“[Torah] is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it?’...But the word is very near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:12-14)

Religious School is a cornerstone of Temple Sholom

Religious Education at Temple Sholom of Chicago includes: 

• Religious School (Jr. K-7th Grade) – Sundays 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM 
• Midweek Religious School (3rd-7th Grade) –  Wednesdays 5:00-6:15 PM 
• Pathways/Netivot Shalom (8th Grade) – Sunday mornings with option to work as midweek Madrichim (teacher assistants) 
• Crown Family High School (9th-12th Grade) – Wednesdays evenings with option to work Sundays as Madrichim (teacher assistants)

The goals of our Beit Sefer Shalom Religious School are: 

• To provide a joyful, high-quality and inclusive Jewish education for students from preschool through high school. 
• To immerse students in a learner-centered, diverse, and inclusive community that cares about them. 
• To lead students towards an awareness of themselves as Jews and an understanding of their Jewish heritage and traditions. 
• To foster a love of Torah and pride of being Jewish 
• To instill in students a timeline of Jewish history 
• To develop in our children a positive, joyous, and resilient Jewish identity and a kinship with the Jewish People. 
• To illustrate historic Jewish beliefs about God and help students explore the God of their own understanding. 
• To teach students to read and appreciate the Hebrew language with an emphasis on developing competence and confidence in leading a prayer service. 
• To cultivate knowledge of and connection to the Land and People of Israel 
• To help young people appreciate the role of Jewish values and ethics in becoming menschen (good people) and pursuers of social justice. 
• To build meaningful relationships among students and with teens, faculty, educators and clergy. 
• To nurture the desire to be lifelong learners and to live fulfilling Jewish lives. 

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Questions? Contact rachel@sholomchicago.org or 773-435-1554 

Beit Sefer Shalom Religious School Overview  

Children of member families are eligible to enroll in Religious School/Beit Sefer Shalom which begins in September (or October, depending on when the High Holy Days fall) and runs through May. In addition to Sundays, 3rd-7th grade students are strongly encouraged to participate in our Midweek Hebrew program, which offers additional Hebrew instruction that is crucial to learning language and contributes to stronger Jewish identity and relationships with peers. 6th grade students participate in a rabbi-led B’nai Mitzvah preparation course which meets twice weekly. For 7th Graders, the midweek Hebrew course is an opportunity to further hone their familiarity with Hebrew in preparation for a trip to Israel. 

Family involvement and participation are integral parts of our school program, as they demonstrate that Jewish commitment and involvement do not begin and end with becoming B’nai Mitzvah. They are lifelong endeavors, and the family is the cornerstone of Jewish living. Please join us for our family holiday celebrations, Yom Horim parent-child learning days, and Sunday morning adult education classes. 

What to Expect/What a Day Looks Like 
 

Students in Junior Kindergarten through 2nd Grade spend the morning with their teachers and classmates, moving from short periods in the classroom to various chugim (activities) around the building. Each teacher has at least one teen madrich/madricha (teacher assistant) from our high school youth group community. Students are introduced to Hebrew in these grades and begin learning the alef-bet. Our Music Specialist meets with each class every Sunday to teach songs about Jewish themes, in both Hebrew and English. Junior Congregation, a brief worship experience featuring visits from our clergy and lots of singing, is held monthly on Sundays at 11:30 AM. Parents are invited and encouraged to participate in Junior Congregation to nurture your child’s spiritual development and join in the fun! 
 

For students in 3rd-7th grade, the schedule on Sunday morning consists of two one-hour instructional periods (one period of Jewish Studies and one period of Hebrew), and a half hour for T’filah (prayer) or the occasional special program. This gives our upcoming and recent B’nai Mitzvah students a chance to lead their peers as they prepare for, and return from, leading our congregation on Shabbat, and gives younger children the opportunity to try out leading prayers on our bimah as they learn them throughout the year. 8th graders in our N'tivot program spend their full morning together, often taking locals trips offsite in partnership with other Lakeview Jewish teens.