Religious School

We offer support for children with special needs, individualized instructions for advanced students, and opportunities for families to learn and grow together. Our educational program is hands-on, rich, and engaging. Guided by our Religious School principal, Rena Casser, B’nai Shalom's children are happy and comfortable on the bimah. Her students move at their own pace, and each child is appropriately challenged and encouraged to succeed. Their energetic chanting of concluding prayers is one of the delights of our Shabbat morning services. The moment speaks to what we want for our children – ease in the Sanctuary, synagogue skills, and active participation in the life of the community. In our small school, every child is special. Tuition is included with membership.

Holiday Preschool Workshops

We love to celebrate all of the Jewish holidays and who better to celebrate with then the littles and their parents! With the help of songs, crafts, baking, stories, and love, our teachers begin to lay the foundation for a strong Jewish identity.

Holiday workshops are held on the Sunday before or during the holiday.

Primary School: Kindergarden-Second Grade

Meeting once a week on Sunday mornings, the children learn prayers, Hebrew vocabulary, letter recognition, holidays, traditions, and Torah. Our program is a fun and integrated with teaching through songs, arts and crafts, and cooking. In addition, we hold Holiday workshops several times during the year.

Religious School: Third Grade & Up

Our Hebrew program allows each student to learn at his or her own pace. Our goal is for the children to be comfortable on the Bimah, able to lead services, and be an essential part of the congregation. In addition, we learn about holidays, Torah, mitzvot, Jewish history, and Israel. Many of our graduates return both to help in the classroom as Ozrim, as well as to lead services in the Main Sanctuary on Shabbat and holidays.

B’nai Mitzvah

What's amazing about our Hebrew school is that by the time our students become bar/bat mitzvah age, they are already well prepared to lead Shabbat morning services. One of the perks of a smaller school is that the day is not shared. It is uniquely your child's day. Bar/Bat mitzvah lessons occur in the last year of Hebrew school and entail the reading of the Torah Portion, chanting the Haftorah, and delivering a brief d’var Torah. Ultimately, the end result is a sense of pride, accomplishment, and belonging to our Jewish community.

Ozrim

Post-B’nai Mitzvah helpers come back to continue learning, and to help younger students advance. Post-B’nai Mitzvah are also called for aliyot and can read Torah during services as full members of the community.