Welcome to Temple Sinai Religious School!

Welcome to Temple Sinai Religious School!  Our dedicated staff of professional teachers provides a caring and creative learning environment for our children. Kindergarten through Grade Seven meets on Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 12:00.  During the morning, the students engage in a variety of learning experiences, including music and Tefilah.  Grades Three through Seven meets on Wednesday afternoon, as well, from 3:45 to 5:40.  Sinai High (grades eight and nine) meet two to three times a month on Monday evenings.  The Confirmation class (grade ten) studies with Rabbi Bernstein on Monday evenings.  Each grade, along with their parents, enjoys Family Education Programs on a variety of subjects including Shabbat, Rituals, Holidays, B’Nai Mitzvah and Torah.  Several times a year, we have school-wide programs coinciding with Holidays. 

Tot Shabbat is a child’s first experience with Temple Sinai Religious School.  Meeting once a month with our Cantorial Soloist, Kim Brenden Singer, children from birth to grade one, parents and grandparents have a wonderful time together.  The participants sing and dance with the Torah, listen to stories and celebrate holidays.  After the service, the group enjoys a potluck brunch together.  The building of our Sinai community begins here!  One does not have to be a member of Temple Sinai to come to Tot Shabbat.

Our combined Kindergarten/First Grade class sings weekly, attends Tot Shabbat, always has a fun art activity, and learns about the Holidays and Bible stories.  Stories, movement and Tzedakah are a big part of this class, as well.

Grade Two continues with Bible and Holidays.  Reading and recognizing the letters of the aleph-bet are introduced in grade two.  The class also learns about the synagogue and enjoys art activities, as well as music and Tzedakah.

Formal Hebrew reading begins in Grade Three.  The students learn to read and script the aleph-bet.  At the end of the year, Grade Three leads the Family Service and receives their own Siddur.  Students in Grade Three learn about Holidays, Israel and study the Bible as well as participating in music, art activities and Tzedakah.

Grade Four studies the Prophets, Holidays and their connections with God.  The students become more proficient in their Hebrew reading and study more prayers and their meanings.  The Fourth Graders lead a Friday night service.   Current events are a discussed in grade four on a regular basis, using a wonderful magazine, BaBaGanewz.  They also participate in music, Tzedakah and art activities.

Grade Five continues with reading and becoming more proficient in their Hebrew reading.  They learn even more prayers this year and begin preparing for their B’Nai Mitzvah by chanting the Torah and Haftarah blessings.  The Fifth Grade studies the Torah, current events, and Jewish History, as well as Tzedakah and art activities.  The fifth graders lead a Friday night service and the Purim Spiel.

Grade Six studies Life Cycles, Israel, current events, Jewish Heroes and begin their study of the Holocaust.  They continue Hebrew reading and becoming even more proficient in their knowledge of prayers and their meanings. The Sixth graders lead a Saturday morning family service in preparation for their B’Nai Mitzvah.  They also participate in Tzedakah and art projects.

Grade Seven has several components. The Hebrew component deals with Spirituality, as well as prayer proficiency.  The Seventh graders lead Friday night services, chant Haftarah and may even have the aliyah!  The students explore the Holocaust through a variety of ways including study, film, field trips and class experiences. Rabbi Bernstein teaches a class on Sexuality and Judaism. 

Sinai High engages in a variety of activities.  Each class meeting is a self-contained lesson. The group has a social component to it, enabling the students maintain a connection to one another and to our synagogue.  Social action is important to this group. Sinai High continues the tradition of leading Friday night services.

The Confirmation class studies Judaism, in depth, with Rabbi Bernstein.  The group designs their own service and enhances the service with their personal accomplishments. 

Meet our Wonderful Staff!

Wendy Davis Wong
Religious School Director