JRC Religious School

March 20, 2020

Dear Religious School Families,
 
I write to you, above all, with the hope that your family is healthy and well.  I know these are difficult times, and as your family creates a new pathway forward, I hope you are able to find moments for self-care and life-affirming activities. As you are establishing new routines and meaningful experiences for your children, our JRC Religious School team is working to create new ways for our students and families to engage in Jewish learning, in the absence of being able to gather physically.
 
Our new program will involve mostly asynchronous methods of engagement. By "asynchronous" I mean that students will engage in learning on their time, with contentsent to them by their teachers. I made this decision intentionally, knowing that a time-bound obligation adds to the stress of your week. By doing asynchronous learning students will be able to integrate this learning into your new calendar.
 
We will also be encouraging your families to engage in synchronous methods (opportunities to learn together at a specific time) for living Judaism, and this will include things like Singalong with Zemer Allan, Q&A with the Rabbi. Storytime with Rena, and Grade Level Meet Ups.
 
How will it work?
Each Sunday (beginning next week) teachers will send a Choice Board to their grade (this model may be familiar to some of you in the public schools). It has three categories – Torah, Avodah, and G’milut Chasadim. Within each category the teacher will give two options for activities – watch a video, read a story, practice a Hebrew passage – things to help continue building your child’s Jewish learning.
 
Some of the activities may require adult help. Some of 4th-6th grade activities will require that they do work to send completed assignments back to the teachers.
  
These are complicated times. We hope that maintaining your family’s connection to Judea Reform will provide spiritual nourishment and at times even fun, making the very most of this alternative learning experience.
 
Please be in touch with me about how this learning is going. We are in this together, learning as we co-create our Jewish community--apart but together-- and will make adjustments along the way to make this program the best it can be.
 
Shabbat Shalom!
 
With appreciation for your continued partnership,
Rena

JRC Religious School: Vision

Each child will emerge from the Judea Reform Congregation Religious School and youth/teen programs as an engaged, knowledgeable, and committed Reform Jew.

• Jewish values and Jewish teachings help our students make important life decisions
• Social Justice is woven into the fabric of their lives
• Judea Reform Congregation—comprised of peers, teachers, and community members—form the foundation of our students’ Jewish community
• Our students feel a sense of belonging to the Jewish people around the world
• Our students celebrate the diversity of Jewish spiritual, cultural, and social expression

Our Mission:

Judea Reform Congregation’s Religious School is committed to providing a sacred, safe, and inclusive learning environment. Students explore and develop their relationship with Reform Jewish values, ideals, actions, and ethics according to their individual abilities.

We offer engaging, exciting, and enjoyable activities for our students and teachers to learn from one another. We cultivate life-long relationships within our classrooms. We facilitate meaningful connections between our youngest and oldest members of our community. We weave social justice into everything.

Our Principles:

We teach our students to celebrate religious and social diversity.

Our students learn to have a positive impact on the world.

Our students learn alongside their parents and participate in congregational activities.

We facilitate inter-generational learning opportunities.

We encourage our teachers to also learn from our students.