RELIGIOUS SCHOOL

See Religious School Calendar for 2007/2008 (5768)

Fairmount Temple's Machane Ivrit (Hebrew Camp) - fun in the summer!

Religious school Bikor Cholim project.

Consecration.

Our Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple Religious School provides a nurturing Jewish educational environment to teach Judaic concepts, values and practices that will inspire and strengthen individual and collective commitment to God, Torah and Israel. It is the goal of the school to foster independent and critical thinking, to encourage emotional, intellectual and religious growth and to motivate constructive and caring relationships between students, instructors and the content. The vehicles by which these goals are pursued include both cognitive and affective methodology: Formal classroom experiences, informal retreats and Shabbatonim as well as a variety of special programs including Family Learning Days for all grades.
 

The Religious School is led by Rabbi Joshua Caruso who assumed the combined responsibilities of Rabbi and Religious School Director in 2007. Before joining Fairmount Temple  in 2002, Rabbi Caruso was a Religious School Director at his previous synagogue where he oversaw programming for kindergarten through  12th grade.  The dynamic Religious School lay/professional team consists of committed teachers, skilled staff and a dedicated Board.  Together, they impart their love of Judaism to all the studentss.

This is a sampling of this year's programs:

• Parent/Child Hebrew, offered to children entering the third - sixth grades, allows students and parents (or grandparents or guardians) an opportunity to study Hebrew together led by talented teachers. The program has attracted parents who would not typically choose to participate in such a learning adventure, and has yielded fantastic results. Parents are excited about their learning, and feel a greater connection to their children’s Jewish journey by coming along for the ride.

• Misegert Noar (Youth Framework) is a unique experiential opportunity. Now in its third year, Misgeret Noar is a “framework” enabling seventh and eighth grade students the opportunity to engage with each other and with challenging Jewish texts in an informal learning environment. Our students attend three shabbatonim (overnight Shabbat experiences), and six Sunday afternoon retreats. This year we will be using the Union for Reform Judaism’s CHAI curriculum, featuring the theme, Hineni (“Here I am”). The curriculum will challenge our youth to define how they see themselves in relationship to the community in which they live.

•  Machane Ivrit (Hebrew Camp), a pilot program introduced last summer which brought a full day of camp fun and Hebrew to our grade school students. The pilot year featured day trips to the Akron Zoo and to Camp Wise as our campers utilized their newly acquired Hebrew skills.

The Religious School offers classes from Kindergarten through 12th Grade in such subjects as Jewish History, Customs and Ceremonies, Holidays, Holocaust, Israel, Zionism, Hebrew, Bible, Prayer and Reform Judaism. Students who are in the 1st Grade participate in a Consecration Ceremony on Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah in which they dedicate themselves to their Jewish studies.

Confirmation occurs at the end of the 10th Grade on Shavuot morning. Confirmands reaffirm their faith in Judaism based on the understanding that comes with years of study.

Midweek afternoon Hebrew studies at Fairmount Temple begin in the 3rd grade. Students continue attending Religious School midweek and weekend through the 6th grade. For those in grades 7 to 12, we offer a variety of programs. For further information, please contact the Religious School at (216) 464-5890 or Rabbi Joshua Caruso, Director of the Religious School. 

Links: Students in the Hebrew School, grades 3 - 5, are able to access on-line workbook components.