Applications for the 2022-2023 Religious School Program at CBI are now open!
Registration will take place via our Shulcloud membership portal; if you need assistance in setting up your Shulcloud account, please let us know
Enrollment in CBI’s Religious School is open to CBI members in good standing. If you are interested in joining our community and enrolling in our Religious School, please reach out to our Program Director, Chelsea Ferguson, to begin the conversation.
Financial circumstances are NEVER a barrier to full participation in Jewish life at Congregation Beth Israel, including our Religious School program. To discuss scholarship opportunities, please connect with our Education Administrator, Elisabeth Pierson.
Click here for a message from Education Director Ben Sandler | Click here for our most up-to-date Religious School Calendar | Click here for our 2022-2023 Religious School tution |
We are still finalizing our full schedule of family programs, holiday celebrations, and more for the coming year, but here are a few exciting sneak peeks.
Pre-K and Kindergarten students should be dropped off at 9:45 AM and picked up at 12:15 PM at the Flanders Street entrance to the Sherman Education Building. Click here for our pick up and drop off map. | First through Fifth Graders should be dropped off at 9:45 AM and picked up at 12:15 PM on the CBI Plaza at the tents we will have set up for each grade. Click here for our pick up and drop off map. | |
Middle Schoolers should be dropped off at 9:45 AM and picked up at 12:15 PM on the CBI Plaza at the tents we will have set up for each grade. Click here for our pick up and drop off map. | High Schoolers should be dropped off at 12:30 PM and picked up at 2:00 PM at the Schnitzer Center. |
Pre-k – 7th Grade Students: 9:15 AM -12:15 PM on Sundays
In addition to Sundays, IHP students meet Thursdays from 4:30-6:00 PM; our new hybrid program allows for weekday meetings via Zoom.
8th – 12th Grade Students: 12:30-2:00 PM on Sundays
It is the challenge of the Religious School to touch the heart and soul of every student through the study of Judaism. The school creates an environment where students learn to be comfortable being Jewish. Younger students experience Judaism through their senses; music, art, cooking and stories expose them to the richness of Jewish culture. Intermediate students search for answers to life’s questions through an exploration of Jewish values and feelings. Older students develop awareness for our rich history and modern Jewish community. They are encouraged to apply Jewish concepts to social action and personal decision making. A successful Religious School program incorporates Jewish learning into a child’s developmental stages leading to a foundation of ethical Jewish values and a deep pride in our People’s way of life.
Sundays, 9:45am to 12:15pm
Beth Israel Religious School is for students in Pre-Kindergarten through grade 5. The school calendar closely matches with the Portland Public School calendar, beginning in September and ending in May.
Specialty Classes and Activities
Our Religious School is an arts integrated program. Each week, students attend specialty sessions for music, dance, drama and visual arts.
Integrated Hebrew Program (IHP) and Hybrid Program
Grades 3, 4, & 5 IHP classes meet on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in addition to regular Religious School on Sunday mornings. Students in this program receive all the regular Hebrew School curriculum as well as learning reading fluency, vocabulary, t’filot (prayers) and root word forms. IHP students grow to understand the beauty of the Hebrew language through our “Hineni: Hebrew Through Prayer” curriculum. A hybrid version of this program, for those interested, allows students to meet once weekly in person and once via Zoom.
Gan – Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
Our Jewish world is brought to the classroom through a hands-on approach to synagogue life.
Kitah Alef – Grade 1
Extends the study of who the people are in the Temple, how and what we celebrate.
Did you know? The Union for Reform Judaism CHAI Curriculum is designed to facilitate lifelong Jewish learning. It focuses classroom learning on 3 strands: Torah, Avodah (love) and G’milut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness). All of our CBI 2nd through 5th graders learn from this curriculum which brings the home and school together.
Kitah Bet – Grade 2
Students begin developing personal connections and learn about the power of the 3 strands.
Kitah Gimel – Grade 3
Students refine their own understanding and definition of k’dushah (holiness).
Kitah Dalet – Grade 4
Students start to see a direct relationship between being a member of a community and our behaviors.
Kitah Hay – Grade 5
Throughout this year, the theme of Reform Judaism and the power of community will connect the 3 strands.
Sundays, 9:45am to 12:15pm
In grades 6&7, learning becomes more sophisticated/
Sundays, 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
8th grade and High School students are ready for the next step on their Jewish Journey, and to begin establishing their leadership within our community. They start their day with lunch and socializing with friends and then break off by grade to explore subjects such as Jewish identity, comparative religions, Jewish history and social justice.
In grades 8-12, there is advanced study of what it means to be on a Jewish Journey and the emergence of becoming a Jewish leader in the community.
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