Program Overview

The Jewish Studies curriculum is designed to find the joy of Judaism, build pride in our heritage and encourage the observance and practice of Jewish traditions. Major areas of focus include Hebrew, prayer, rituals and customs associated with Shabbat and holidays, life cycle events and ceremonies, the study of Torah, the land of Israel, the importance of Mitzvot (commandments) and engaging in tikkun olam (repairing the world).

Hebrew is the language that binds the Jewish people together through generations. The goals of our Hebrew program are development of Hebrew reading fluency, mastery of Hebrew vocabulary related to the prayer service, and exposure to conversational Hebrew. The program builds from year to year, beginning with exposure to the Hebrew alphabet in Kindergarten, and leading to fluent Hebrew reading with significant understanding of meaning by Grade 6. Along the way, students will learn the Hebrew consonants and vowels, along with their related sounds. They will grow from sounding letters to building syllables, to reading complete words. As they progress from year to year, they will build their Hebrew vocabulary. The Hebrew materials studied are tefillah (prayer) based, which connects Hebrew language studies to the tefillah experience.

The study of tefillah (prayer) is designed to familiarize our students with the siddur (prayer book). Students are taught the prayers, music and traditions of our Shir Tikva services, and should be able to open a siddur anywhere in the Jewish world and manage their way through it. Students learn that prayers are our way of communicating with God, and that tefillah is an important part of one’s Jewish identity.

In Grades K-3, before Hebrew reading has been mastered, tefillah is taught through recitation and singing. The focus is on reciting prayers and understanding their general meaning. As students progress through Grades 4-6, they will begin to use a learner’s siddur in addition to their textbooks. In the upper grades, the focus is on reading Hebrew prayers and developing a core tefillah vocabulary.

Instruction for Grades K-2 takes place in the classroom. Students in Grades 3-6 participate in a special tefillah experience each week as they come together in the sanctuary with our cantor and rabbis for a half hour of community prayer. Our tefillah experience provides students the opportunity to put the prayers and blessings they study in class into practice.

Through the school’s Tzedakah Initiative, students participate in a variety of Mitzvot (commandments) on a weekly basis. At the beginning of the school year each grade is assigned an organization that it represents for the duration of the year. By engaging in hands-on projects and studying the Mitzvot that each organization represents, students learn about their assigned organization’s mission and goals and the importance of participating in the Mitzvah of tzedakah.

The Tzedakah Initiative is designed to empower students with the knowledge that they have the ability to repair the world—to do the important work of tikkun olam. It allows students the creative freedom to design unique and innovative ways to raise money for and awareness of the issues that their organization represents. At the end of the year, classes conduct a Tzedakah fair for the entire congregation.

Music reinforces what we learn. It conveys an emotion, an idea, a story or a teaching in a way that is artistic and touches our hearts and souls. Our music teacher meets on Sundays with students in Grades K-5, teaching songs in Hebrew and English that correlate to the holidays we celebrate and the curriculum we study.

“If you truly wish your children to study Torah, study it yourself in their presence. They will follow your example. Otherwise, they will not themselves study Torah, but will simply instruct their children to do so.” -Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

Educating the family unit is a guiding philosophy of education at Shir Tikva. We believe that educating the children of our community is a joint venture between the synagogue and the family. While our educational team has the responsibility of educating children during the hours they are present in the temple, this time does not suffice in providing an adequate Jewish education for any child. Thus, our religious school program has been designed to enable and empower parents to learn with and to teach their children.

Our teachers impart knowledge and experiences to our students. Teachers then share this knowledge and experience with parents through e-mail, homework and other means. Classroom learning is reinforced through our formal family education programs.

Family education programs are jumping off points for learning and experiencing Judaism. They are meant to provide parents with uninterrupted space to teach, learn and experience Judaism with their children. Each grade will have two to four family education programs scheduled throughout the year, occurring during regular school hours. These programs are an integral part of our religious school curriculum. From challah baking to Tu BiShevat sederim to preparing for Bar/Bat Mitzvah, students and parents look forward to these special opportunities to learn together.

The Shir Tikva Religious School offers many opportunities for students to connect with one another in an informal, social environment in which they can be a community of learners and friends.

Rosh Hodesh
Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing! is a values-based, experiential, trans-denominational Jewish program for teen and pre-teen girls in Grades 6-12. The goal of the program is to strengthen self-esteem and Jewish identity. This program is offered for girls entering Grade 6 and participation is optional. Groups continue to meet together throughout the high school years. This program provides an empowering setting where girls can explore social and cultural issues they encounter as they become adults and derive their own authentic Jewish values in response to the challenges they face. The groups meet monthly at the Temple late on Sunday afternoons.

Each year, our students look forward to special highlight programs where they connect with one another in an informal, social environment—coming together as a community of learners and a community of friends. All programming is age-appropriate and the excitement builds as children advance from grade to grade.

Kindergarten & Grade 1 Family Meet-and-Greet
Kindergarten and Grade 1 families gather to socialize, have a festive lunch and get to know each other. The Family Meet-and-Greet takes place at the start of the year on a Sunday, immediately following religious school.

Grades 2 & 3 PJ Party
Our students spend a Saturday evening at Temple Shir Tikva in their pj’s, where they share Havdalah, enjoy dinner (and perhaps a few snacks), play games, watch a movie, and socialize with one another. This event takes place each fall.

Grade 4 & 5 Shul-In
An experience like no other—students spend the night at Shir Tikva. The children enjoy Havdalah, a movie, dinner and some very special themed programming. This event builds on the PJ Party and prepares students for the off-site Grade 6 Shabbaton. The Shul-In takes place each year over a Saturday night.

Grade 6 Shabbaton
The Shabbaton is an opportunity for our Grade 6 students to articulate their own personal Jewish identity as they begin the process of Bat/Bar Mitzvah. Through the course of a winter weekend, students will have the occasion to participate in a variety of fun and interactive Jewish learning experiences and explore what it means to be part of a sacred community celebrating the beauty of Shabbat.

As part of the Shabbaton, students will learn from and with our rabbis, cantor and professional educators, as well as their teachers and some of our talented madrichim. The Shabbaton takes place at Union for Reform Judaism’s Eisner Camp in the Berkshires and runs from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.

Each year, our families look forward to these special events:

Back-to-Shul BBQ
Immediately following the first day of religious school classes, the Temple Shir Tikva Brotherhood and Sisterhood hosts the Back-to-Shul BBQ. Families reunite with friends, meet new families, learn more about upcoming activities and enjoy a fun BBQ lunch.

Meet the Teacher
On a Sunday afternoon in October, parents have the opportunity to meet their child’s religious school teacher and learn about the curriculum our school. Teachers meet with parents to review the goals and expectations for the students.

Purim Carnival
Each year, students look forward to the Purim Carnival—a lively celebration of Purim where students in Grades 3-6 prepare game booths for the younger children of the temple community. The carnival is held in the social hall immediately after religious school. Adults and children alike are encouraged to come in costume.

Tzedakah Mall
At the end of the school year, we conduct a Tzedakah fair for the entire congregation. Students create educational booths about the various organizations that they have studied and supported throughout the year. Students educate one another and the larger temple community, while raising funds for their tzedakah projects.

There are two important ways to volunteer with the Temple Shir Tikva Religious School: as a religious school grade parent, or as a member of the Religious School Committee.

Grade Parents: Each grade has two to three grade parents who act as liaisons between the teachers of the grade, the parents of the grade and the broader Shir Tikva community. They help coordinate special projects and programs throughout the year. Examples of grade parent responsibilities include organizing snacks, helping with milestone events such as Consecration, assisting teachers in the classroom, and promoting Shabbat Family Services. You may volunteer to be a grade parent as part of the school registration process in the spring of each year.

School Committee: The School Committee sets policy and works with the professional staff to set the educational vision of the religious school. Parents interested in learning more about the School Committee should contact Deena Bloomstone, Director of Congregational Learning, or the current School Committee chair(s).

All religious school classes are listed on the temple master calendar.

A summary listing of this year's religious school and youth community classes, programming, and closure dates is available here.