Education
Pre-School
The Temple offers a Preschool class which is open to non-affiliated families. The class meets approximately once per month on a Sunday from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. The class is attended by both parent and child.
Religious and Hebrew School
The Religious School meets once per week on Sundays from 9:00 am to 10:30 am (first session) for Kindergarten through grade 7. Hebrew School begins with grade 3 and continues through grade 7. The Hebrew School meets two times per week, on Sunday mornings from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon (second session) and Wednesday afternoons from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, for grades 4 through 7. Grade 3 meets only on Wednesdays. Our Hebrew School staff are paid professionals. Our Religious School staff are volunteers from the Temple, who are truly dedicated to enriching the lives of our congregation students. Both schools are administered by Rabbi Allison Berry.
Family Education
During the school year the Temple offers many Family Education programs. In December we offer a Chanukah enrichment program, which may include classes on latke making, menorah making, wax catcher making, Chanukah trivia, and Chanukah music. In January we offer a three week intersession enrichment program which may include sessions on baking, yoga, music, dance, art, sign language, studying miracles, and studying Torah. The two programs are open to parents and family members, as well as Temple members without students in the schools.
During the school year, parents are requested to occasionally attend school classes with the students, and there are Family Education components usually scheduled for each grade. Shabbat evening dinners are planned to take place immediately before Friday evening services for selected grades to encourage students and their families to gather socially and pray together. Two other significant social events for the students and families include the Purim Carnival in March and the (end of school year BBQ picnic) Sunday Funday in June.
Special Education
The Temple offers a Gesher L’mod class, for teenagers, age 14 years and up, with physical and / or academic disabilities. The class meets approximately every three to four weeks. The class is open to non-affiliated families. For information about enrollment, please contact the Temple.
Prozdor High School Program
Temple Beth Daivd is associated with the Prozdor program and proudly assists in sending a large number of students to the post Bar / Bat Mitzvah high school program each year. The Temple offers a Confirmation program to those students completing the high school program. For more information about this program, please contact Rabbi Allison Berry.
Adult Education
Temple Beth David strives to encourage, through various programming, an understanding that Jewish learning is life long and experienced in a variety of settings and media. Adult Education programming may include courses offered by the Rabbi; courses offered by members of the Temple or by instructors from outside the Temple; lectures; forums; book discussions; special Shabbaton programs; and cooperative ventures with area Temples or other organizations. Recent past programming has included an education series on Abraham Joshua Heschel which culminated in a lecture by Susana Heschel, his daughter; a lecture by Naomi Levy; tallis making; challah baking; a trip to the local Mikvah; a trip to the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA; a presentation on Elder Care and the Medicare / Medicaid system; a presentation by holocaust survivor Thea Ashkenaze; and a debate between legal professionals on Living Wills and Health Care Proxies including a discussion on the right to die. The Temple offers an adult beginning Hebrew class and an adult intermediate Hebrew class.
