Talmud Torah and Shalhevet (TBI Religious School)

The religious school operates for children of members during the nine month school year. Younger children (preschool through 2nd grade) attend on Sunday mornings, and older children (3rd through 7th grade) meet twice a week. Shalhevet students (8th through 12th grade) meet once a week. The school also offers an outstanding B'nai Mitzvah program.

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Mission Statement

TBI Talmud Torah is dedicated to providing students from pre-Kindergarten through High School with a strong foundation in Jewish practice, prayer and ritual, history, Israeli life and culture, the Hebrew language, and ethical concepts, in order to help our students develop a positive Jewish identity and an appreciation for and understanding of our shared responsibility for the future of the Jewish people here, in Israel, and throughout the world.

The curriculum is designed with the understanding that the role of Talmud Torah and Shalhevet is to act as a supplement to a Jewish home and synagogue life. When students study what is relevant to their daily lives, they become more capable and apt to make their own decisions from a standpoint of Jewish commitment and knowledge.

Guiding Principles

The Vitality of Ritual and Tradition: Our students and families learn about and experience the joy and comfort of joining generations of ancestors as we learn and enjoy prayer, music, dance, art, and the rituals of the Jewish holidays and lifecycle events.

Parents and Families as Citizens of our School Community: Talmud Torah and Shalhevet School can only achieve its goals if parents and families think of themselves as partners in the school. Talmud Torah asks parents and students to seek ways to support the school, understanding that volunteering and sharing needed skills are critical to our success. We also ask for parents to get to know their children’s teachers, and to communicate a clear message of the importance of Jewish education at home.

Progressive, Pluralistic Judaism: Talmud Torah teaches an approach to Judaism that reflects the TBI community’s membership, which is pluralistic and progressive in its Jewish life. We embrace the motto on TBI’s letterhead, which states that TBI is “a center for Jewish life embracing traditional wisdom with contemporary insight.” We teach respect for the wisdom of tradition and respect for the different approaches to Judaism found within TBI and in the wider Jewish world. We also teach and model a progressive approach to Judaism, including egalitarianism, gay/lesbian equality, the welcoming of interfaith households in the community, and respect for other religions.

Jewish History: Our curriculum includes a broad study of Jewish history from biblical times to the present. Our text books focus on the diversity of the Jewish experience, striving to help students understand that Jews have lived in many parts of the world under many different conditions, and that one of the most interesting and wonderful aspects of Jewish history is that such a scattered and geographically disconnected people has maintained a sense of unity and people hood over the millennia.

Israel: The rebirth of Israel as a modern state carries great meaning for Jews everywhere. Our curriculum emphasizes our connection to the people, the culture and the places of Israel. Our students study history, geography, and current events in an environment that celebrates the richness and diversity of Israeli culture and encourages a positive connection to the Israeli community. As with all our areas of study, we welcome diverse points of view on Israeli politics among our students and staff.

Hebrew Language: We first orient our children to the aleph-bet and the rudiments of Hebrew reading, and then develop their reading skills with a primary focus on Siddur (prayer book) Hebrew. We also include some focus on Hebrew comprehension and vocabulary skills. Talmud Torah is continuing to enhance its Modern Hebrew language offerings, and The Shalhevet Program offers a Modern Hebrew elective for high school credit.

Tikkun Olam and Tzedakah: We see ourselves as G-d’s partners in making the world a better place. Learning to care for the earth, to seek social justice, and to show concern for all people and their needs are just a few of the principles we glean from the moral laws of Torah. We regard Tzedakah as not simply charity – although this is an important practice which we include in our classrooms – but as the performance of righteous acts for the benefit of others. Students do volunteer work in the TBI and wider community, including visiting nursing homes, preparing meals and playing with children at homeless shelters, cleaning the synagogue building, and helping out during community events.

Educational Methods and our Approach to Learning: Talmud Torah uses an integrated curriculum, meaning that diverse strands of different educational content are taught through a variety of teaching methods and classroom activities. We strive to accommodate different learning styles as best we can, given limited resources. We seek to offer our teachers basic tools and periodic training in core educational areas, so that they can be successful in their classes. We will continue to explore ways of enhancing our training and support of our teachers through various in-services and conference opportunities.