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Religious School

Our Mission

The mission of Temple Beth Tikvah’s Religious School is to develop a strong Jewish identity within each of our students. Our curriculum focuses on Jewish life and religious practice as it relates to being a Jew in America today, on tefilah (prayer), the Torah and its lessons, the Hebrew language, Jewish social studies, and the value of mitzvot (commandments, often understood as good deeds). We want each student to have a strong connection to God, our synagogue, Israel, and Jewish history, but most importantly, to their Jewish selves. We help form that connection through study, art, music, discussion, social action projects and other meaningful Jewish experiences. It is our hope that these various components of our education program will, in conjunction with what happens in the home, create a positive attitude about Judaism that children will carry into their adult lives.
 
The goals of Temple Beth Tikvah’s Religious School are for each of our students:
 
  • To be knowledgeable about Jewish life and practice.
  • To be engaged in Jewish life and religious practice.
  • To be proud of and take pride in their Judaism.
  • To use Judaism as a guide as they make decisions in life.
  • To develop a relationship with and reverence for God.
  • To be connected to our synagogue community.

Kindergarten through 6th Grade

K - 6th grade students meet on Sunday mornings. Our time together includes t'fillah v’shira (prayer and song), social time, and learning using the innovative Shalom Learning curriculum. Hebrew is incorporated into the many aspects of the program as students are exposed to the language through text, common phrases, visuals, and games.  Approximately 2x/month, students will participate in chuggim, Jewish cultural electives (such as art, cooking, conversational Hebrew, Israeli games, and social action). 
Pre-Kindergarten students are invited to join our Religious school once monthly on the first Sunday of each month.


7th through 12th Grade

Our 7th - 12th graders meet on Monday nights. 7th graders continue with the Shalom Learning curriculum, supplemented with units on Israel and Holocaust. In Kesher (8th & 9th grade), we delve into the intersection between being a Jew, an American, and a teenager in today's society. 10th graders further their Judaic studies with the Rabbi in preparation for Confirmation.  Finally, in Kivunium (11th & 12th grade), students explore the realities of being a Jew outside of their parents' home.  Topics range widely from the practical (how to balance a budget) to the theoretical (what does becoming my own Jew look like?) and are accompanied by text study connected to the weekly Torah portion.
 

Hebrew Learning

Beginning in 5th grade, TBT students work 1:1 with a Hebrew tutor to learn the prayers and readings for a typical Shabbat Service. 6 months prior to B. Mitzvah, students transition to learning with our Cantor in preparation for  this major life-cycle event.
 
Sat, December 21 2024 20 Kislev 5785