Temple Israel Religious School
A BOLD MISSION

The goal of the Religious School at Temple Israel is to provide the highest quality Jewish education while providing schedule flexibility for today's youth. We understand you're busy. We understand you want the best for your child. We understand the importance of a Jewish education.

We believe that Judaism belongs to each child, and our responsibility is to create the foundations that enable the student to integrate his Jewish identity into his life. We do this by:
- Developing the sense of belonging to the Jewish community;
- Experiencing the beauty of the Hebrew language;
- Exploring different observances and customs of the Jewish heritage;
- Understanding tradition as part of the survival of the Jewish people throughout history;
- Connecting with the State of Israel;
- Promoting acts of tzedakah and g'millut chassadim - charity and loving kindness to learn to live Jewish values.
A BOLD SCHEDULE

We are committed to creating an environment for Jewish learning that prepares our children to live as Jews in the 21st century. Integrating classroom, digital and experiential forms of study, we provide a setting that fits all learning styles. Our flexible schedule is designed to meet your needs..

All students attend on Sunday mornings. Students in third through sixth grade participate in a mid-week program of individualized Hebrew instruction. (See boxed insert below for 7th grade info.) You can choose when (Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons) and where (West Palm Beach or Palm Beach Gardens).

All you need to do is fill out your preference on the attached registration form and return it to the Temple Israel Religious School office. It's easy and convenient.
SUNDAY SESSIONS

Grades K - 7: Sundays, 9:30am - 12:15pm
at TI@JCC, West Palm Beach



MID-WEEK HEBREW SESSIONS
3rd through 6th Grades
Tuesday (TI at JCC)
4:30 - 5:30pm

OR

Wednesday
The Weiss School
4176 Burns Rd.
Palm Beach Gardens
4:30 - 5:30pm



7th Grade will meet every Tuesday at 4:30 PM
at TI@JCC, West Palm Beach


NEW FOR GRADE 7: GESHER!!! at TI@JCC
Every Tuesday - 4:30pm to 5:30pm
In addition to our Sunday classes, our seventh graders will embark on a midweek journey of Jewish exploration and discovery. We know that 7th grade is a challenge. It's the Bar/Bat Mitzvah year and our students are ready for new Jewish experiences! So we've created Gesher (Hebrew for Bridge) to pave the way for our 7th graders to move into young adult-hood. Gesher is a weekly program run by Andrew Deitch with the participation of Rabbi Chapin. It will include social action projects, fun Jewish learning and more.

Gesher - a gateway into Jewish adulthood for our young teens!! 
A BOLD CURRICULUM - TORAH IS A RIVER

Kindergarten
Jewish Holidays…Jewish Life… values...Introducing the Hebrew alphabet


First & Second Grade
Introducing Hebrew reading & Prayer…Stories from the Torah …Holiday traditions… Introducing Israel…Living Jewishly


Third Grade
The Jewish year…Lessons from the Bible part 1… Getting to know Israel…Delving into t'fillah…Israel in our lives


Fourth Grade
Lessons from the Bible part 2… T'fillah… Israel & living Jewishly…Hebrew names & family history.


Fifth Grade
Exploring Jewish values in the modern world…The modern State of Israel…Refining prayer skills


Sixth Grade
Mastering prayer skills…The J

Seventh Grade
Connecting being Jewish, Tikkun Olam, & Community service…The lessons of the Holocaust…Israel in our
lives…The Bar/Bat Mitzvah Club…Gesher - a gateway into Jewish adulthood!



In our Religious School our children learn that the study of Judaism creates a foundation for living a life of meaning and purpose. The Torah is like a river; it is the path we take to live a fulfilled and righteous life. This is what has guided us in creating our curriculum.

Each grade has its own subjects and content areas. During the course of the school year, the children will explore these topics all within the context of specific Jewish values. The age appropriate content areas will be presented within the context of these Jewish values. Below is a list of the values we will study this year, along with the explanations of their significance. The goal is for our students to understand how different Jewish values can be integrated into all aspects of Jewish life.
TALMUD TORAH - STUDY - AND THEN ACTION.
(September)

Our goal is for the students to learn that the importance of Torah study is found in the lessons we learn from Bible stories. Our students will learn that Torah is a guide by which we can live. This is called “Living Torah”. By learning what it is to be a good Jew, we then acquire the skills to be a good person.



DERECH ERETZ - LEARNING TO BE A MENSCH - A GOOD PERSON
(September - November)

Our tradition teaches us that the way we treat one another is central to who we are as Jews. Our students will learn the importance of treating other people fairly and honestly. Students will learn the link between Torah and Derech Eretz. We will strive to impart upon them the idea that good manners are meaningless if they are not based on concern for others. Without acting decently, study of Torah has no meaning. One must not only study Torah but also live it by treating others decently. This concept of Derech Eretz can be translated into the concepts of Tzedakah, which means charity; G'millut Chassadim, which are acts of loving kindness; and Tzedek, which is justice.



KLAL YISRAEL - JEWISH IDENTITY
(December)

The concept of Klal Yisrael means that the Jewish people make up a worldwide community. We want our children to learn that Jews and Jewish communities are linked through the celebration of mitzvot, holidays and life cycle events which are held in common. Central to this also is the idea that the State of Israel is a modern manifestation of Klal Yisrael - representing and uniting Jewish culture, heritage and history in a political and national form. Doing what one believes in, not giving into peer pressure, sometimes requires us to act with courage.



TZAR BA'ALEI HAIM - HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
(January-February)

Treating animals humanly is a Jewish value. By protecting all creation, we are imitating God, and participating in the act of creation. There is a relationship between humanity's well-being and the condition of the earth and its inhabitants. By protecting the creatures that live in our environment, we are protecting ourselves and our futures. The act of protecting the world (both nature and people) is called Tikun Olam. As individuals, if we strive to be good people, we will contribute to making the world a better place, of repairing the world.



AVODAH - HOW WE RELATE TO GOD
(February)

Avodah, translated into English, is “work”. It also refers to the way we worship God and means “service to God”, whether through sacrifices (in the times of the Temple) or today through t'filla. T'filla can be defined as how we converse with God and can be viewed as a way by which we can become better human beings.



ZACHOR - REMEMBERING
(March-April-May)

Remembering our collective Jewish past is one way that we have been able to survive as a people. Rituals and customs and traditions are symbols that help us remember specific themes, values and concepts. These rituals are not ends but are tools which help us to connect to our history and traditions. We remember when we observe traditions associated with holidays, life cycle events and everyday activities. They stress that by linking activities to a ritual and to a mitzvah, we make everything we do holy - special - spiritually elevating our lives, bringing us closer to God.