Teach each child according to their own way, so that they will not depart from their knowledge even in their old age (Proverbs 22:6)
At Beth Am’s Jewish Discovery Lab we live this text. We understand that each student has a unique pathway to connect to our Jewish tradition, and we create opportunities for students to ask questions, explore, and gain values and wisdom that they will carry with them for the rest of their life
Jewish- We study Judaism in its widest possible meaning. We learn Jewish texts, philosophy, history, Hebrew language, culture, prayer, ritual, social justice, Jewish literature, Israel, and more.
Discovery- Our inquiry based approach allows students to lead their own learning. Our classes are based on our students’ questions and curiosities. Students show mastery of their Jewish knowledge through their uniquely created end of units projects in which the entire community comes together to celebrate what they have learned.
Lab- We know that no two students learn alike. We engage many modalities and learning styles so that students can connect to Jewish education through their interests and passions. On any given day in Jewish Discovery Lab you will see students creating art, making a play, using technology, connecting with nature, choreographing a dance, writing poetry, building a sculpture, and on and on. The possibilities are only limited by our students’ interests and imagination.
Most importantly, we understand that Jewish education is a communal endeavor. It takes the entire community to pass on our tradition to the next generation, and we joyfully do it as a full congregation. This means parents and adults participating in the running of our school and volunteering, it means coming together to celebrate our students throughout the year. We hope that you will learn more about the Jewish Discovery Lab, and come part of this community of joyful learners!
For more information, contact Leah Miller, Director of Youth & Family Education.
9:30AM-9:45AM Free Play Stations (getting settled into the room and checking in with our teachers
9:45AM-10:05 AM Morning Meeting (our good morning ritual, Hebrew letter of the day, morning tefilah)
10:05 AM-11:00 AM Activity Block #1- Making a Shabbat Box, Acting out Torah stories
11:00 AM-11:15 AM Snack Time- Outside time to make friends and be together. Our students particularly love our inflatable gaga pit.
11:15 AM-11:50 AM Activity Block #2 (Challah making, Hebrew freeze tag, learning Jewish music)
11:50 AM-12:15 AM Storytime- We read a story and discuss an upcoming Jewish holiday or important Jewish value
12:15 AM-12:30 AM Closing Circle
Sunday Morning
9:30AM-10:00AM: Hebrew- Small group (2-3 students per education) Hebrew instruction covering Hebrew language skills, tefilah(prayer) and the basics of modern conversational hebrew.
10:00AM-10:30AM: Art Beit Midrash- Students enter our art maker space to explore a number of Jewish ideas including our holidays, rituals, and Jewish history.
10:30AM-10:50AM Snack and Freetime- Outside time to make friends and be together. Our students particularly love our inflatable gaga pit.
10:50AM-11:10AM Tefilah- Students meet to learn the prayers of our service, new Jewish music, and think about what it means to have a contemplative practice
11:15AM-12:30AM Lab Discovery Time- Students engage in the learning connected to one of three unit projects each year. In this past this has involved:
Wednesday Afternoon
4:15PM-4:30PM Afternoon Snack and Settle
4:30PM-:5:00PM Hebrew
5:00PM-6:15PM Lab Discovery Time (See Above)
9:30-9:45 Morning Check-in/ Question of the Day
9:45-11:00 Workshop Time
Fall- Beit Midrash (Learning about Rabbinic and Modern storytelling called Midrash, thinking about how Jewish texts might teach us about ethics)
Spring- Jewish History Workshop (Exploring Jewish American Immigration stories and contemporary immigration issues, Learning about the Holocaust)
11-11:20 Snack and Freetime
11:20-12:30- Community Leadership (Help plan the Beth Am Carnival, Field Trip to Philadelphia or the Pearlstone Retreat Center, working on a classwide B’nei Mitzvah justice project)
Jewish Discovery Lab Meets on Sundays (Grades K-12) from 9:30AM-12:30PM and Wednesday (Grades 2-6) from 4:15PM-6:15PM, You can find the full Jewish Discovery Lab schedule here.
High school students (Grades 8-12) have the opportunity to participate in our TICHON program. Many students work as Madrichim student teachers in our religious school
Our incredible team of educators love Judaism and love to connect with our students! Their passion and creativity our infectious. Our team comes from a variety of backgrounds, some our professional educators during the day, while others are attorneys, artists, students, and more. Each teacher receives professional development throughout the year and collaborates with the Beth Am clergy to develop an engaging, connecting and educational program?
We are committed to providing a high quality Jewish education to all Jewish students in Baltimore. We understand that each student learns differently and that each student will need specific support to be successful in a learning environment. All of our classes are designed to engage a wide variety of learners and to anticipate particular learning needs. In the Lab registration form we ask families to tell us more about their children’s needs and interests particularly and we design our learning with that feedback in mind. Parents will often send IEP or other documents to the school so that we can better understand the learning profile of your students. For other students we have provided 1-1 aides, sensory break rooms, or other accommodations to ensure a successful experience.
If you have any questions about how your child will best learn at Jewish Discovery Lab, please reach out to Leah for a conversation.
5787 (2026-2027 school year tuition)
(*This includes textbooks, snack, program materials, and most special experiences)
Grades K,1,7 (One day a week) $906
Grades 2-6 (two days a week) $1,518
While supporting a synagogue and Jewish education takes resources, we mean it when we say that the cost should not be a barrier to participating in Jewish education. If the cost is a barrier to participation, please reach out to Leah so we can make an alternative arrangement.
To build the kind of educational environment we are trying to create, we understand the importance of regular meetings. Learning a new language can only happen with regular practice, and the hands on approach to our learning requires space for students to create and work together.
We do understand that all families have different schedules that can make it challenging to participate despite best intentions. In order to meet these needs:
1- We coordinate van transportation from your students’ school to Beth Am (for an additional fee). FreedomCar van service picks up about half of our students at their dismissal times and gets them to Beth Am safely each week.
2- For families who need some flexibility in their weekday schedule, we are going to be offering a hybrid component for some learners. This would involve participating in a weekly Zoom Hebrew session, and three Family Shabbaton programs in lieu of the week day program. While in person education is the core of our program, we hope that this option will help meet the needs of a particular set of our learners. If you are interested in exploring this option, please contract Leah.
Yes! While the sample schedules show what a typical day might look at, do not be surprised when we bring students to the Baltimore Harbor for a Tashlich program, or Pearlstone Retreat Center for a Shabbaton weekend. Students will also participate in the Purim Carnival, Hanukkah Activities, a Passover escape room program, and more. Older grades will take field trips with our youth group.
