Our Educational Philosophy

In our Torah it is written and in our prayers we recite "and you will teach them diligently to your children." It is this scriptural basis that provides the inspiration for our school. Learning is not the mere acquisition of subject matter. Real learning is a process of growth and transformation of personality and values.

Temple Isaiah Religious School is a caring community where everyone learns and participates in a wide variety of age-appropriate programs and activities. Our program emphasizes small classes and warm relationships, where our students will develop a positive Jewish identity through a comprehensive exploration of Judaism. Our program is enriched with music, dance, art, library visits, and youth group activities.

To See the World Through Jewish Eyes

Goals of Reform Jewish Education

The goal of Jewish education within the Reform Movement is the deepening of Jewish experience and knowledge for all Jews, in order to strengthen faith in God, love of Torah, and identification with the Jewish people through involvement in the synagogue and participation in Jewish life. We believe that Judaism contains answers to the challenges and questions confronting the human spirit, and that only a knowledgeable Jew can successfully discover these answers.

Our entire curriculum is entitled "To See the World through Jewish Eyes." It is based upon ten goals established by the Commission on Jewish Education of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. We are charged with the responsibility to provide a program of Jewish education, which will enable children, youth and adults to become:

• Jews who affirm their Jewish identity and bind themselves inseparably to their people by word and deed.
• Jews who bear witness to the brit (the covenant between God and the People) through the practice of mitzvot (commandments) as studied in Torah and the classic Jewish literature it has generated, interpreted in light of historic development and contemporary liberal thought.
• Jews who affirm their historic bond to Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel.
• Jews who cherish and study Hebrew, the language of the Jewish people.
• Jews who value and practice tefillah (prayer).
• Jews who further the causes of justice, freedom and peace by pursuing tzedakah (righteousness), mishpat (justice), and chesed (loving deeds).
• Jews who celebrate Shabbat and the festivals and observe the Jewish ceremonies marking the significant occasions in their lives.
• Jews who esteem their own person and the person of others; their own family and the family of others; their own community and the community of others.
• Jews who express kinship with K'lal Yisrael by actively seeking the welfare of Jews throughout the world.
• Jews who support and participate in the life of the synagogue.

Such Jews will strengthen the fabric of Jewish life, ensure the future of Judaism and the Jewish people, and approach the realization of their divine potential.
Using these ten goals as framework, the curriculum lays out for teachers a number of age-appropriate learning objectives to be covered during the course of the year and suggests appropriate learning activities that could be a part of each day's lessons.

Each goal describes the ideal behavior that an adult Reform Jew will achieve throughout a lifetime of Jewish exploration. These goals cannot be completely fulfilled in one year, or even ten years of study. Rather, they are ongoing images for Jews to strive for. The Jewish student will achieve the many aspects of each goal at growing levels of sophistication as he or she matures and develops.

Jewish Studies

Each grade level has several specific learning units which include several of the following: Jewish holidays and Life Cycle Celebrations, stories and lessons from the Torah, Bible, and later Jewish history, stories and lessons about the land and people of Israel, prayer, God and spirituality, current events relevant to the Jewish community, and Jewish values. The students are challenged to think about the place of God, of Synagogue, and of the Jewish community in their lives. They read (or hear) primary Jewish texts and selections from modern Jewish literature, become involved in social action programs and develop the skills to question and think creatively. Temple Isaiah Religious School Jewish Studies program prepares our students for life-long Jewish learning.

Hebrew Studies

Students are exposed to the sights and sounds of Hebrew throughout their Religious School experience. This contact may be in the form of direct formal Hebrew study, or it may be informal through music, worship and the use of Hebrew words for concepts of Jewish religious experience. The main focus of the Hebrew program is to provide students with synagogue skills. There is an emphasis on reading skills and vocabulary recognition as related to T'fillah (prayer) and celebrations. Beginning in grade 5, students may choose to enter our Hebrew Enrichment Program, which includes conversational Hebrew, in addition to prayers and blessings. Hebrew is seen as a central thread, linking world Jewry, past, present and future.

T'fillah

Within each grade level, a program is in place to teach specific prayers and blessings appropriate to the student's level of cognitive development. The prayers and blessings are reinforced on a yearly basis and new prayers are added each year with a goal of fluency and comprehension. Students will become familiar with the basic parts of a worship service.

Tzedakah and Social Action

"Lo alecha ham'lacha ligmor, v'lo ata ben chorim l'hebatel mimena"... You do not have the obligation to finish the task, but neither are you free to desist from it. (Pirke Avot, Cpt 2). Performing Tzedakah is the act of fulfilling one's human responsibility to Justice, to Equality, to the right for all people to live in a way that allows for human dignity and respect. Performing Tzedakah is more than giving charity out of the goodness of one's heart; it is a sense of obligation to the moral force instilled in us. In our Religious School, we strive to impart this sense of obligation, to all of our students through a variety of activities and projects, including weekly Tzedakah collection, varied Social Action programs and hands-on learning experiences.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah and Beyond

Bar/Bat Mitzvah represents the rite of passage into the Adult Jewish Community. In addition to their regular curriculum and in preparation for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony, sixth and seventh grade classes will each lead a student worship service during the school year. Families will receive a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Manual approximately one year prior to the celebration.

Education is not completed with Bar/Bat Mitzvah. It is our belief that it is a step along the way to a life-long commitment to Jewish learning. Our 8th-10th Grade programs offer unique social and academic learning opportunities for our students. Students can choose from our own 8th and 9th grade programs, followed by the Confirmation year, or Union Hebrew High School (Grades 8-12)! It is expected that each of our students will continue their education in our school through Confirmation at the end of tenth grade. For a parent to allow any less is to freeze your child's Jewish education at a pediatric level.

Students in Grades 7 - 10 are invited to participate in our Scholarship Workers program. Students are encouraged to do volunteer work for the school and for the Temple, throughout the year. Students who complete thirty volunteer hours receive a beautiful plaque and, if desired, earn scholarships for Jewish summer camp and for summer programs in Israel. All students in grades 7 - 10 will receive a brochure about the scholarship program during the opening sessions of class, as well as reminders throughout the year.

After tenth grade, students are eligible to apply for our RISHONIM leadership program. These students become teaching assistants, and wonderful role models, in our Religious School classes. The requirements for this program are: a willingness to work with children, a helpful spirit, and a sense of commitment to the Religious School. Students in this program attend workshops geared toward developing their skills in working with children both in the classroom and as Hebrew tutors. Supervisory sessions are held on a regular basis to enable Rishonim to discuss their own participation in the classroom and to develop teaching skills and a sense of group identity. Rishonim receive a salary for their work.

A Guide For The Supportive Parent

• Students learn more from you then they possibly can from any school program! Show your support and enthusiasm for your child's Jewish education. This can be done by a positive verbal attitude, and by encouraging regular attendance. To treat our program as an optional, extra-curricular activity, will undermine the importance of Jewish learning in the heart and mind of your child.
• Try to convey to your child that you have confidence in, and respect for, the teaching staff, school administrators, and religious leaders at Religious School . If you have young children it is important that they know that you trust their new teacher, and know that they are entering a safe environment.
• Show interest in what is being taught at school. If the What did you do in religious school today? doesn't work, try asking questions about the art project brought home, which songs did you sing today, or what was the best activity today?
• Attend your child's class activities as well as school wide activities. This will include: Open House, family programs, family holiday celebrations, grade level family Shabbat services, Purim Carnival, and Tot Shabbat (for grades K and under.)
• Discuss Jewish issues at home, such as news stories concerning Israel , anti-Semitism, making ethical choices, and working for a better world.
• Go together to the library at Temple Isaiah, and check out Jewish books of interest. Use a Jewish theme book from time to time as a bedtime story, or ask an older child to review a Jewish book during dinner one evening for the family. Encourage your child to participate in our annual library reading contest.
• Make sure you understand the rules, discipline policy and guidelines of the school (especially the dismissal procedure).
• If there is a problem, take it immediately to the appropriate person. If there is a classroom concern, always go to the classroom teacher first. If it cannot be resolved, move up the hierarchy. Avoid airing your complaints to friends. This just escalates the situation, without finding a constructive solution.
• Listen to the evaluations of your child's teacher. Frequently a child acts differently at home than at school.
• Involve yourself in the school as a volunteer, or room parent. Offer to visit the class and share any special talents, drive on a field trip, volunteer to work in a Purim Carnival booth or to help out at a holiday celebration.