Religious School

Beth Israel Religious School: Experience the Joy of Jewish Community

Our Philosophy

It can seem like there is a lot to know in order to be a Jew; Judaism is a religion, a people, and a shared set of cultural touchstones. Feeling a sense of ownership of one’s Jewish identity begins by finding meaning, purpose, and joy within these paths to Jewish identity.

BIRS aims to guide students so they can have the skills necessary to understand and participate in religious observances and rituals; provide ample opportunities to build a joyful community; and explore and connect with Jewish cultures.

Our goal is to enable students to connect with the world through their own Jewish lens. At BIRS, students will study Jewish texts and traditions for relevance and meaning, learn to understand and lead holiday rituals, read (decode) Hebrew, and actively and meaningfully participate in religious services.

Elementary-school students learn Torah stories, encounter Jewish life-cycle events, participate in tefillot (prayers) services, learn songs, study about Middot (Jewish values), celebrate holidays, and create meaningful Jewish friendships.

Our middle school students study conversational/advanced Hebrew, tefillot (prayers) with the goal of participating in or leading a Saturday morning service, enjoy core courses, prepare for their bar/bat mitzvah journey, participate in chugim (electives) on a wide variety of topics, and begin to engage with deeper issues as students become adult members of the community.

At BIRS, we learn through doing: our calendar includes Family Mitzvah Day, holiday family celebrations, services, and dinners. Our mission is to foster joyful, proud, Jewishly-knowledgeable kids.

For more information about Beth Israel Religious School, please contact Heather Gale at school@bethisrael-aa.org or (734) 769-2041.