Our Mission

The mission of the Temple Emanuel Religious School is to develop Jewish adults who are able to have a personal relationship with God, and who can demonstrate love and pride in their Jewish heritage. Our students develop a strong understanding of Reform Judaism to enable them to build their lives around its ethics, history and practices with an appreciation of the Hebrew language and our spiritual homeland, Israel.

The School Year

The school year at Temple Emanuel generally mirrors that of the secular schools, with a start date near the end of August and concluding in mid-May, with appropriate breaks for secular and Jewish holidays. Classes are held on Sunday mornings, from 9:30 to 11:30 am, beginning with a family worship service in our Sanctuary. To encourage participation from parents, everyone is invited to a continental bagel breakfast, from 9:00 to 9:25 am., just before our Sunday morning worship service.

Curriculum

The Chai Curriculum was developed for synagogue religious schools and is based on three vital threads of Judaism: Torah study; Avodah (prayer study); and G'milut Chasadim (behaving righteously).

The curriculum authors wrote clear teaching goals using the "Understanding by Design" model of curriculum construction. Each teacher writes out "essential questions" to guide their teaching and their students' learning. These questions are overarching questions that are broken down into smaller parts, helping students question and think about the subject matter and helping them make connections to prior learning.

In addition, our faculty has been trained to teach with an awareness of the "Multiple Intelligences" theory developed by Dr. Howard Gardner. Teachers use a portfolio collection / assessment tool to ensure they are meeting the needs of diverse types of learning styles in their classrooms.

Pre-kindergarten / Kindergarten students begin their schooling by getting to know their classmates, teacher and the school building. They experience free play along with guided investigations into Jewish symbols, customs and ceremonies. Our pre-kindergarten program invites parents to stay with their students if they wish.

Students in Grades 1 - 7 are involved in experiential learning with teachers utilizing the Chai Curriculum.

Students in Grade 8 study the Shoah from a Jewish perspective and the founding of the State of Israel. They study Israel in the first semester and use the Anti-Defamation League curriculum called "Echoes and Reflection's" among other materials, during the second semester.

Students in Grade 9 concentrate on learning about the similarities and differences between streams of Judaism and then they move on to comparing Judaism with Christianity and Islam. Throughout the year, students enter into dialogues with local clergy and students from various local religious institutions.

Confirmation students in the 10th grade class meet weekly with Rabbi Justin Kerber. His classes are topical and thought provoking, allowing students to ask - and discuss - important theological questions, centering around Jewish justice and ethical dilemmas.

aDDITIONAL tEACHING toOLS

Because children learn in many different ways, we give our students the opportunities they need to reach their potential in the classroom and through special classes.

Prayer Partners.  Parents of students in Grades 1 and 2 join their children two to three times per year in family activities designed to teach and reinforce the understanding of important Jewish prayers.

Art Partners.  Parents of students in Grades 3 and 4 attend two classes per year, and together they create beautiful Jewish artifacts to have as family keepsakes.

Art.  Art is incorporated into our teaching plans to provide another avenue for students to experience and learn about Jewish holidays, history and current events.  At each grade level, our students are engaged in several meaningful art projects throughout the year.  We use these projects as an educational tool by relating them to the topics they discuss in class or a timely Jewish holiday.

Music.  Music and singing play an important role in almost everything we do: services, holidays and special events.  It helps us keep in touch with our Jewish heritage and to express the emotions that accompany our various life cycle events.  We incorporate music into our Religious School curriculum on a regular basis.  Our children are taught the traditional music that is integral to religious services, as well as the contemporary songs they are likely to encounter in Youth Group activities.

Hebrew School.  Hebrew study is available immediately following Religious School at 11:35 am during the school year.  Participation in these small and intimate classes is voluntary and designed to prepare children for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremonies using an interactive prayer-based Hebrew program.

Post-Confirmation programs

Students are encouraged to become "madrichim" (teacher assistants) when they complete Confirmation. Madrichim are a very important part of our educational program, not only because they are helpful with young children, but because they are able to take on the responsibility of teaching students in their own congregation. Students are also able to earn community service points from their school through their Sunday work in our religious school.

A post-Confirmation trip to Israel has been developed by the St. Louis Reform community of synagogue rabbis and educators. The National Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) is the trip provider and works closely with rabbis and educators to develop a wonderfully life-changing Israel experience for our post-Confirmation students.