Religious School

Creating positive Jewish identities in a meaningful and fun way

Boy adjusting kipa The goal of Beth Am’s Religious School is to provide students in Kindergarten through the 12th grade with the knowledge and experiences that will let them feel comfortable as Jews in the synagogue, in the larger world and within themselves. The school places an emphasis on educating the family as well as the students and provides many programs throughout the year in which families can learn together.

The school curriculum emphasizes Hebrew as both a sacred and a living language for Jews. At each grade level students gain increasing competency in prayer skills, reinforced through participation in age-appropriate services. Beginning with Tot Shabbat, for our youngest learners, through the Shoreshim program for students in Kindergarten through second grade and our Young Leaders’ Service from students in third through fifth grades to our parent-led sixth and seventh grade discussion forums, Beth Am students learn to be active participants in a Shabbat service as well as understand the significance of Shabbat and the holidays throughout the year.

During the Religious School class time, students are working on a curriculum and using texts that were written by the school faculty with support from the synagogue parents and clergy. The curriculum was designed to incorporate Beth Am’s values and unique culture into a Jewish education that will prepare students to thrive in and proudly represent the Jewish community at large. Through interactive activities, engaging discussion and formal texts, students learn about mitzvot, Israel, Jewish history, holidays, Torah and philosophy. The learning process is experiential and involves use of all the senses. Music is incorporated throughout the school to reinforce Hebrew while giving students a fun Jewish experience that will stick with them for years to come. Students also participate in cooking projects, crafts and games all designed to reinforce the learning and provide a wonderful educational experience.

Kids at the ark Post B’nai Mitzvah students have the opportunity to continue their education through Judaism Live, a two-year-commitment designed to help teenagers connect Jewish concepts to the larger world and other teens in the larger Jewish community, complementing the extensive knowledge gained during the years in religious school. The Avodah Program for 8th graders focuses on hands-on service-learning opportunities throughout Baltimore City. The COTEL (Community of Torah Engaged Learners) provides experiential Torah-engaged discussions facilitated by a variety of speakers in relevant fields of study and practice. The Judaism Live program is conducted in collaboration with Chevrei Tzedek and Beit Tikvah Congregations and funded in part by the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Fund of the Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.

The Madrichim Program, designed for 10th through 12th graders, gives students the opportunity to give back! These high school madrichim are trained to work in the classroom as educators and role models for our younger students. The madrichim participate in monthly training sessions to learn how to teach in a classroom setting and how to apply it in congregational Jewish education. The madrichim are also trained to create fun, educational activities which they plan each year for their students as an end of the year madrichim project.

The Religious School faculty and staff include some of the area’s most engaging educators. We know this because the students actually say they enjoy coming to Religious School! (Yes, they really do!) All of our teachers are professionally trained educators who have done additional professional development to bring their education skills into the synagogue environment. Click here to meet our 2009–2010 Religious School faculty.

The Religious School and Youth and Family programs are supported by the lay-led Youth Education Committee. The Young Families group provides programming for families with children ages eight and under. Programs have included matzah-making, a Tu b’shvat potluck, and brunches. These programs are open to Beth Am families and families interested in learning more about Beth Am.

Resources for Parents and Students