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Religious School
ON THREE THINGS THE WORLD STANDS: ON TORAH, ON PRAYER, AND ON GEMILUT CHASADIM At B'nai Shalom, we believe that learning is a lifelong journey. While our religious school begins in kindergarten and ends in grade twelve, we hope that this will be just the beginning of many wonderful learning opportunities ahead. (Please note that in addition to our religious school, we also offer a wide variety of early childhood programming and adult education programming. See the home page for more information.) Through creative learning experiences and innovative programming, we encourage our students to explore what it means to be Jewish. Our school curriculum is based upon three core Jewish values described in the Talmud— Torah, Prayer, and Gemilut Chasadim. Family education is an important part of our religious school program. We provide many opportunities for families to learn together, empowering parents to become the primary teachers and role models for their children. Our program provides opportunities for students to:
On Torah The Talmud teaches, "Make a fixed time for Torah study." (Pirke Avot 1:15) Our Torah studies begin in K-2 with same Bible stories which lay the foundation for a more serious examination of the Tanakh. In grade three, students study Genesis, the first book of the Bible. They continue in grade four learning about the historical journeys of the Jewish people, as they examine the world of the Prophets and Kings. In grade five, students study Exodus, and in grade six they finish the Bible with a serious investigation of the hooks of Leviticus and Numbers and an overview of the Book of Deuteronomy. While our students are exposed to the entire Bible, our expectation ls that Talmud Torah, the study of Torah, is a lifelong goal. Like Jacob our forefather, our students will wrestle with the text searching to appreciate the richness of our text and tradition a well as understand its relevance for contemporary life. On Prayer The V'Ahavta says, "and you will teach them diligently to your children". (Deuteronomy 6:7) And yet, in order to learn about the text and traditions of the Jewish people, we first must gain access to the Hebrew language. As such, our Hebrew program begins in first grade as the students learn the aleph-bet, and continues in second grade as students learn to read Hebrew. Our prayer-based curriculum includes Brachot in grade three, the Shema and Her Blessings in grade four, the Amidah in grade five, and the Torah and Concluding Service in grade six. In seventh grade, as students work individually with B'nai Mitzvah tutors, our Hebrew curriculum shifts to explore the Talmudic teachings of Pirke Avot. In addition to learning about prayer, we also provide opportunities for our students to participate in prayer at our student-led school services. On Gemlint Hasadim Our tradition teaches us that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. (Leviticus 19:34) As such, at B'nai Shalom we provide our students with opportunities to give back to the community and help make the world a better place. In addition to Tzedakah collections, we also have monthly Tikkun Olam projects, collecting such items as presents for sick children, toiletries for shelters, and food for donation to local food panties. Our students also participate in the congregation's annual Mitzvah Day. In addition to our emphasis on Torah, Prayer, and Gemilut Chasadim, other highlights of our program include:
We hope that this overview has provided you with a good introduction to our program. Please feel free to call our Director of Education, Rabbi Joe Eiduson, at 508-366-7191 to learn more about our educational programs. We look forward to learning together with you and your family in the years ahead! School Schedule Pre - Kindergarten* - Grade 7 - Sunday Mornings *Pre Kindergarten = Children who Will Enroll in Kindergarten for the Next School Year! Grade 3 - Grade 7 Tuesday or Thursday Afternoons Grades 8-12 - Tuesday Evenings |