Religious School
Instructions for Online Regilious School Registration
2019-2020 Religious School Calendar
At Temple Kol Emeth Religious School we see Judaism as a gift passed down from our ancestors. It is a set of principles and ideas, and a collection of wisdom thousands of years in the making that can help us to live, do, and be better. In short, it is a set of tools that helps us to flourish as individuals and as a community. Our staff and faculty strive to create a supportive, engaging environment in which to allow our students and families to explore Jewish culture and its teachings.
On a given school day you may find 6th graders writing original poetry to reflect the themes of the Yotzer prayer, second graders listening for the sizzling sound of the havdalah candle being extinguished, 10th graders exploring how Jewish teachings can inform what they choose to post on social media, or 5th graders designing a communal living structure and agreement for a kibbutz.
Parents join their first graders to learn what it means to be a Jewish superhero, write blessings to their 5th graders to be read as they are presented with their own siddurim (prayerbooks), join their 7th graders for robust discussions about struggling with God, and so much more!
Come Learn with Us!
Our Mission
We charge ourselves with the goal of establishing and strengthening Jewish identity in our children and families so they see themselves in the ongoing story of the Jewish people.
Judaic Class Offering for 2019-2020 School Year
Grades PreK and K
Our youngest students learn about Torah, Holidays, and the synagogue through stories, crafts, music, and movement.
Grades 1 through 3:
Kamp Kol Emeth! For grades 1-3, we are bringing all the things we love about camp to Sunday mornings! Students will have warm and caring kounselors to play games, do community building activities, and facilitate reflections on the experiences and learning they encounter as they move through “specials,” including Hebrew language through movement, holidays, art, Jewish symbols and Jewish values, music and tefillah.
Grades 4 and 5: The students in grades 4 and 5 will choose from 3 tracks for Judaics.
Art - Students will study Jewish holidays, and reflect on what they learn about each holiday through the creation of visual art. All the major holidays will be explored, plus some that our students may be less familiar with, like Lag B’omer.
STEM- This course is a deep exploration of Jewish holidays through a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) lens. Learn about agricultural practices and crops grown in ancient Israel and how they compare to those in contemporary Georgia as you explore the harvest festival of Sukkot. Find out how to turn a can of tuna into a Shabbat candle, help your hexbug survive in a plague habitat and so much more!
Shhhhh!- Upper elementary students love secrets and stories and this track will be full of Jewish stories from the past and present, that include secrets. All the stories will be about people and groups who faced challenges that they could never solve completely. But each of these people mustered up courage to at least take some action, thus embodying the text from Pirke Avot 2:21, “It’s not upon you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” Students will consider the mandate to take action, and in the spring, find ways to act on problems they see in the world.
Grades 6 and 7: Students in grades 6 &7 will choose from three tracks for Judaics.
American Jewish History – Discover the stories of people and events that shaped American Jewish History through discussions, groupwork, projects, visual arts, and creative writing. Learn about the influences that have shaped our understanding of where we fit as Jews in this country today.
Design a Haggadah – Passover is becoming the most culturally significant holiday for Reform Jews in America. This retelling of our foundational story of redemption, the catalyst for our formation as a nation, is the holiday American Jews with all levels of involvement are most likely to celebrate (2013 Pew Research). In this class students will engage in a deep exploration of the themes of Passover and create their own Haggadah (complete with their original artwork, poetry, and other creative writing) with which they will cooperatively lead TKE’s 2020 Congregational Seder.
Our Place in the Universe (Judaism and the Environment) – Discover how Jewish values and traditions can guide our relationship to the Earth. Write advertisements for environmental friendly products, compose a modern prayer about water conservation, design a genetically engineered species, and so much more.
Grades 8-9:
The 8th and 9th graders will spend the year focusing on Jewish Values and virtues and the Jewish call to ethical behavior and pursuing social Justice. The first semester will be a look at various Jewish texts describing Jewish values and ethical behavior, and students will reflect their understanding of these ideas in visual art, performance art, or creative writing. During the second semester students will get to know the biblical prophets and their charges to our people to pursue justice. For a culminating project, students themselves will walk in the footsteps of the prophets by designing an educational campaign around a social issue of their choice.
Confirmation (Grade 10):
The first 30 minutes each week will be informal conversation and reflection with Rabbi Lebow, exploring a variety of Jewish topics that have relevance in students’ daily lives and considering personal relationships with the Divine. The remaining time will be more structured learning about how students can apply a Jewish lens to their choices and actions.
For more information contact Religious School principal: Rebecca Tullman at 770-973-9205 or rebeccatullman@kolemeth.net.
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