$520 Members, $575 Non-Members
Class Schedule
Sundays
9 am -12 pm
grades K-12
Wednesdays
4:15 pm-6:15 pm
grades 2-7
Youth Groups
Welcome to Beth-El Religious School.
What is the goal of Religious School Education? In short, we educate our young people in our texts and traditions to ensure a lively Jewish future for our people. The V'ahavta commands us: “V’shinan’tam L’vanekha, You shall teach them diligently to your children.” It is not enough, however, to simply impart text and tradition without make meaning, context and connection to the world in which we live. A successful Jewish education must inspire, excite, challenge and delight the hearts and minds of our students. It must be relevant and authentic. We strive to make Judaism the lens through which each student can navigate through life and grow to be an engaged Jewish adult.
With approximately 100 students, our school is both large enough to be lively and small enough for a personal, and meaningful education! Our innovative and child centered approach to Jewish learning provides a dynamic environment where Jewish education is joyous, fun, inspiring and spiritual. Our learning takes place inside our school building, our synagogue and our greater community. Traditional classroom learning is balanced with experiential learning, using music, art, nature, literature, and project based learning in order to deepen students’ understanding of our Jewish traditions, values and practices.
We invite you and your child to take a fulfilling Jewish journey and discover learning that begins in this building and expands outward into your homes, our community and the world beyond. We will also journey within ourselves as we delve into the heart of what it means to center our lives around strong Jewish Values.
Our Religious Education Program consists of several components:
- Sunday and Wednesday classes include a skill level Hebrew program for students in grades 2-7 and grade level Judaics for all students. Individualized instruction in our skill level Hebrew program allows students to learn at their own level and move fluidly through the program.
- Creative electives are integrated into our Judaics program. Students participate in authentic and meaningful hands-on projects that support the understanding of our holidays, rituals and culture.
- Field trips provide opportunities for students and parents to encounter Judaism in action around us.
- Service participation encourages students to be comfortable on the bima, feel at home in the sanctuary and to prepare for their B’nai Mitzvah celebrations.
- Family participation at life cycle events, such as Consecration, Confirmation, holiday events and learning with the Rabbi and Cantor.
- Collecting tzedakah, performing Mitzvot and Tikkun Olam prepares our students to be good citizens of our world.
In order to strengthen B’nai Mitzvah preparation, Conservative Jewish practice and Service familiarity, these changes were added in 2020:
- Optional Wednesday Hebrew for 2nd graders ·
- Integrating Jewish Life Cycle, Modern Israel and Jewish ritual electives in the upper elementary Judaics classes (Year Two roll out of new Curriculum Benchmarks developed during the summer of ’18)
- Wednesday class structure: students will rotate in skill level groups through 3 periods with teachers and the Cantor for intensive focus on Hebrew decoding/reading, Prayer fluency, Trope/T'filah/B’nai Mitzvah prep to allow for more comprehensive Hebrew instruction.
- Seventh grade curriculum will include B’nai Mitzvah prep during some Sunday/Wednesday class time
- KOACH Class will meet primarily at the Beth-El school building with our teen teacher. They will meet 3-4 times over the year with Or Atid students for both class and social programming. Class time changes to 10am – 12pm to allow students in Madrichim program have more time in class.
Welcome to our 2021-22 academic school year. One of our sages once said that “Education without vision is like a present without future.” Our children are our future and it is our goal to guide them with vision as they learn and grow. L’shalom v’Limmud
Ramona L. Brand, Director of Youth Learning
Email Ramona at r.brand@bethelrichmond.org
601 N. Parham Road, Richmond, VA 23229
804-740-0820
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