Welcome!

The Religious School has classes from Kindergarten through 12th grade which are instructed by a dedicated professional staff. Our Religious School curriculum is based on the concepts and values of the Jewish people, our heritage, our celebrations and our language. We have a dedicated group of teachers working in our Religious School, most of whom are also members of our congregation. These wonderful teachers continually work to provide enriching opportunities for Jewish learning and religious exploration.

Temple Beth Am Religious School Mission Statement and School Philosophy

At Temple Beth Am Religious School, students will develop a strong and meaningful Jewish identity that will give them a foundation for their adult Jewish lives.  They will develop a connection to K’lal Yisrael—the Jewish community--in their families, in the temple, in the United States, in Israel, and wherever Jews live.

The faculty of the school, the school committee, the rabbi, the cantor and the parents will work in partnership to create a positive educational experience that will foster this development.

We recognize that Jewish identity is only strong and meaningful when it is grounded in Jewish knowledge and values. 

Pirkei Avot teaches that the world stands on three things—Torah, Worship and Acts of Loving Kindness.  The religious school strives to help students develop a sense of Jewish selfhood that also rests on these three core values.

Torah encompasses all of the knowledge and learning of our Jewish tradition.  We strive to help students to find meaning in their own lives through their study of sacred texts, our history, and the teachings of our sages.

Worship encompasses our encounter with God—our individual experience of the Divine, our communal prayer, and the covenantal relationship between God and the Jewish people.  At the religious school, students will acquire the tools necessary for communal Jewish prayer—Hebrew language, liturgy and music.  They will have the opportunity to develop a gradually maturing understanding of God and the Sacred, and of the relationship between God and the Jewish people.  The Religious School community itself serves as a sacred community, where students, teachers, clergy and parents engage in communal worship and strive to become aware of God’s presence in our midst.

Gemilut Chasadim, acts of loving kindness, encompasses all of our efforts to bring our Jewish values to our everyday life.  Students will study the concept of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, and will have ongoing opportunities to engage in Tikkun Olam and acts of kindness, as individuals and as a school community.  Students will develop an understanding of the mitzvot, the commandments, and will strive to live the values that the Torah imparts to us.