A message from our rabbi: “If…”

During the 1990s, the American publishing scene witnessed the emergence of a series of popular “If” books that posed a provocative array of values-clarification questions. For example, one of the books’ queries asked: “If you had the opportunity to meet anyone in history, who would it be and why?”

When the “If…, Questions for the Soul” appeared at a Barnes & Noble near me, I was naturally interested in the kinds of things it prompted readers to ponder. Some of the questions included: “If you learned that there actually was a Heaven and Hell, what is the first thing you’d change in your life?”; “If you were to describe the most spiritual place you can imagine, what would it be like?”;“If you were to construct a small religious altar in your home using only three things you now own, what would they be?”

This line of spiritual inquiry intrigued me. They nurtured soul searching on a new level. The book’s forward stated:” The ultimate task we face in life is the process of finding and accepting our true selves, our souls…We often don’t look. Instead, we do such things as work harder, spend money, eat and drink more, or maybe just clean the house. But what we forget, or maybe never knew, about soul-searching is that this process can be deeply rewarding, fun and even entertaining.”

Ultimately, ReligiousSchool is about soul-searching. At the Temple, we strive to make such exploration as enriching as possible by Jewishly challenging our students in creative, stimulating ways. As we begin another school year, we ask that parents be partners with us in raising thought-provoking questions about their children’s religious identity not just at school but around the dinner table, on the way to the movie, during a timeout while watching the football game. Imaginative questions can lead to journeys of profound, life-changing discovery. Indeed this is, in essence the promise of Jewish education.

Sincerely,
Jonathan R. Katz, Rabbi

A message from our ReligiousSchool Committee Chair:

My name is Jaki Schreier and on behalf of the staff and teachers at Temple Achduth Vesholom, I extend a warm welcome to all of our new students and their families, as well as our returning ones.

Summer is behind us and the Religious School Committee is enthusiastic to begin a new school year full of learning and fun. The primary goal of the Religious School Committee is to assure that our students are receiving the best religious education possible. We will constantly be reviewing, revising, and making necessary policy recommendations to the Temple Board to ensure that our format is both engaging and dynamic.

Another objective of the Committee is to improve communications among educators, parents, students, the director of education and Rabbi Katz. Please watch for emails, newsletters, postcards, correspondence in the Temple Bulletin and KESHER to arrive home regularly.

I encourage everyone to actively participate in your child’s religious education. We welcome you to attend our regular Religious School Committee meetings held the first Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the library. You also may consider joining your child in the classroom and attending the Family Education sessions that will now be held at all grades up to High School. Remember by participating, you show your children how important Jewish education is to you.

I am not only a Religious School teacher myself, but also a mother to three children who all attend classes at the Temple. When I am driving home from Religious School, I engage my children in discussion on what they learned that day. It helps them to inter-personalize the lesson. Consequently, my children enjoy Religious School and can connect it to how to live as a Jew.

Please feel free to contact me during the school year with any questions, concerns or issues that have arisen. Obviously, I would enjoy hearing about all the positives that you are experiencing in both your child’s Religious School setting and with what they are sharing with you at home.

I truly look forward to working with you, the committee, the teachers, Charlene and Rabbi. I few all remember to put the children and our Jewish values first, I know that we will have an exciting and fun-filled educational year.

Jaki Schreier
Religious School Committee Chair