A goal of the Temple Beth-El Religious School is to offer the students a wide base of Jewish knowledge from which they can further pursue their Jewish education. The topics emphasized throughout the Religious School program are Jewish identification, history, Jewish texts, theology, ceremonies and celebrations, Israel, ethics, community studies and Reform Judaism. The school curriculum has been developed so that these topics are studied at every level, from simple to complex. By teaching the material in this spiral manner, we build on a topic each year, embellishing and studying it in more depth and detail as we progress. Students are encouraged to take part in each holiday observance.
Students also study their own sense of Jewish identity.
Not only will students view their homes as Jewish, but they will become familiar with the Temple, relating to it as their second Jewish home. Included in the curriculum is a study of significant biblical stories and personalities such as Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah, The Tower of Babel, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers and the main characters of the Exodus, such as Moses and Miriam. Personalities from our ancient past step forward to reveal added dimensions of Jewish life and experience. This fosters a sense of heritage, Jewish self acceptance and identification with the Jewish people, as well as developing a deepening awareness of God, who shapes Jewish lives and Jewish history. The fourth grade program has two emphases.