Religious School

The Ahavath Torah Congregation Rabbi Gerson and Temple Beth Emunah South Area Religious School provides a welcoming and supportive environment that nurtures the uniqueness of each student.

Apply for the school year

Mission

• To provide students with a positive sense of Jewish identity and a commitment to the community.
• To transmit Jewish values and ethics.
• To enable students to learn the necessary resources to participate in a meaningful conservative Jewish life and to gain the skills necessary to participate in home rituals and synagogue life.
• To offer opportunities for parents and children to experience Jewish life together and encourage parents to be partners in the education process.
• To enable each student to find their own way of meaningful participation in Jewish life and develop a desire for lifelong learning.

Our religious school provides creative learning experiences and innovative programming to help our students discover what it means to be Jewish.

The teaching of Jewish values, traditions, Hebrew reading and writing, Jewish history, customs, rituals, and prayers, combined with the unique perspective of each student forms the basis of our school curriculum.

Learning Objectives

1. Overall 

• Develop their Jewish identity
• Foster a mutual respect for others
• Nurture concern for both the immediate community and the world through acts of tzedakah (charity) and gimilut hasidim (acts of loving kindness)
• Learn and practice tefilah (prayer)
• Become familiar with conservative Jewish liturgy
• Study basic davening (prayer) skills
• Attend and participate in leading Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat morning services

2. Ivrit (Hebrew)

• Develop fluency in the Hebrew reading of prayers
• Introduce Hebrew as a spoken language through words and phrases
• Decode written Hebrew

3. Chumash (Torah) and Jewish history

• Study of weekly parasha (portion)
• Explore biblical history 
• Modern Israel
• History
• Geography
• Daily life
• Jewish and Israeli History from Biblical to modern times

4. Holidays

Our holidays are celebrated through art, music, movement, services, special meals, and events, highlighting the traditions and history in fun, modern, and meaningful ways.

5. Special Events

• Rosh Hashanah Fair, including a challah bake
• Planting etrogim
• Participating in Sukkot services, using a lulav and etrog
• Simchat Torah celebration
• Kabbalat Shabbat services led by students
• Chanukah Party
• Tu B’Shevat Seder
• Shabbat Service led by students
• Purim Celebration
• Visit to Assisted Living Facility with a Purim Play and Mishloach Manot
• School Family Seder
• L’ag B’Omer Barbecue
• Commencement

For more information, please email schooloffice@atorah.org.