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The aim of our Religious School Program is to prepare our students for their lives as Jewish adults. We strive to provide them with both the solid knowledge they will need and the motivation and commitment to use this knowledge. We offer a combination of traditional classroom instruction, experiential learning units and exciting special programs.
Individualized programs can be designed for students with special needs. Please contact Becky Shubert, Temple Educator, at (914) 725-5175 with any questions regarding the Religious School programs.
Pre-K
In these monthly Sunday morning classes, we emphasize the cycle of the Jewish year for children who are 3 & 4 years old. Holidays are taught, using a mix of stories, crafts, music and games.
K to Grade 3
During their two-hour Sunday morning class, our children are introduced to their heritage. Art, music and Israeli dance classes add zest to the classroom experience. Hebrew consonants are introduced in Grade 1, and vowels added the next year, so that our children are comfortably reading Hebrew by the end of Grade 3.
Grade 4 to 6
Our twice weekly Religious School program, which meets Monday and Wednesday from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., is departmentalized. Each student studies Hebrew, Jewish History and Judaica. There is a weekly student-led Tefilah service and weekly music classes. The Mitzvah project for 6th graders is under the direction of the Helping Hands Committee.
Grade 7 to 9
Including Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Our Wednesday evening program is designed to provide our students with a more sophisticated understanding of their Jewish identity. During the fall term, the entire 7th Grade class goes on a special weekend trip; in the past, this has included Camp Eisner or Washington, D.C. with a visit to the Holocaust Museum.
As our students approach the age of 13, Bar/Bat Mitzvah instruction supplements the Religious School program. Meetings are arranged for each student with the Rabbi, Cantor and Rabbinic or Cantorial Intern. Because Jewish education should not stop at the age of 13 we have a full program for our 8th and 9th graders as part of Gesher L‘Kesher, a program in which our 11th and 12th graders participate as peer teachers.
Grade 10
Confirmation
In the 10th grade our students study with Rabbi Klein. Through Confirmation and their post-Bar and Bat Mitzvah training, our young adults confront some very basic issues of Jewish identity, as they struggle to come up with their own understanding of themselves in this complex world. If we expect our students to have a truly meaningful Jewish identity in the decades ahead, it is crucial for them to continue their Jewish education. As part of our program, we urge the 10th graders to visit Israel on a summer youth trip which the Synagogue will help subsidize.
Grades 11 & 12: Gesher L'Kesher
Eleventh and Twelfth grade students are trained as madrichim (peer leaders) and work with the 8th and 9th grade students. They supplement teacher-led classroom time and lead discussions on contemporary Jewish topics. This innovative program allows interaction between the older students and the Synagogue community as well as expanding friendships with the younger students through discussions and related activities.
Special Needs
Scarsdale Synagogue, Temples Tremont and Emanu-El has a loving, caring professional staff experienced in supporting children with special needs. Individualized programs can be designed for students with special needs.
Web Sites for Students
How We Celebrate Hanukkah
Hanukah FAQ's
Aklah: Hanukkah for children
The Chanukah Story (including an online dreidel game)
Lower Eastside Tenement Museum
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