New School Families who want to register should  email Ramona with:
Name, address, email, and best phone number of both parent/guardians; Full name and birthdate of student.  Please note: Families with students in grades 3 and up need to become TBE members: Click here for details and to start the process.

Parent Handbook 2024-2025

Brown Religious School Siddur 

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Information

Confirmation

Welcome from the Director of Youth Learning.
What is the goal of Religious School Education? In short, we educate our young people in our texts and traditions to ensure a lively Jewish future for our people. The V'ahavta commands us: “V’shinan’tam L’vanekha, You shall teach them diligently to your chil dren.” It is not enough, however, to simply impart text and tradition without meaning, context and connection to the world in which we live. A successful Jewish education must inspire, excite, challenge and delight the hearts and minds of our students. It must be relevant and authentic. We strive to make Judaism the lens through which each student can navigate through life and grow to be an engaged Jewish adult. 

With approximately 100 students, our school is both large enough to be lively and small enough for a personal, and meaningful education! Our innovative and child centered approach to Jewish learning provides a dynamic environment where Jewish education is joyous, fun, inspiring and spiritual. Our learning takes place inside our school building, our synagogue and our greater community. Traditional classroom learning is balanced with experiential learning, using music, art, nature, literature, and project based learning in order to deepen students’ understanding of our Jewish traditions, values and practices. 

We invite you and your child to take a fulfilling Jewish journey and discover learning that begins in this building and expands outward into your homes, our community and the world beyond. We will also journey within ourselves as we delve into the heart of what it means to center our lives around strong Jewish Values.

 Our Religious Education Program consists of several components: 

• Sunday and Wednesday classes include a skill level Hebrew program for grades 2-7 and grade level Judaics for all students. Wednesday Hebrew classes include T’fillah, Trope for grades 5&6, Hebrew reading, prayer fluency and meaning, and Parsha Shavua.
• Creative electives are integrated into our Judaics program. Students participate in authentic and meaning ful hands-on projects that support the understanding of our holidays, rituals and culture. 
• Field trips provide opportunities for students and parents to encounter Judaism in action around us. 
• Service participation encourages students to be comfortable on the bima, feel at home in the sanctuary and to prepare for their B’nai Mitzvah celebrations. 
• Family participation at life cycle events, such as Consecration, Confirmation, holiday events and learning with the Rabbi and Cantor. 
• Collecting tzedakah, performing Mitzvot and engaging in Tikkun Olam to prepare our students to be good citizens of our world. 
• Our Teen program includes Elective classes, working as Madrichim in classrooms, social programs, Confirmation class and participation in services. 
• Tot Shabbat services and Chaverim Katanim Sunday playgroup, involve families with children from birth to 5 years old. Tot Shabbat Services meet on the first Saturday of the month and Chaverim Katanim meets on the third Sunday at the religious school.

What does it mean to be an inclusive community? 
 At Temple Beth-El religious school we believe that all types of learners and all types of Jews have a place with us! On our faculty staff is an Inclusion Specialist who provides support and guidance for parents, teachers and students dealing with educational, social and emotional challenges. Our Inclusion Specialist assists teachers in designing accessible classrooms for all students and families in developing a successful Jewish education plan for their child. We also understand the importance of ‘expanding the tent’ and recognizing the rich tapestry that is the Jewish people. Our students come from a wide range of Jewish backgrounds and cultural diversity. Jewish education at the religious school can not represent only one Jewish experience. 

I warmly welcome you to our 2023-2024 academic school year. One of our sages once said that “Education without vision is like a present without a future.” Our children are our future and it is our goal to guide them with vision as they learn and grow. Our door is always open for you! 

L’shalom v’Limmud,  
Ramona

​Email Ramona at r.brand@bethelrichmond.org
601 N. Parham Road, Richmond, VA 23229
804-833-7324