Mission Statement
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We understand that Religious School is a long term investment in the legacy of your Jewish family. This cannot be measured in charts and tables, or prayers memorized and recited, but rather, in the hearts of our students and in the Jewish life of their families.
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We aim to use the rich and beautiful history and culture of our people to foster a sense of community and belonging.
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We strive to raise young Jewish students who are excited to keep learning and who can’t fathom their lives separately from their Jewish identity.
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We hope to instill an understanding that kindness, patience, grace, and service to others is living Jewishly and that they will lead the next era of synagogue life in America.
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We work tirelessly to ensure that our school is a safe place for our children, so that when they are in need they will find meaning, hope, trust and love in our holy community.
Curriculum Focus - Grades K-6
Students continue to build their Hebrew reading and prayer skills in small group Hebrew sessions.
Upper School
Grades 7-12 Seventh Grade
Seventh Grade
How did we get from here to there?
Seventh grade will Explore modern Jewish history from the late 19th century to today. We will understand the context for how European Jewry of the 1800s shifted because of a rise in Antisemitism and a trend toward Jewish immigration to the US and Israel. We will delve into the history of the Holocaust, early Zionism, The founding of Israel and Modern Israel and it’s context.
Eighth Grade
Eighth Grade is divide into 2 parts:
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How to be a Jew on the Street (not just in synagogue or at home)?
How do we navigate a Jewish calendar vs. a secular one? What questions are there about what it means to be a Jewish minority in a vastly Christian or Secular country? Eighth grade will read articles and have discussions about what it means to think Jewish about issues in politics and other current events
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Jewish Choices, Jewish Voices
Jewish perspectives on topics pertaining to teens such as modesty, vegetarianism/veganism, drugs, alcohol, eating issues, piercing, dating, goodness of character traits and more. The Eighth grade will benefit from having an opportunity to have discussions on these relevant issues in a safe and welcoming environment.
Ninth Grade
9th graders focus on the ideas in Judaism about Social Action and Social Justice. Why should Jews care about taking action in the world? What issues in today’s society help us to define what we believe and how we can make a difference? 9th grade travels to Washington DC for the Religious Action Center L’taken seminar in February which is a highlight of the year.
Tenth Grade
10th grade is the year of Confirmation. Rabbi Marc Katz teaches each session with an eye on really making Judaism relevant and meaningful to the students. Students will wrestle with big existential questions, like “Is there a God?” “What happens after I die?” “Why do bad things happen to good people?” and much more. 10th grade travels to Amsterdam with Rabbi Katz to learn about the progressive Jewish community there and to look back at European Jewish history.
Eleventh Grade
11th graders guide their year of learning by setting an agenda of important topics with their teacher who creates discussion based lessons with thought provoking questions and strategies for finding common ground in contentious situations.
Twelfth Grade
12th Grade meets monthly on Wednesday evenings. Each month a special guest speaker will share expertise on relevant current events, life on campus, being a Jewish adult, or other topics that seniors are thinking about as they are about to embark on college life and leaving home. The class is facilitated by Rabbi Sharon Litwin.
Tuition (School Year 2024-2025)
Financial assistance for dues is available.
Jewish Family Journeys
Jewish Family Journeys (JFJ) is our family education track at Temple Ner Tamid. Created over ten years ago in response to the expressed needs of some new and young families, JFJ is the perfect route for families to take who are just beginning their trek into Jewish education. The goals of JFJ are simple: to both provide a new and different educational experience, and to create community.
- Be part of a small community of peers within the larger temple community
- Spend time learning with people with a wide variety of backgrounds
- Acquire or enhance their knowledge of the Jewish holidays, history, spirituality, prayer, Israel and other important Jewish topics
- Feel more connected to the temple
Religious School Faculty 2023-2024
Grade 5, Hebrew, Grade 7
Grade 3 Hebrew
Grade 3 Hebrew
Grade 3 Hebrew
Grade 4 Hebrew
Grade 4 Hebrew
Grade 4 Hebrew, Grade 8
Grade 5 Hebrew
Grades 4, 6 Hebrew
Grade 6 Hebrew