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Religious
School Educational Program
School Principal: Eileen
Cohn
One Day Program: Pre-K - 1st Grade
Two Day Program: 2nd - 7th Grade
Value-Able-Firsts
Calendar
The primary goal of the Congregation Beth Shalom
Religious School is to offer each child the opportunity to become
an active participant in the Jewish community through knowledge
and understanding of Jewish rituals, customs, observances and ethical
teachings of Judaism. In an effort to create a foundation for lifelong
Jewish learning and living, our school focuses on the following
areas of study:
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Torah - basic understanding and love of Torah and connection
to God.
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Hebrew - basic knowledge of language - Modern and Siddur
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Jewish Values - as they apply to our lives through performance
of mitzvot, and recognition of the Jewish value in everything
we do.
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Jewish Lifecycle - following Jewish calendar and holiday observance.
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Jewish history - understanding the timeline of the Jewish people.
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Tefilot - development of skills, as well as understanding of
significance, history and spiritual meaning of prayers.
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Israel - connection to Modern State of Israel.
One Day
Program: Pre-K - 1st Grade
Students in Pre-K through first grades begin their Jewish educational
experience through an introduction to the culture, traditions and
people of the synagogue. These young students learn about many of
the customs and ceremonies associated with the holidays as they
are introduced to Jewish values and ethical teachings through age-appropriate
lessons.
The Alef-Bet becomes familiar as students begin a reading readiness
program in preparation for future Hebrew language study. Our youngest
students also begin to learn the importance of performing mitzvot,
which is an integral part of the "Value-Able First" Curriculum.
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Two Day
Program: 2nd - 7th Grade
Students in the upper grades begin to build upon the basic skills
and concepts introduced in the early grades. Hebrew and Judaics
subjects are offered during each class session, in order to help
students increase Hebrew proficiency and retention.
The spiral holiday curriculum that is implemented in the lower grades,
continues through the upper grades to help students build their
understanding of each concept as critical thinking skills increase.
Students study Tefilot in the upper grades focusing on the meaning,
history and significance of each prayer. In the third grade, each
student receives a personal copy of the Sim Shalom Siddur, which
becomes a text used through the upper grades.
Curriculum in the upper grades encompasses study of Tanakh, life-cycle,
holidays, Jewish History including the Shoah and Israel. The relevance
of the practice of mitzvot, which is introduced in Pre-K, continues
through the seventh grade.
7th Grade
Program:
Seventh Grade program focuses on an individualized 13-point mitzvah
project which is required for graduation. Seventh grade students
and their parents also participate in a Sunday life-cycle class
with the rabbi where they can explore the ceremonial customs and
ritual surrounding Jewish life cycle events.
The Faculty
2007-08 Faculty to be posted soon.
Religious School Committee
Vice President of Education - Jeff Budd
Religious School Chairpersons -
Carrie Budd and Joe Bernstein
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Value-Able-Firsts
In
order to build a caring community within the Religious School,
the "Value-Able First" Program was established. This program
focuses on students being "Able" to find the Jewish "Value"
in everyday activities. Students celebrate important "First" events they share as a class at school-wide assemblies each month.
By focusing on important Jewish values, and demonstrating these
through activities in school and at home, students have the opportunity
to feel good about themselves and their connection to our community.
By learning to find the Jewish value in the world around them,
students gain the skills needed to become knowledgeable, caring
members of
the Jewish community.
Kindergarten |
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First Grade |
Second Grade |
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Third Grade |
Fourth Grade |
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