Kehilah is the Hebrew word for community. Our religious school experience for students in grades K-7 is called Kehilah because we believe that Jewish identity comes from learning and experiencing being part of a community of peers. We find that kids are far more interested in coming to temple to be with their Kehilah, than they are for more school. We believe that our kids form and develop their Jewish identity through relationships. Our mission is making connections – with other kids, adults, ideas and traditions – and we do it by having fun and getting to know one another.
Experiential learning techniques and Jewish values make the Kehilah experience different from a traditional religious school. We learn by doing, by learning how to make decisions based on Jewish values and our individual and family priorities. Our days are filled with exploring Judaism through art, music, games and storytelling. Our teachers are trained in experiential techniques and meeting the social, emotional and spiritual needs of the kids in Kehilah.
The time to enroll is right now! Jewish identity is something that is developed, not something that is slipped over your head like a T-shirt. All of the research tells us that the earlier a child is introduced to Jewish education, the more likely he or she is to take on the values and to feel a sense of connection. We urge families to begin their child’s journey through Jewish learning in Gan (Kindergarten), but will welcome them at any point along the way.
Our Morim (teachers) are warm, loving and professional. Nearly all of them are members of our congregation and have (or have had) children of their own in our school. They are professional in their approach to Jewish learning, and they care deeply about sharing their love of Jewish living and their connection to Congregation B’nai Israel and the Jewish people. In our classroom, our Morim create a positive learning environment that is both engaging and enjoyable. Outside of the classroom, our Morim regularly attend workshops and conferences that enhance their skills to help our students create personal meaning of their Jewish heritage within their daily lives and the world outside.
On Sundays, our Morim are joined by members of our Hadrakhah (Leadership) team. Our Hadrakhahniks are high school students who have dedicated themselves to making sure the younger learners have an even more exciting experience than they themselves had at that age. They serve as role models, teaching assistants and a bit like older siblings to our Gan – Kitah Vav (K–6) students.
At B’nai Israel we understand that learners have many different styles and needs. We do not want to limit ourselves to just one. We are committed to meeting the needs of all learners. Learn more.
Our curriculum revolves around Jewish Values, such as Community, Respect, Menschlichkeit, Tikkun Olam and a love of Israel, rather than content areas like History, Holidays and Hebrew. We certainly will learn about those and other content areas, but we use values as our context, rather than trying to implicitly teach values when we learn the fact-based material. We believe that values better help our kids get a sense of what kind of person and Jew they want to be than simply absorbing knowledge. We also believe that focusing on Jewish Values give us a greater opportunity to create experiences – both in and out of the classroom – which enables learning that is deeper and longer lasting.
We approach learning from several different angles:
To learn more, email Director of Education Alexa Cohen, or call her at 203-335-5058.