Please scroll down for calendars, handbooks and other important links
| KI’s Religious School is the only Religious School in the
Area that is Accredited by the National Association of Temple
Educators. This is the Reform Movement’s “Gold Star” of
excellence for Religious School Education. |
Click here for a
Letter
from our Director about our religious School.
At KI, we recognize that learning is a life-long pursuit. Our
religious education programs are designed to give our members and their
families a positive Jewish identity founded upon a knowledge of our
people, history, customs and traditions. The KI Jewish Education program
is designed to provide the opportunity to learn and experience what
Reform Judaism is all about and how we fit into it, through both
informal and formal classroom training, experiential activities, and
in-depth discussions with staff and rabbis which, together, create a
community of life-long learners.
VISION STATEMENT
“and you shall teach them diligently” Deut. 6:7
The Religious School of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel strives to
help its students and families develop comfortable, enduring approaches
to contemporary Jewish living rooted in the experience of a welcoming
synagogue community, meaningful worship and knowledge of Jewish values,
customs and history. Our school seeks to instill in all of our students
a love of the Jewish people and the State of Israel and to enable them
to lead services and read from the Torah. Our religious School values
both tradition and innovation and is firmly committed to the work of
Tikkun Olam through mitzvah-based projects and the pursuit of social
justice.
Structure and Schedules:
Lower School: Preschool – 2nd
grade Elkins Park Sun 9:30 -12:00
Blue
Bell Thurs 4-6 PM
Upper School: 3rd
– 6th grades Elkins Park Sun 9:30 -12:00
& Tue 4-6:00 PM
Blue Bell Mon 4-6 PM &
Thurs 4-6 PM
Confirmation Academy: 7th
– 10th grade Elkins Park Tue 6:30-8:30 PM
Lower School
 The curriculum focuses on defining for each child what it means
to be Jewish as well as introducing them to the language and symbols of
the Jewish people. Each class is taught by an experienced teacher and
teacher – student ratios are kept low. Additionally Jr. and Sr. high
school students volunteer in the classrooms to assist the students and
provide positive role models. In addition to their regular Judaic
studies students have art and music class and make regular trip to our
accredited library. Once a month tefillah (prayer) services are
led by our Religious Educator, Rabbi Stacy Eskovitz Rigler, Bracha Bear
(one of the KI puppets) and our music teacher Liz Sussman. The entire school comes together for monthly community times where we
sing songs, tell stories, and learn about upcoming holidays.
Family education, holiday programming, and arts and crafts are key
components of our educational experience For more
information on the lower school curriculum please click here: (View
Lower School Curriculum) or to see current newsletters to find
out what is happening grade by grade click here: (Click
here to see Newsletters)
Upper School
 The
core component of our religious school is our upper school. Since
these students spend four hours a week at KI they are able to expand
their rudimentary knowledge of Judaism into in depth study of Hebrew
prayer and the core components of our religion. All students learn
about the key elements of Judaism (Torah (Bible), Avodah (worship) and
Gimilut Chasadim (Acts of Love and Kindness) through the Reform
Movement’s Chai curriculum. This curriculum is an interactive learning
experience and encourages independent critical thinking. In addition
students study holidays, the Jewish life cycle, Reform Judaism and the
land of Israel.
Hebrew study is a major focus of the upper school curriculum.
Through games, computer learning, and recitation students learn to read
the Hebrew alphabet and become familiar with the prayers of the Friday
night, Saturday morning and Havdalah service. Hebrew instruction is
done in small groups and trained tutors are available for each class to
help students with special needs. Our students regularly
lead services on Shabbat, in Jr. Congregation as well as at our
bi-monthly learner’s minyan.
Our
program continues with the:
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Program & Confirmation Academy
Our program is
complemented by our Youth Group
Religious
School Handbook for Elkins Park 2008-09
Religious
School Handbook for Blue Bell 2008-09
Religious
School Calendar Complete Elkins Park and Blue Bell 2008-09
Our 4th Grade Students put together a
wonderful Passover Haggadah
Read about it and look at it here.
EMERGENCY CLOSING NUMBER – 324
KYW 1060AM-Radio or
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