Welcome!Introducing the joint Religious School program of Temple Beth-El and Temple Tikvah, a place of belonging for the whole family!
Through Jewish education, we empower, teach, and connect!
Our Religious School program is purposely designed to build community and create a lifelong connection to Judaism. Our curriculum is rooted in Reform Jewish values and customs, encouraging students to live ethically and perform mitzvot and acts of Tikkun Olam. We enhance our children’s lives through fun, innovative, and active school-based and family activities while providing Hebrew instruction and developing a student mastery of Jewish history, prayer, and observance of customs and rituals.
Ready to join us? Click HERE to register now.
Or, keep scrolling for more information about our school including: Mission & Vision | Our Pillars | What Makes Us Different | Our Programming | Sample School Schedule | Fee Structure
Mission & Vision
Our goal is to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive community. We instill in our students a pride in their Jewish heritage. We nurture a joyful and meaningful life-long connection to Judaism as well as appreciation and respect for pluralistic Jewish traditions. We teach religious and cultural Jewish values to students and families using experiential, innovative techniques. We nurture a connection and commitment with Israel.
Our teachings are rooted in and inspired by core Reform Jewish values of kindness, respect, tikkun olam (repairing the world), and kehillah (community). Our program is designed to complement children’s secular lives while encouraging development of Jewish identity and values. Education extends beyond the classroom to include both the children’s families and our larger Temple community. Families participate in community building programs that often form the basis for lifelong family friendships.
Our Pillars
Welcoming Environment for ALL: We build a community based around curiosity, creativity, compassion, and inclusivity. This is a place of belonging. We recognize that Jewish families are diverse, including interfaith families, the LGBTQIA+ community, multi-racial families and those with special needs.
Connection & Continuity: Children engage across grade levels and develop relationships with our congregation through intergenerational participation. Children develop a proud Jewish identity while connecting with peers, the broader Temple community, and the Jewish community as a whole, which inspires Judaism that feels meaningful and relevant.
Learning: Our children are excited to attend our program because we engage with their interests and meet them where they’re at, which promotes life-long learning and continued participation in the Jewish community after graduation. We focus on active, experiential learning that is engaging and exciting. Classroom learning and basic traditions are enhanced with hands-on activities and family experiences.
Tikkun Olam: Our children are mensches in progress, working to repair the world. We provide learning and service opportunities focused on today’s world and the current needs of our community.
Israel: We develop a deep love for our heritage, and an understanding of our ancestral homeland and its history.
Our Programming
Hebrew Through Movement
Our youngest children will be exposed to Hebrew using the innovative Hebrew Through Movement program. This program introduces Hebrew in a playful and meaningful way, creating a positive first link between children and Hebrew. Hebrew Through Movement (HTM) is supported by the latest brain research on learning, providing an aural foundation for Hebrew that opens
Specials
Each class has a "special" period that varies weekly: Book Club with our educational director, acting out Biblical scenes, “Ask the Rabbi,” holiday-related art projects, and much more.
the door to more facile Hebrew decoding and reading. To learn more, visit hebrewthroughmovement.org.
Family Services
Our monthly services are geared to families with children and are a wonderful way to establish and maintain community ties. Throughout the year, each grade will lead a family service, and we typically hold Shabbat congregational dinners before the start of these services.
Kol Simkha Choir
Our Kol Simkha Youth Choir rehearses Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. prior to the start of Religious School. The Choir sings at monthly family services and at community service events throughout the year. Previously, our Choir has performed at the Lakeville Estates Civic Association's Menorah Lighting ceremony, Cohen's Children's Hospital, and the Bristal Senior Living Facility.
What makes us different?
Unique experiential programming: Thoughtfully designed programs to engage and enrich our children’s Jewish identities.
Hebrew Through Movement, Book Club, Tikkun Olam Shark Tank competition, Field Trips, Student-led Shabbat Services with Congregational Dinners, Holiday Celebrations, and more.
Kol Simkha Youth Choir
Our Kol Simkha Choir spreads joy by singing at our family services, as well as bringing uplifting music to the wider community, including assisted living facilities, hospitals, and Chanukah celebrations.
Individualized Hebrew instruction for upper-grade students
Private, personalized Hebrew instruction enables students to learn at their own pace. Virtual tutoring sessions are 20 minutes each, twice a week during the school year, and are scheduled to accommodate the instructor's and student's schedules.
Active and engaged parent community
Parents meet regularly to talk, plan for, and give feedback on the religious school experience as well as work together on special events and celebrate class services together. Our parents support each other on issues related to Jewish learning and the planning of life cycle events, developing friendships along with their students, widening everyone’s Jewish community and support system.
A continuum of educational experiences from Tot through High School
Inclusive environment welcoming EVERYONE!
Sample Program Schedule
9:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Students, parents, and community members are all invited to join our morning t’fillah. There will be interactive components, learning, and student led prayers. We focus on different prayers each week, learning and building understanding together.
10:00 – 11:45 a.m.
Experiential learning session in a cohort with grade level peers. This time focuses on age-appropriate study where students learn about Israel, life cycle events, Jewish values, the origin and meaning of prayers, and in the younger grades, the Hebrew aleph-bet. Classes meet with our song leader weekly to learn and sing Jewish songs relating to holidays, prayers, and culture. Each class has a "special" period that varies weekly.
11:50 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Our final 10 minutes are always spent together as a community, creating a sacred ritual. We will close the day with song, prayer, or celebrating a simcha (a joyous occasion). Parents are invited to come join.
Around the holidays, we have special programming for the entire school, creating connections between students from different grades and allowing us to come together as one community.
ENROLL YOUR CHILDREN TODAY FOR THE 2025-2024 SCHOOL YEAR!
If you are interested in learning more about our program, please be in touch!
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact Sharon Fricano at sharon@templetikvah.org or Rabbi Megan at mbrumer@tbegreatneck.org.
