The mission of the Congregation Beth Israel Religious School program is to enable our children to become positive, knowledgable and practicing Jews. We want study and practice to be an engaging experience for our children.

We recognize that there is a diversity of Jewish practice in our community, and we strive to meet each child's individual needs. We believe that the synagogue is meant to be a community of learners that includes adults and children, thus family involvement is essential to the success of our program. We encourage parents to participate in their children's Jewish education as well as to actively continue the progress of their own Jewish growth and learning. By creating an environment of warmth, acceptance and respect, we expect that our students will come to love, appreciate, practice and perpetuate their Jewish heritage and tradition.

From the start of preschool through confirmation and high school graudation, we provide a curricular plan that encompasses a wide range of Jewish experiences including Jewish holidays, history, ethics, life cycle observances, Bible, prayer, current events, Israel and Hebrew language. A student who successfully completes our program should have a strong, positive feeling about Judaism and be able to make informed judgments concerning a personal commitment to Judaism and Jewish living.

• To provide a program of religious education which meets the needs, skills and talents of the growing child and maturing young adult.
• To provide experiences for our students which will allow them to deepen their commitment to the Jewish life of home, synagogue, community and world.
• To develop knowledge and appreciation of Jewish customs and traditions.
• To instill a love of Israel and recognition of its historical and contemporary importance for the Jewish people.
• To enable students to develop a positive sense of their own Jewish identity.
• To offer traditional Jewish values and ethics as viable guidelines for today's problems.
• To encourage friendship among our children.
• To provide an introduction to Hebrew as the language of our tradition, and to enable our students to develop a knowledge of Hebrew and prayer that will enable participation in Shabbat services.