| The Reform Temple of Framingham Massachusetts |
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300
Pleasant Street
Framingham, MA 01701 508-872-8300 |
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The Religious School |
| The School at Temple Beth Am strives to meet the challenge of creating literate youths with positive identities as Reform Jews. Our program is seeing continuous improvement and our students are involved in the learning process in such a way that one can feel their "ruach" (spirit) and joy in the hallways. | |
INTERMEDIATE |
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Grade
3-6 Cantor Schechtman meets twice a month with the students to practice liturgy. The students learn to chant prayers and blessings. |
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| Library/Music Every other Sunday, students go to the library to hear a story read by our librarian, Marsha Massey or one of our many parent volunteers. The children are encouraged to take out Jewish books, which they can bring home for the week. On the alternate Sundays, they participate in music class with our wonderful music teacher, Don Levey. They learn the “latest” Jewish music as well as some prayers. Both specialties complement what the children are learning in class. |
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| Bible Grades 3 and 4 visit our bible specialist, Phyllis Trincia, each Sunday. Ms. Trincia brings the week’s Parasha (Torah portion) to life through story telling, puppets, and drama. The students are often heard discussing their new knowledge in the hallways and car rides home. It should be noted that this program previously ended in 2nd grade, but the students in 3rd and 4th grade requested that they be able to continue. |
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| All students in Grades 3-6 come to either early or late session on Sunday mornings and either Wednesday or Thursday afternoons from 4-6pm. The schedule is as follows: | |
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Students are required to complete five years in our religious school program prior to becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Students must also fulfill the Annual service requirements for their grade level as well as attend the 6th grade family programs. Students must also complete the Hamitzvah Hazot program or the Kesher 13 program. A number of credits must be achieved before the Bar/Bat Mitzvah date. In addition:
Beginning in grade 3 each child is eligible to join the Myra and Robert Kraft Passport to Israel Program. |
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IMPORTANT
NOTICE!
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Dear
Friends, The reason we require that the students (and hopefully their families) attend a certain number of services is because we want them to become familiar with both the Friday night and Saturday morning service. To this day I remember how uncomfortable I felt at my friends’ b’nai mitzvah services because my family never attended services. The last thing I want is for our boys and girls to feel like strangers in their own temple! You will notice that as the students reach grade 4 they are required to attend at least one bar/bat mitzvah service. This is so students and their parents have the opportunity to observe a bar/bat mitzvah at Temple Beth Am. Another bar/bat mitzvah service attendance is required in grade 5 and 2 in grade 6. Again, this is so when it is time for your child to become a bar/bat mitzvah, both you and your child have a good sense of what the service is like. Each congregation has its own traditions. By attending several bar/bat mitzvah services you’ll hopefully have enough of an understanding of the service so that planning your own child’s will be that much easier. For that same reason we are asking that students and parents attend the confirmation service. Not only is it a beautiful service, but it gives both parents and students the opportunity to see how many students have opted to continue their education and how much they’ve gained from their experiences here. While in the handbook I differentiate between a bar mitzvah service and a Jr. Congregation service a bar mitzvah service can count as a regular Saturday morning service (Jr. Congregation) but a Jr. Congregation service cannot count as a bar mitzvah service. So for example. In grade 5, in the handbook it states that students need to attend 2 Friday night services, 2 Jr. Congregation services, 1 bar/bat mitzvah service, and the confirmation service. If a 5th grader has the opportunity to attend 2 bar mitzvah services than they need only attend one more Saturday morning service. Meaning the 5th graders need to attend 3 Saturday morning service one of which must be a bar/bat mitzvah. I hope that this clarifies our new policy. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask. All the best, Orna
Orna Sonnenschein |
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| GRADE
3 In grade three students learn the Blessing for studying Torah, Mah Tovu, the Yotzer and the Avot V'Imahot. Students study Torah, Holidays and Jewish Life Cycle. |
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| GRADE
4 Students continue their Hebrew studies. They review prayers covered the previous year and begin learning the following new prayers: Ahava Raba, V'Ahavta, G'ulah, Mi Chamocha, Kiddush and Modeh Ani. Students continue with Bible focusing on Prophets and Writings. Studying these texts helps students understand the concept of historical continuity, and teaches them that the values and ethics exhibited by our ancestors are still relevant today. Students also explore the concept of God and develop their own ideas about God |
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| GRADE
5 Students return to the study of Torah. In grade 5 they are better able to grasp concepts that were too difficult for them in grade 3. Students discuss the parshah hashavua and examine its lessons. They learn about Israel, past and present. They continue practicing prayers adding G'vurot, Kedusha, Kedushat Hayom, Avodah and Hoda'ah to their growing list of mastered prayers. |
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| GRADE
6 Students revisit the Prophets on a more advanced level. They learn Seder Kriyat Torah (the Torah Service) and complete their prayer chart. They return to the study of the Jewish year and are exposed to the more complex aspects of the Jewish holidays. |
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©
Temple Beth Am, Framingham, Ma. 01701. All Rights Reserved.
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questions about the temple / events shalom@tempbetham.org
Information for posting / or comment about the website webmaster@tempbetham.org |
