Religious School
2018-2019 Religious School Registration Materials
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 2018-2019 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 counselors 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, Torah, music and tefillah. The first grade will be together in one “cabin.” There will be three mixed grade cabins of second and third graders.
Grades 4 and 5
The students in grades 4 and 5 will choose from 3 tracks for Judaics – on a first-come first-served basis.
Art - Students will study Torah stories and demonstrate their understanding and ideas about the stories through visual art.
Building Torah- Students will explore stories from the Tanach (Bible) and will use Legos and other building materials to connect with the stories and with some of the deeper teachings through building activities. Activities will also foster overarching biblical values such as treating each other with respect and working cooperatively.
Israel – Built around the idea that a strong connection to and knowledge of Israel, independent of the Arab-Israeli conflict, is an important component of Jewish identity in the 21st century, this track will explore Jewish connection to the land of Israel, people, places, culture, state-building and more – in an engaging style through art, role play, debates, simulations, and projects. After taking this course in 5th grade, TKE student Matthew Worly said that one of the reasons he enjoyed it is that the teacher “didn’t just tell us things. We got to actually DO things.”
Grades 6 and 7
Students in grades 6 &7 will choose from three tracks for Judaics – on a first-come first-served basis.
All-In – This classroom will be home to a variety of containers, each “all-in” with 8-13 items that illustrate a different theme. In groups of 4-6, learners will crack codes and solve problems to be able to access videos, articles, websites, people and more with the ultimate goal of discovering each container’s unstated theme, which will be a Jewish value reflected by a traditional or modern text.
Siddur Creation - Students will engage with the themes of the key prayers of the Jewish worship service and express them through their own poetry, drawings, and narrative writing. They will work as a class to choose a variety of their work to compile into a siddur (prayerbook) to be used in religious school or family services. In this class, students will come to understand the key themes of a portion of our liturgy, develop a personal relationship with prayer, and express their creativity, all while developing a lasting product for use in our community. You can find the siddur that was created by our 2016-17 sixth grade in the back of the sanctuary if you would like to see an example of the thoughtful and sacred work created by our students taking this course.
Middot (Values) – From August through late March, students will explore a variety of Jewish values and virtues and how they can live those values in their daily lives. These may include Jewish teachings on care and protection of the earth and animals, caring for the sick, honoring the elderly, loving your neighbor as yourself, judging others favorably, being a good friend, and more. This class will take 3-4 field trips to do social action/community service that puts some of these values into action. On field trip dates, class may be extended to 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., as needed. Beginning in late March, students will spend five sessions learning from the Sacred Choices curriculum. Sacred Choices is the Union For Reform Judaism’s curriculum about adolescent relationships and sexual ethics. Topics covered in the middle school module of this curriculum include communication and assertiveness, self-worth, self-control, peer pressure and treating others with respect in both friendships and dating relationships.
Grades 8 and 9, Sundays at 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Beit Noar (House of Youth) Beit Noar will explore a variety of Judaic topics in which they have expressed interest. Students will learn about the Jewish approach to taking care of our bodies, minds, and spirits as it relates to drug and alcohol use, body modification, how we treat friends, how we expect to be treated, diet and exercise, and more.” In another unit, they’ll find out what our prayers mean and how to find personal connection to liturgy. They will explore hot topics such as abortion, animal experimentation, and more through a Jewish lens. This class will generally meet from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. There will be 3-4 field trips during the year with extended hours.
Confirmation (Grade 10) Tenth grade students meet from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. on Sundays, delving into a range of Judaic topics and how Jewish ideas can be relevant in their daily lives.
For more information contact Religious School principal: Rebecca Tullman at 770-973-9205 or rebeccatullman@kolemeth.net.
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