Shoresh
Shoresh (Root)
Grades PK, K & 1
What is it we hope our children and their families will gain from the Religious School experience? How will it influence our community, both now and in the future? Our Eitz Chaim Sunday Program will offer our Shoresh (root) students in grades Pre Kindergarten (ages 3 & 4 by 9/1), Kindergarten and First the information and skills to begin to realize Reform Jewish ideals and values in their daily lives. Our curriculum will enable our students’ entrée into the continuing study of Jewish texts, history, holidays, life cycle, culture and values. Engaging our children and families through virtual, experiential learning is a fundamental tenet of our Eitz Chaim philosophy. Our learners will be involved in a curriculum which emphasizes GOD, TORAH, G’MILUT HASADIM, ISRAEL and HEBREW and will empower them to lovingly embrace Judaism.
The school year will be divided into trimesters of approximately eight weeks and each trimester will be framed by a big topic of God & Spirituality, Torah or Am Yisrael. Children will be with a team of Jewish Learning Guides (teachers) and Madrichim (teen aides). Students and Parents in grades Pre Kindergarten through First will also participate in family education programs, Shabbat Rishon Services and other special occasions during the year.
We are committed to Jewish learning that is relevant, inspirational, and transformative. Our school aims to provide our students and their families with the tools to meaningfully participate in the Jewish community, with pride in their Jewish heritage, and with the awareness that their actions will shape the future of the Jewish people. We know that successful Jewish learning environments are built upon a culture of excellence where teachers share their expertise and wisdom and students take responsibility for their own learning and success. We expect our staff to provide the sense of caring and concern that enables our students to support one another and challenge themselves to grow as individuals. We model the thoughtfulness and mutual respect that we seek to promote in our students.
Shoresh Sunday Class Sessions
Garinim PK - 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Grades K and 1 - 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM
September 12, 2021 - May 15, 2022
Shoresh (Roots) Special Events
Shabbat Rishon Service & Consecration
October 1, 2021 at 6:45 PM
Shabbat Rishon Family Dinner and Service
January 7, 2022 at 5:45 PM
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word consecration literally means “association with the sacred”. Persons, places, or things can be consecrated. Here at Congregation B’nai Shalom we see the education of a Jewish child is a joint venture, shared by both family and the Jewish community. Children begin to build their Jewish identity by what they experience at home. Certainly, for the very young, the most effective teacher of Torah is the parent. One’s basic values and attitudes towards life are acquired in the home. In addition, most children receive their formal Jewish education in a synagogue religious school, attending after school and/or weekend classes. In these classes, children study Hebrew, Bible, and Jewish history. They celebrate Jewish holidays and reinforce Jewish values. Students experience Jewish culture via art, music, dance, drama and literature.
Every religion has ceremonies to mark rites of passage. Ceremonies mark important learning milestones; Consecration marks the beginning of formal Jewish study, bar/bat mitzvah the entry into adolescence, and Confirmation the approach to adulthood. Conse
cration, in most Reform congregations, takes place at the beginning of religious school, usually kindergarten, or whenever a child begins his or her Jewish education. The ceremony is sometimes held as part of the Simchat Torah celebration, but we hold it as part of our Shabbat Rishon service in December. This allows our kindergarten students to become accustomed to our building, their teachers and their rabbis. Consecration in December will be a lovely and meaningful ceremony for children and families alike.