Religious School Philosophy and Curriculum

PHILOSOPHY

Reform Jewish education responds to the child's intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical needs. We believe that our school should give our students: 1) a sound foundation of knowledge about Jewish history, literature, customs, ceremonies, and prayers 2) opportunities to explore the spiritual, intellectual, and affective aspects of religion and tradition, and 3) "hands-on" experiences of Jewish life and learning.

Our educational program works to foster deep knowledge of and sense of responsibility toward Judaism, and a commitment and connection to Jewish life and community. Our goals include:

To Teach Our Students to:

1. Strive to create a balance of Talmud Torah, Avodah and Gemillut Chassadim (Jewish learning, Jewish living and Jewish caring)
2. Decode Hebrew and gain contextual understanding of Torah and Prayer
3. Habituate understanding and practice of Tikkun Olam (acts of social justice)
4. Develop positive, celebratory experiences and memories with Judaism
5. Learn and practice the values, rituals and prayers of Judaism
6. Delve into the stories and history of the Jewish people
7. Approach Jewish living as active, joyous participants
8. Be responsible and caring members of our congregation, k'lal yisrael, the Jewish people, and the broader community in which we live

To Nurture Jews who:

1. Are strengthened in their Jewish identity and connect themselves to the Jewish people by word and deed.
2. Celebrate Shabbat and the festivals and observe the Jewish ceremonies marking the significant occasions in their lives.
3. Affirm their historic bond to Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel.
4. Esteem their own person and the person of others; their own family and the family of others; their own community and the community of others.
5. Support and participate in the life of the synagogue.
6. Understand Jewish learning as a lifelong process.

We seek to provide a safe and sacred space for our children and their families to discover the joys, the values, the knowledge and the tools of Jewish life and living.

NATE ACCREDITATION

We are proud to be one of only a handful of schools in North America accredited twice by the National Association of Temple Educators. This prestigious designation reflects our commitment to the highest standards of curriculum planning, teacher training, and education programming. The process included an on-site visit of our school. Also, our Board of Education spent significant time observing classes, collecting school materials and interviewing congregants in order to complete the initial stages of accreditation.

After reviewing the materials prepared by our Board of Education, and assessing the on-site visit, NATE awarded us a renewed accreditation, a prestigious honor in the area of Reform Jewish Education, which reflects our commitment to excellence in Jewish education.

The NATE Accreditation team wrote, "An institution accredited by the National Association of Temple Educators places Jewish learning as the central goal of the entire community, sees itself in partnership with the home and the general community, and in its practices, reflects the spirit of Reform Judaism."

8329 Ridge Road | Cincinnati, OH 45236 | 513.793.2556 | welcome@wisetemple.org