vibrant part of congregational life.

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