At Temple Emanu-El we value kehilah (community), chesed (lovingkindness) and learning with simchah (joy).
Our primary goals of the religious school are:
- To provide a safe, loving, nurturing Jewish community in which students can grow and feel seen and heard as their whole selves
- For children to be able to make decisions in their lives based upon Jewish knowledge and Jewish values
- To provide students with a toolbox of Jewish wisdom to confront life's joys and challenges
- To help children develop an identity that anchors them in thousands of years of tradition and with the Jewish people.
We hope each student will find their path to personal connection with Jewish life through the variety of activities we offer. By the time they reach b'nei mitzvah age, students will get a taste of:
- Jewish music and Israeli dance
- Jewish rituals at home
- Holiday celebrations
- The richness of Torah stories
- An introduction to the Talmud and the expansiveness of Jewish sacred texts
- Jewish History
- Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) through service projects
- Jewish nature connections and being shomrei adamah (guardians of the earth)
Temple Emanu-El Religious School - The religious school serves the needs of children who are in Pre-K (aged 4) through grade 10.
OFFERINGS 2024-25:
Pre-K - Kindergarten
- 3 Sundays a Month: 9:30AM-12:30PM
- +1 Saturday a Month: 10:30AM-12:00PM
Grades 1-2
- 3 Sundays a Month: 9:30AM-12:30PM
- +1 Saturday a Month: 10:00AM-12:00PM
Grades 3-6
- 3 Sundays a Month: 9:30AM-12:30PM
- +1 Saturday a Month: 10:00AM-12:00PM
- Tuesday afternoons in person: 4:30-6:30PM OR Online Hebrew Wednesday or Thursday Afternoons (coordinated through Online Jewish Learning)
Grade 7
- Saturdays: 10:00AM-12:00PM
- Tuesday afternoons in person: 4:30-6:30PM OR Online Hebrew Wednesday or Thursday Afternoons (coordinated through Online Jewish Learning)
Teen Learning
- Grades 8-12: "Mitzvah Mensches" Volunteering & Service Learning. See dates and sign up HERE.
- Grades 8-12: Modern Hebrew based on your interests and experience.
- Grades 6-12: Community Beit Midrash. Text study based classes in partnership with local synagogues. Wednesday & Saturday afternoons.
Temple Emanu-El Youth Groups
- Grades 3-5: Chaverim, meets 3-4 times per year.
- Grades 6-8: Gesher, monthly programs.
- Grades 9-12: USY, monthly programs.
Offerings Downloadable PDF
Shabbat B'yahad is a monthly Shabbat experience designed for families to learn, celebrate and socialize together. Students and their families participate in age-appropriate family services, spend time in the sanctuary with the entire congregation, and enjoy a kiddush lunch after services. Afternoon activities including board games, physical games in the gym and time to catch up with friends is a great opportunity to stay engaged with friends.