Education Director:  Didi Kerler
Religious School Liaison to the Board of Directors:  Barre Klapper

Religious School Parent website

You will need a "key code" to access this website...please email Didi for the key.

2011-12 Religious School Enrollment Form

The Beth Shalom Religious School provides intellectually challenging, spiritually fulfilling, socially rewarding and emotionally safe opportunities for children and teens to explore their Judaism.

Pre-k -Second grade: Sundays, 10am -noon.
Third-Seventh grade: Sundays, 10am-noon and Wednesdays 4:30 pm-6pm.

Hebrew Curriculum

The Hebrew curriculum will focus on reading skills with the aim of helping your children become competent and fluent readers. For honing reading skills, we will be using the Hebrew and Heritage New Siddur Program textbook which focuses on traditional prayer and blessings. All Hebrew lessons will be enriched with modern Hebrew vocabulary, syntax and grammar so that children have a sense of the modern language.

Judaica Curriculum

Our transcending focus guiding the Judaica curriculum will be an examination of the internal and external challenges facing the Jewish people to remain unique but adaptable in different societies and over historical periods. We will not only look at the miracle of survival but more importantly, the development of religious practice based on the belief in God, a legal system, a code of ethics, and a unifying historical narrative. We will be examining Jewish texts. The younger children will be reading appropriate versions of Genesis and Exodus. The intermediate grades will focus on the books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, learning about laws and continuing the narrative of the Jewish people's wandering in the desert. The older grades will begin studying about the judges, prophets and kings. Interspersed, of course, will be the study of holidays and again, we will be looking at Jewish texts -- specific liturgical prayers, the Torah and Haftarah portions, the Oral Law, and different customs pertaining to the holidays.

Tefilot

Amy Jackson will be leading Sunday morning tefilot (services) accompanied by our music teacher. We will create a meaningful and spiritual short service, helping the students familiarize themselves with the morning liturgy. Amy will be speaking about the meaning of the prayers, their origin, and the structure of the service. We will create a holy space and introduce a defined synagogue etiquette.


Social Justice/Tikkun Olam/Tzedakah

Our first social action project will be based on the biblical commandment bal tashkhit (do not destroy). The text originally referred to the destruction of trees during warfare but has, over the rabbinic generations, come to encompass taking care of all the world.

JECA (Jewish extra curricular activities)

Time is so limited in our two weekly sessions (and for the younger children it is only one session), that we have chosen to offer many important activities outside the timeframe of religious school - call it JECA's (Jewish extra-curricular activities). Throughout the year, we are planning a variety of extracurricular activities to enrich your child's Jewish experience. Below are some of the programs planned for you and your children:

• Tefilat noar (youth service)
• Meet and Greet Pool Party:
• Apple and Honey Fest:
• Tefilat noar : First Day Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
• Sukkot Potluck
• Shabbaton children's program Full schedule of shabbaton program available upcoming
• Havdalah Evening

Staff

updated staff roster for 2011/12 coming soon

Gan Shalom Director: Didi Kerler, ganshalom3750@gmail.com

Gan Shalom, the Beth Shalom early childhood center, provides a nurturing, stimulating, and safe environment for children between the ages of 1-5 years old. We seek to enhancechildren's sense of wonder and empathy, develop communication and learning skills, promote positive self-image, and engender trust in peers and caregivers. Following the rhythms of the Jewish calendar, the program immerses children in Jewish culture, songs and language, and fosters their connection with Jewish traditions and values. A high quality learning and development center, Gan Shalom extends itself to young families in the community and supports their parenting in these most crucial years.

Staff:

• Efrohim (1-2 year old class): Lead teacher, Sara Berke
• Dagim (2-3 year old class)
• Tzipporim (3-4 year old class): Lead teacher TBD
• Parparim: (4-5 year old class): Lead teacher; Regina Katz; assistant Joyce Stein

Hours of operation

• Early care: 8:30-9am
• Morning option: 9am‐noon
• Lunch bunch: noon-1pm
• All day option: 9am-3pm

Gan Shalom Information
Gan Shalom Application Form for 2011-2012 -- The new Application Form for 2011-2012 is here.

Meets: Sundays, 10am-12n, Hillel

Description: Machon is the High School program of Beth Shalom, grades 9-12. Its curriculum follows a three year cycle and usually includes, every 3-4 years, a trip to New York. The New York trip visits jewish museums, the lower East Side, synagogues, etc. Enrollment is through the religious school program.