The Diamond Family Religious School is welcoming two big updates!
First, thanks to the generosity of our members at the Spring Forward event in April, construction is actively taking place to upgrade many of our religious school classrooms with fresh paint, ceiling tiles, floors, rugs, cabinetry, and shades. Our classroom aesthetic will finally match the level of learning that has been taking place in our Religious School wing.
Second, we have made a big shift in our 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade curriculums to reflect our values as a congregation.
Temple Emanu-El prides itself on being a Reform Zionist congregation. This means we value the following:
A safe and secure Jewish and democratic state in the Land of Israel.
- A commitment to helping Israel realize its values as described in its Declaration of Independence: peace with her neighbors and full civil, human, and religious rights for all citizens.
- An Israeli society reflective of both democratic values and religious pluralism.
- The acquisition of Hebrew language skills to draw closer to our sacred texts and to engage with our brothers and sisters in Israel.
- Knowledge of and appreciation for the secular and religious cultural heritage in the State of Israel
Inspired by our teens who went to the L’taken Seminar in Washington D.C. to lobby our elected officials on various topics, including Israel, we heard an overwhelming desire from our teens to know and connect with Israel from a younger age. In doing so, they would be better at upholding the values we have set forth as a congregation.
Together with Beth Blick, our director of the Diamond Family Religious School, our rabbis evaluated the best places to initiate this change. On any given Sunday, our typical Judaics time used to include a curriculum-based topic for 45 minutes and a 45-minute session of applied Hebrew (this was in addition to their morning of Hebrew prayer practice, t’filah (services), and social time). Beginning this Fall, we have replaced our Applied Hebrew Curriculum with Israel Education!
Our 3rd-graders will focus on Am Yisrael, the People of Israel. In 4th grade, students will learn about Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel. Finally, students in 5th grade will learn about M’dinat Yisrael, the State of Israel.
Now, when students enter the 6th grade, they will have a much deeper breadth of knowledge to pull from as they begin the already-established curriculum of Holocaust and Israel education.
When we made this change, we carried with us the distinct knowledge that Israel isn’t perfect—and neither are we. We are proud to present and teach a well-rounded picture of what Israel has been, currently is, and has the potential to be.
We can’t wait for all the learning in the year ahead, and our proud our kids will get to do it from the comfort of upgraded facilities!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rachael
