RELIGIOUS SCHOOL REPORT	Magda Reyes, Educator
	Karen Jimenez, Chairperson, Religious Education Committee

Late summer seems to be a time of anticipation, anxiety and change. As I am helping my daughter move yet again to a new apartment and picking out new school supplies with my son, I can’t help but reminisce about the past late summers of getting ready for new classes, new teachers and new friends. I remember hoping that the children will be happy with their new surroundings, grow in meeting new challenges and yet retain all that I have taught them at home. Every year that they take increasingly greater steps towards independence, I hope that they retain a little bit of home.

A big part of what they carry with them is their Jewish identity. Their Judaism defines who they are, influences the decisions they will make, guides them in times of indecision, factors in picking a friend, and colors their outlook of the world around them. Learnt in religious school and reinforced at home, they absorbed values and morals we considered most important. During their years in a Jewish preschool, through religious school to confirmation, they learned about ethics, tradition, history and culture that was a part of us and now is a part of them. I know that their religious training, in combination with their academic schooling, will serve them well when they are on their own.And I hope that their mother’s chicken soup brings them back!

As the teachers and I prepare the Religious School for the new school year, we try to keep in mind that the focus of the curriculum, besides the academics, is to instill in children a sense of pride in their own heritage, to teach about the world around them, to provide a link with the past and an excitement for the future, to impart a knowledge of the rich history and traditions of their religion and to model our values. As they step out on their own, whether it be to middle school, high school or college, we will be sure that they carry with them a knowledge and commitment to Judaism.
I am looking forward to sharing a full year of Jewish learning and growth with you.

See you in September!

Religious School Calendar
September 2010

Sunday, September 12

• FIRST DAY OF RELIGIOUS SCHOOL,
  K-7TH grades, 9am-11:30am
• Days of Awe service, 10:45am-11:30am