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Home > Lifelong Learning > Religious School and Hebrew School

Religious School and Hebrew School

Temple Beth El's Religious and Hebrew School is a place where students build a foundation for a lifetime of Jewish learning.

Religious School is first and foremost a facilitator of relationships—between peers and between students, and teachers. These concepts of “community” and“connection,” are both firmly rooted in the concept of love. And, just as importantly, our educational programs build our students’ Jewish literacy so that they can enter the world feeling a connection to their shared history and having considered how they will live Jewishly as adults. 

These two concepts, “love” and “literacy,” are the mission of the educational programs of Temple Beth El. Our goal is for Religious and Hebrew School to be a place that develops Jewish students who are both knowledgeable and literate, and also feel loved by and love for their community.

 

To register: 

  • Log in using the link on the upper right-hand corner of this page.
  • After logging in, click the “Welcome (your name)” button in the upper right-hand corner and then click My Account. 
  • Find the “Start School Enrollment” badge in the Family section of the page. 
  • For each child you are registering, select the grade for the 2023–24 school year. 
  • Click the Religious School and Hebrew School course check boxes under each child to register. Note: please choose between our in-person option, our one-one-one online option, or the synchronous online option. 
  • When you have selected all the courses, click the “Continue” button at the bottom of the page. 
  • Please fill out all required fields on the school enrollment form. 


If you need any help with registration, please contact Kathleen O'Connell, lifelong learning coordinator, at kathleen@tbemadison.org. If you have any questions about our Jewish educational program, please contact Kendra Sager at kendra@tbemadison.org.

Please click here to see the 2023–2024 Religious and Hebrew School calendar. and here to view the 2023–2024 School Handbook.

Consecration

The consecration ceremony marks the happy moment when a child begins formal education in our Religious School program. New students from 4K through 3rd grade are invited to participate in this ceremony.
 

Religious School (4K–7th grade)

Our Religious School meets on Sunday mornings from 9:15 am to 11:45 am. We offer diverse and inclusive programming that engages learners in the Jewish life cycle and values, Torah, social justice, Hebrew, Jewish history, current events, an imaginary trip to Israel, and more.

Each grade participates in Likrat Shabbat (Welcome Shabbat) on the first Friday of the month, November–May. Each grade has an assigned prayer. Students may select the service they will participate in though this form.

Students who are neurodivergent or have learning differences achieve success in our Jewish learning experience. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your child’s learning needs with our dedicated inclusion specialist. Start here to begin the conversation with our director of lifelong learning.

For more information, please contact Kendra Sager, interim director of lifelong learning, or the lifelong learning coordinator.
 

Hebrew School (4th–7th grade)

Our Hebrew School meets on Wednesdays from 4:45 pm to 6:00 pm.

Students who are new to the program begin by learning the alef-bet and basic prayers. More advanced students will learn the building blocks for conversational Hebrew in addition to the prayers they will need to learn in order to lead the community in worship.

 

B’nai Mitzvah Preparation

B’nai mitzvah preparation is a meaningful journey toward Jewish adulthood. The simcha (joyous event) of b’nai mitzvah gives our students an opportunity to learn more about the meaning of Judaism in their lives, to recall major Jewish experiences, and to project their future Jewish involvement.

Hebrew prayers are taught in Hebrew School and Religious School. Students work with the rabbi, the cantor, their Religious School teacher, and a b’nai mitzvah tutor in the six months before their simcha to study their Torah portion and prepare their d’var Torah or personal prayer. We make personalized adjustments for every b’nai mitzvah student so that they can participate in a service based on their unique abilities and talents. Please note, only students enrolled in our Religious and Hebrew School are eligible for our b'nai mitzvah program.

We also periodically offer an adult b’nai mitzvah class.
 

B’nai Mitzvah Club

The B’nai Mitzvah Club for students is offered as the last three sessions of Hebrew School each year. Multiage learning comes to life as 7th graders tutor younger students in their prayers. Students have the opportunity to address their concerns and curiosities about becoming b’nai mitzvah, and have time to ask questions of students who have recently completed this milestone.
 

Youth Groups

Our youth groups offer social opportunities and other events for our students and families.
 

Café Panim

If there’s Religious School on a Sunday, there’s Café Panim, run by dedicated volunteers, providing snacks, coffee, and a space for our parents to get to know each other and share advice and experiences. Parents can hook into our Wi-Fi, work on laptops, or go low tech to simply read, knit, or chat.

December 10, 2023 27 Kislev 5784