The goals of Congregation Beth David’s religious education programs include: helping children affirm their Jewish identity; learning the practice of mitzvot; affirming their historic bond to the Land of Israel; cherishing and studying the Hebrew language; valuing and practicing prayer; understanding and celebrating Shabbat and other holidays; bridging the home with the synagogue through Family Education; and supporting and participating in the life of the synagogue. Membership in Congregation Beth David is required for a child to be enrolled in school. Scholarships are available.
The Congregation Beth David Religious School consists of Sunday school and Hebrew school. Sunday school is for children from preschool through 7th grade. It meets Sunday morning 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Each class has a specific theme of study for the year. Some grades are combined and use a rotating two-year curriculum.
Another school year has drawn to a close. As I look back, I am hopeful that each and every one of us can say with heads held high that we learned something new in 5770.
We learned more about the Jewish Holidays, we studied Torah each week by either watching or participating in a Sedra Skit. We learned the difference between Bakashot (petitionary prayers) and Hodaot (prayers of thanks). We studied and practiced Jewish values like Derech Eretz, Kavod and Minhag HaMakom (acting with consideration and kindness, respect and adjusting our behavior to the accepted practices of a place). We learned Hebrew and studied the meaning of the prayers we pray. We made new friends. We learned more about our geneology and created an Eitz Chayim - a Tree of Life where each of our families is represented as a leaf on the Tree.
Our Confirmation Class students recently enjoyed a weekend of seeing San Francisco through Jewish eyes. In their own words: “I enjoyed visiting the temples in San Francisco. Not only were the buildings themselves amazing, with domes and gigantic organs, but the stories behind their building and the things in it were fascinating….” “The two temples were beautiful and impressive…” “My favorite part of our trip was when we went to Ghirardelli Square. All 11 of us kids, squeezed around a table in the middle of the craziest ice cream place ever, was such a fun experience! And on top of that the ice cream was delicious!” “…the trip was a really great experience. Before the trip, I didn’t know the other kids in my Confirmation Class very well. But now, I feel like I have some Jewish friends that live in San Luis Obispo.” “Another one of my favorite things we did was walk down Fisherman’s Wharf. It was cool just to hang out with all of my friends” “My favorite part was the Contemporary Jewish Museum. I never knew you could express Judaism in so many artistic ways. There were pieces of art about the Holocaust, ways of being kosher, etc. One lady at the museum is writing a whole Torah… My favorite exhibit was the story cube. The exhibit was about this lady who recorded all kinds of people’s life stories and every person had a life lesson. Some were humorous and some were very touching, but I loved them all.” “It was fun being able to walk on the streets of San Francisco and experience life in the big city. I really enjoyed the hotel room, visiting the Jewish House of the Aged, and being able to hold onto the rails of a speeding cable car. Out of all the events I think visiting the temples was the most fun. It sounds weird, but seeing these amazing synagogues was breathtaking. Temple Emanuel had giant stained glass windows and Sherith Israel had a giant dome. It was a lot of fun being able to walk upstairs into the dome. The view of the sanctuary from the dome was amazing. Altogether the trip was a lot of fun. I saw many sites and places I’ve never seen before. I can’t wait until next year!”
Be on the lookout THIS MONTH for next years’ registration information! Have a happy Summer! See you at Temple! Ricki Weintraub Cantorial Soloist and Religious School Principal
