UPCOMING EVENTS

Spaces are filling up! However, we still want to extend an invitation for members and non-members to come and enroll!

Enroll NOW with the following Religious School Registration Forms


Don't Forget to Register for FALL 2011!!! The Religious School Office is OPEN - please call us with questions 301.587.2273 or email school@templeshalom.net!

HELPFUL LINKS
- Cantor Levine's B'nai Mitzvah Prayer Music
- Religious School Handbook 5772




RABBI RACHEL ACKERMAN
JoinsTemple Shalom Senior Staff as New
Rabbi-Educator/Director of Education

Temple Shalom is delighted to welcome newly ordained Rabbi Rachel E. Ackerman to our
congregation and our community as a Rabbi-Educator, serving as our new Director of Education.

Rabbi Ackerman is originally from Westfield, NJ. She attended Brandeis University as an
undergraduate, with majors in psychology and sociology, minors in Hebrew and Judaic studies
—and a certification as a pre-school educator. She continued her studies in both the rabbinic
and education programs at our Reform movement seminary, the Hebrew Union College-
Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), earning her Master of Arts in Jewish Education from
the Rhea Hirsch School of Education of HUC-JIR in 2009, and being ordained as a rabbi at
the Los Angeles campus of HUC-JIR this past May.

Rabbi Ackerman acquired extensive experience and training during her student years. From
2008 until last month, she served as the Rabbinic and Education Intern at Temple Isaiah of
Los Angeles, CA, where she served as the director of Tiyul: Shabbat B’Yachad, a Shabbat based
family education program that served as an alternative to religious school. Additionally
she has worked over the past number of summers as the Director of Education and Unit Head
at the Union for Reform Judaism Camp Newman, and has served as the student rabbi of Har
Shalom in Missoula, MT, and Chaverim of Jewish Family Service. She completed the first level
of chaplaincy certification in clinical pastoral education at the Robert Wood Johnson
University Hospital of New Brunswick, NJ, and she has a special interest and developing
expertise in issues relating to diversity, disability and accessibility, and inclusion. Additionally,
she is very interested in interdenominational Jewish dialogue and Jewish community efforts on
issues of global justice.

Outside of the Jewish institutional setting, Rabbi Ackerman loves the outdoors and is an
avid runner. She was a competitive cross-country and track runner throughout high school
and college and has completed the last three Los Angeles marathons. Therefore, she looks
forward to doing quite a bit of exploration of the Washington area by foot!

Rabbi Ackerman brings her many talents to our education program and our entire
congregation. In addition to her role with the school, she will (as have our previous Directors
of Education) coordinate the Shabbat Morning Worship and Study service, join in pastoral
visits and leading shivah services, and serve as a teacher and leader of programs and services in
a variety of settings and for congregants of all ages. As a rabbi, and as the third Rabbi-
Educator to serve our congregation in this role, she also joins our clergy team in ongoing
presence and on-call coverage alike, and provides an added reach for life-cycle needs and
community service, as time and opportunity allow.

Temple Shalom offers an exceptional and comprehensive program of Reform Jewish education, taught by a creative and dynamic faculty who are dedicated to creating a warm, rich and in-depth Jewish experience for all our children and adults.


Our Temple Shalom Religious School Mission captures the depth of commitment that our school has to Judaism as it is reflected in the Talmudic passage, “On three things the world stands, Torah (study), Avodah (worship and service), and G’milut Chasadim (deads of loving kindness).

Want to know more about our Religious School? Click on Handbook or email school@templeshalom.net.

Temple Shalom Religious School Family Handbook
Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12
The world is based upon three things:
        Torah, Avodah (worship) and Gimilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindess).   
        Al shlosha devarim ha’olam omed, al haTorah, v’al haAvodah, v’al Gimilut Chasadim. Pirke Avot 1:2
The complete Religious School Handbook for 5772, 2011-2012, has information about our school and all programs.
Click on Religious School Handbook 5772

Registration is open to all Temple Shalom members and perspective members for the 2011-2012 - 5772, school year. For a registration and emergency information form, click on Registration Forms. If you have any questions, please email school@templeshalom.net.

CHAI SCHOOL - CATCH OUR UNIQUE PROGRAM!
Take a Look at Our CHAI School Program for 8th and 9th Graders!
CHAI School will never be the same! Choose Option 1, our traditional Sunday evening program of study, or from six other Options for our 8th and 9th grade students.
Sunday Evening 6:00-8:00. Core classes and electives on Sunday Evening.

OZRIM - Student aide program in our Sunday morning Religious School. Work in our classrooms as a Ozer, helping our students and teachers. Available Early and Late Session on Sunday.

CHOIR OR BAND - Join our Choir or Band under the direction of Cantor Lisa Levine.

JYPI - Jewish Youth Philanthropy Institute prepares students to be the future philanthropists of the world. For information go to JYPI.org. Scholarships are available.

TIKKUN OLAM - Please email the .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) For this program we will be setting up an individual schedule for you.

Retreat Packing list
Directions to the Smith Center
Map to the Smith Center

Don't miss an opportunity to meet with kids throughout our NFTY-MAR Region! Regional events are the place to be!! For more information and for parents and students to learn about our TaSTY programs click on TaSTY-pdf.

How do I learn more about NFTY-MAR and Regional Programs? Just click on NFTY-MAR News,

How do I sign up for a NFTY-MAR program? This year, registration for all NFTY-MAR is on-line. Click on NFTY-MAR.
The username and password are available from the Religious School office or Rabbi Feshbach at 301.587.2273.

NFTY - North American Federation of Temple Youth
MAR - Mid-Atlantic Region

The Temple Shalom Religious School strives to create a vibrant Jewish environment for our families as we partner in their Jewish journey of life-long education. We are proud to be creating new and innovative ways to reach out to our students and parents.

The Religious School Tzedakah Belt Din
We are very excited to have our students take a decision making role in our school by creating our Tzedakah programs for the year. The Beit Din was originally a Rabbinic Court, established in ancient times that decided questions of religious law and appointed judges. Today, the Temple Shalom Religious School Tzedakah Beit Din consists of students in Kindergarten through 7th Grade and is responsible for our Tzedakah, Tikun Olam programs for our school throughout the year.

Thank you to Scott Kravetz, Chief Justice of the Beit Din, for all his work with our students. The Beit Din is made possible by an Initiative in Congregational Education (ICE) Grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Click here to sign-up for the .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Temple Shalom Youth Choir!
Meet new friends and prepare for our Family Worship Services and other programs with Cantor Lisa Levine. Our TSY Choir meets from 10:45-11:15 on Sunday during school. Students in grades 2-7, bring your love of music and join us each Sunday. For information call the religious school office or Cantor Levine at 301.587.2273.

Teacher of Torah, Leaders of Prayer
Our Religious school helps children prepare for Life Cycle events like your child's Bar/Bat Mitzvah. To see a copy of our Teacher of Torah, Leaders of Prayer (TTLP) B'nai Mitzvah Planning Guide, click TTLP.

The Web Is An Amazing Jewish Place!
As you surf the web, you may find the following sights along your web Jewish journey.

Visit Davka Corporation. Leaders in Judiac software. Fun activities for all ages.

Sign up for the URJ's daily email, "10 minutes of Torah" and you will receive a one-page email each day on a topic of Jewish interest.

MyJewishLearning.com – subtitled, “The Personal Gateway to Jewish Exploration”. A trans-denominational website of Jewish information and education geared toward learners of all ages and educational backgrounds.

Our school begins with classes and activities appropriate for students as young as pre-school age. As students approach the age of 13, we guide their families through a bar or bat mitzvah experience that is rewarding, meaningful and family focused. Students continue to learn and participate in the Temple community through our 8th and 9th grade chai school and 10th grade confirmation programs. Many of our oldest teens remain involved and complete our post-confirmation program.

We also offer many educational opportunities for parents, including grade specific family education activities, Torah study, book discussion groups, and holiday programs.

Through a wide variety of participatory activities, such as youth group events, retreats, musical programs and holiday celebrations, we foster a strong sense of community, especially among our students and their families. Some of these include:

• Age-Appropriate Worship Services – including monthly Tot Shabbat and Friday Night Family Services led by each grade in our religious school with the musical accompaniment of the Temple Shalom Youth Choir.
  
• Youth Group Activities – with events such as our chocolate seder and holiday parties for younger children, and bowling and social events for teens.
  
• Holiday Celebrations – such as our annual neighborhood sukkah buildings, Purim spiel reading of Megillat Esther (with a costume parade), and Women’s Passover Seder.
  
• Community Outreach – including Social Concerns Shabbat Services, Mitzvah Day activities, cooking for S.O.M.E. and working at Shepherd’s Table, and participation in other special community events.