Religious School

Welcome to the Beth El Religious School. At Temple Beth El we believe that for children to learn, they must feel both welcome and valued in a warm, exciting, challenging and very supportive school environment. We provide our students with wonderful hands-on learning through special projects, experiential activities including a variety of Shabbat programs, Shul-Ins (sleep-overs at Temple Beth El), Shabbaton weekends (retreats for both students and their parents), cooperative learning and instruction aimed at developing higher order thinking skills.

Family Education Days enable children and their parents to learn together through a myriad of enjoyable projects and simulations. We want our children to be engaged, active learners who are willing to challenge and to question as they express their views on anything from the meaning of prayer to why we observe various holidays and the importance of ethics.

Our vision is to promote a genuine community of learners that is comfortable with and enthusiastic about their Judaism and apply their learning to everyday living. We want them to have the skills and knowledge base to be active participants in the religious services of any synagogue and to be skilled in all areas of religious practice. We aim to provide them with educational experiences that match their intellectual curiosity and their thirst for knowledge. We are creating the next generation of thoughtful, sensitive and committed Jews.

The Beth El Religious School offers a full program of studies for children in grades kindergarten through 7. Grades kindergarten, 1 and 2 meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00am to 12:00 noon. Grades 3 through 7 meet either on Tuesdays or Thursdays from 4:00-6:00pm and on Sunday mornings from 9:00am to 12:00 noon. Children receive formal instruction in Hebrew language, Siddur (prayer), customs and ceremonies (holiday observances and life cycle events), Jewish History, Bible, ethics and Israeli studies. All children participate in age-appropriate religious services at least once a week. We have Jewish music and remedial Hebrew reading specialists as part of a very committed and talented staff. This year one of our teachers was the recipient of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award designating her as the outstanding religious school teacher in the Greater Stamford area. For more information about our program, check out our curriculum that is also on this website.

Once a month, 3 and 4 year olds gather in our Sunday morning K’tanim program. There they learn about Jewish holidays, simple prayers and blessings, Bible stories and Hebrew language through music, dance, special projects and a variety of exciting and fun activities. Junior Congregation meets on Shabbat mornings and children in grades 2 through 6 participate in this inter-active learner’s service.

We are a technologically savvy school. We have our own up-to-date computer lab that challenges our students with research and special project s and demonstrations. Through the generosity of the Legacy Heritage Foundation, there are two smart boards on premises that are utilized as part of the media that is integrated into classroom instruction. On Sunday mornings, all children in grades 3 through 7 participate in chuggim (activity groups) that vary from Jewish cooking to drama to newspaper to Israeli dance to name but a few. Students elect their activities and participate in at least two different chug programs throughout the year. They really enjoy the interaction and the opportunity to pursue a specific interest or personal passion.

A number of our former students maintain their ties with our religious school by serving as madrichim (teaching assistants) in our school. They serve in a variety of remedial, enrichment and assistive capacities. These teens act as positive role models for our students. At the Beth El Religious School your child will be in a welcoming and exciting environment. We will take your child from where s/he is and bring him/her as far as we possibly can.

Scholarships and early registration incentives are available to families upon request.

For more information about the Beth El Religious School contact Mr. Al Treidel, Director of Jewish Life Education, at eddir@tbe.org or call him at (203)322-6901 ext. 305.