Beth Shalom Religious School strives to further Jewish identity and participation in Jewish community life for children of pre-school age through tenth grade.
We gather each Sunday morning from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. during the academic year. Our teachers, both professional and non-professional, volunteer their time to provide our children with a Jewish atmosphere in a community with a very small Jewish population. One of the best things about our school is the fun and friendship experienced by our young people and their parents every Sunday morning as they celebrate Jewish life with prayer, song, study, and tikkun olam.
School begins with a general assembly of students, parents, and teachers. Activities include a short religious service, some general announcements and recognition, and a Tzedakah collection.
Students then separate into smaller groups where they explore Jewish culture and practices, holidays and celebrations, history, and ethics. These themes are taught with age-appropriate text books, worksheets, music, drama, and crafts. Another period is devoted to Hebrew. Young children learn letter recognition. As our students progress through school, they learn to read and become familiar with the prayers of Shabbat in preparation for Bar and Bat Mitzvah. We draw on text books published by the URJ, Behrman House, and Torah Aura, materials found on the internet as well as written by our rabbis, a library collection Jewish fiction and non-fiction books, and the imagination of our parents and teachers.
The mid-level children participate in a Temple choir known as “The Kidtonz.” They learn musical prayers and holiday songs and frequently participate in the Sunday morning service as well as in Friday evening Shabbat services.
Regular Religious School attendance is encouraged. Bar/Bat Mitzvah is followed by an excellent and challenging two-year confirmation program.
As part of our effort to promote Tikkun Olam, we collect Tzedakah weekly. The fund is managed by student volunteers who provide weekly collection reports. Teachers, parents, and all religious school children play a role in selecting the recipients, which may be Jewish or non-Jewish charitable agencies.
In addition to classroom instruction, the school sponsors a special Shabbat service with student participation, and a year-end family social.
Yearly tuition for families who are members of our congregation is $150.00 per child or $250.00 per family. The non-member fee is $200.00 per child or $300.00 per family and the family is required to join the congregation within three months. Tuition and fund raising fees are used for textbooks, classroom supplies, audiovisual materials, and library books. All fees are payable at the beginning of the school year. Education is never denied or restricted based on financial circumstances. Please contact the President or Treasurer of the Congregation with any questions regarding fees.
As many of our families look forward to celebrating the Bar or Bat Mitzvah of their children with our congregation, we want to share some of the requirements with you.
1. The family must be a member of Temple Beth Shalom.
2. The child must be a student in good standing of our Religious School.
3. The Rabbi will approve the student’s level of Hebrew preparation before the B’nai Mitzvah is scheduled on the Temple calendar.
4. The child must attend Friday evening services with his/her family at least ten times, excluding High Holiday Services, during the year preceding the B’nai Mitzvah.
5. The family must agree to make every effort to participate in the Confirmation class of our Religious School.
6. Ritual requirements will be agreed upon by the Rabbi and the family.
Our Religious School welcomes the participation of congregants. Guests are welcome to visit. We hope you to see you.
