Diamond Family Religious School
Jewish learning is a lifelong habit! The Diamond Family Religious School believes it has an excellent curriculum of Judaic and Hebrew studies which services students from Kindergarten to seventh grade. Our program develops generations of informed, committed, educated Reform Jews, knowledgeable of their heritage and proud of their history and values. Our faculty is composed of individuals dedicated to helping us reach this goal. Many of our teachers are either professionals or educators in the outside school systems. Together, we strive to provide our students with the tools to be active Jewish adults in the future as well as engage them in a way that enriches their present Jewish lives and helps them to develop their own memories.
Religious School Documents
Description of our Program
Our program is based on three complimentary components, family, Jewish habits, and Hebrew, designed to strengthen Jewish identity and enrich Jewish lives. We are constantly striving to make Judaism an integral part of who they are and what they do. At Temple Emanu-El, we take seriously the idea that we are all each other's Jewish role models with a focus on strengthening the Jewish family as the prime conveyor of Judaism. Jewish identity development depends highly on family modeling and involvement. When families embrace Judaism together, they send the message to the children that Judaism enriches our lives as young people and adults, and that it is a central part of who we each are. We do our best to keep parents informed about what goes on in school, give them the tools to continue discussions and apply learning at home, and invite them to be a part of school activities, FREC (Family and Religious Education Committee) and family programs.
The second component of our program is Jewish habits. The school’s curriculum was developed around six Jewish habits. We use the word “habit” because it refers to something that is an integral part of one’s life. We want the following behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes to become a regular part of the lives of our students so that they are living a Jewish life, applying Jewish values, and identifying as Jews even when they are not in synagogue or at religious school.
- Oneg The habit of marking time according to the rhythms of Jewish life
- Torah The habit of study
- Tefilah The habit of struggling with God within the context of community
- Tikkun olam The habit of making the world better based on our Jewish values
- Tikkun middot The habit of making ourselves better based on our Jewish values
- Kesher The habit of perceiving the world as it relates to the Jewish people and forging connections with Jewish people past, present, and future
The third component is Hebrew. Hebrew is a doorway to Jewish education, connecting us to sacred texts, modern Israel, the synagogue, and Jewish people around the world. Students learn Hebrew terms for Jewish values, basic vocabulary, and prayers. They also learn key Hebrew words and Biblical verses and are introduced to Modern Hebrew. We believe that Jewish living and learning are enriched by knowledge of Hebrew.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Religious School Office at : 770-352-9190.