* Religious School Book Sale, August 17th from 3:00 PM  - 7:30 PM in Room 2

*New Student Orientation on September 12th

*K-7 Religious School begins September 19th

*Hebrew High School for grades 8-12 begins October 25th 

Come be a Part of Our Family! Come be a Part of Our Faith!

The Religious School at Temple Beth El is committed to helping students and their families become enthusiastic and competent active participants in Jewish communal life through Mitzvot (Commandments), Torah (Study), Avodah (Worship), and Gemilut Chasadim (Deeds of loving kindness).

A love of Judaism, Jewish values, and a strong connection to the Jewish community are developed and nurtured through formal and informal Jewish education experiences. These experiences help families bring Judaism into their homes and show how Judaism plays a role in their lives. The Religious School strives to inspire in students and families a life long love of Jewish learning.

The Religious School of Temple Beth El is a thirteen-year program that culminates in twelfth grade graduation. Students are encouraged to enter before the third grade. We have found that a stronger foundation in basic understanding of the holidays and prayers is enhanced when a child enters in Kindergarten. New students are consecrated during Simhat Torah Services and receive certificates and miniature Torahs.

Part of the success of our program is the strong support and active participation of our parents in Family Education workshop and temple-wide events. Throughout the year, we offer opportunities for families to learn informally with their children in Family Education workshops. Programs center around Jewish holidays, rituals and life cycle events. Families join together by grade for an annual Shabbat dinner and service. In addition, our youth program plans and runs an annual Purim Carnival for the entire congregation. Temple Beth El also offers Junior Choir and Junior Congregation meetings with the Rabbi.

Goal of the Religious School

The goal of Jewish education within the Reform movement is the deepening of Jewish experience and knowledge for all liberal Jews in order to strengthen faith in God, love of Torah, and identification with the Jewish people through involvement in the Synagogue and participation in Jewish life. We believe that Judaism contains the answers to the challenges and questions confronting the human spirit, and that only a knowledgeable Jew can fully discover these answers.

Primary Grades CurriculumOur curriculum for the primary years is built on the basis of concrete Jewish experience, relevant to the child’s life, upon which learning in later years can grow. Our aim in these first years is to instill a love for Judaism and to nourish the child’s own natural sources of curiosity. Parents are invited to join in a Family Education workshop once a year and are encouraged to volunteer to help during our many celebrations and learning events. We welcome and support partnership with our students’ parents. We encourage questions and are dedicated to the education of the whole family.

Diane Berg, RJE, has been a Jewish educator for 38 years earning the title of Reform Jewish Educator (1996). She earned her Principal's Certification from the Federation of Reform Synagogues, her Family Educator Certification from the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York and a re-certification by the B.J.E. and Fordham University. She was trained by the Princeton Institute for Leadership Training for the Gesher L'Kesher Program and uses these skills with our High School students.

For 11 years she was Director of the Morasha Teacher Training Program for the Suffolk Association for Jewish Educational Services of Long Island. She served a double term as chairperson of the Long Island Temple Educators Principals Council and was on the Board of the National Association of Temple Educators. Diane spent four years as Director of Education at Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, CT.  She worked in Temple Beth El's Religious School from 1972 through 1999 returning to her position in 2003. Diane is passionate about creating Jewish educational experiences that are relevant,enjoyable and memorable. She says this is the most wonderful and rewarding profession and looks forward to watching her students become honorable menschen!

The Religious School Committee offers a newsletter to keep you better informed.  To view each newsletter please click on the corresponding month.

October 2009

To View the 2010-2011 Religious School Calendar, please click here

Ilene Brown earned her undergraduate degree from University of Delaware and a Master's Degree from NYIT and is certified to teach Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade. She has been an early childhood teacher for the past 7 years and teaches Nursery School at Huntington Jewish Center. This is her third year as our kindergarten teacher!

Lucy Ezraty is a graduate of the College of Management in Tel Aviv. Previously, Lucy served in the intelligence division of Israel’s military. She has taught Religious School in Fayetteville, NC and at North Shore Hebrew Academy in Great Neck. She has been part of our Hebrew team for three years. 

Ruth Fuller is a dually certified teacher in special and regular education. She received her Master’s degree in Elementary Education from New York University and has been a teacher for the past 14 years. She was a teacher with tenure at North Shore Schools but recently left that position to focus on her work as an assistive technology specialist, providing services to Long Island school districts. Ruth teaches resource room classes and third grade for us.

Jennifer Fusco earned a Master of Science Degree in Secondary Education and a Bachelor of Art Degree in English from Dowling College.  Jennifer is an alumna of Temple Beth El Religious School. She coordinates our It’s A Girl’s Thing Rosh Hodesh Program and our High Holy Day children’s services and activities. She taught Nursery School at Temple Beth David in Commack and is presently assistant director of the Mid Island JCC Nursery School. This is her sixth year teaching grades five and six!

Stephanie Ginsberg received her MSW from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University and her Bachelor of Arts in Judaic Studies with a Minor in Rhetoric and Communication from University at Albany. She has previously been a Religious School teacher, an assistant program director at Surprise Lake Camp, a Hillel Program Director and Family Educator at the Sid Jacobson JCC and Director of Children’s and Youth Service at the Shaw JCC in Akron, Ohio. Stephanie presently works at UJA-Federation and teaches first grade for us.

Ada Gracin spent more than 20 years teaching in Long Island Synagogues. She holds a Teaching Certificate from Hebrew Union College, earned in 1970. She graduated from Pratt Institute of Design. Her additional related experiences include: Chapter President of the Massapequa Chapter of Hadassah, Educational Vice President of Dix Hills Hadassah, Regional Representative on behalf of the Struggle for Soviet Jewry and Docent at the Holocaust Educational Center in Glen Cove. Ada is a returning faculty member, having taught Hebrew for us from 1970-1980!

Jayne Greenberg has earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from C.W. Post College. She has been employed for the past five years by the Harborfields School District in a variety of positions at Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School, and is currently a Teacher Assistant at Oldfield Middle School. In addition to being a congregant, Jayne has also served as an active member of the Temple’s School Committee and was a member of the Rabbi Search Committee. She presently teaches grade four and seven Judaic classes and coordinates our High Holy Day children’s services and activities.

Cecile Gruer received her higher education in Salzburg, Austria. She became a proofreader for New Era Press and taught Hebrew at Dix Hills Jewish Center, Commack jewish Center, Temple Beth Shalom of Smithtown, Temple Beth David, The Workman’s Circle and Solomon Schechter. Cecile is a graduate of the Morasha Teacher Training program (SAJES) and their advanced training program. She became part of our Hebrew team last year.

Amanda Heller is an alumna of the Temple Beth El Religious School and has been teaching Hebrew and Culture for over nine years on Long Island to students ranging in age from five to seventy years of age! She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology where she earned a degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications. In addition to teaching our second graders, Amanda just became our senior youth group advisor.

Cantor Ilana Plutzer attended the University of Rochester where she earned a BA in Psychology and Theatre. She received her masters degree in Sacred Music and was invested as Cantor in 2000 from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion-Sacred School of Music (HUC-JIR-SSM). She served as student cantor at The Community Synagogue in Port Washington, NY, The Hartford Jewish Center in Havre de Grace, MD, North Shore Synagogue in Syosset, NY and Temple Beth Tikvah in Madison, CT. In addition, she spent two years as the Assistant Cantor at North Shore Synagogue in Syosset. Cantor Ilana has been teaching religious school music here for two years and is excited for another great year.

Wendy Isaac received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education and her Masters in Special Education from CUNY- Queens College. She is State Certified in Elementary Education and with students with disabilities. Currently, she is a substitute teacher in local school districts. In her spare time she is a Vice President of Youth at ENJC. She is an active sisterhood member and Hadassah life member. This is her third year teaching at Beth El.

Shiree Kidron, Israeli born Soprano, is a versatile vocalist and musician who appeared locally and internationally as an Opera singer, as well as a cantor soloist, oratorio and Jewish folk musical programs. For the last three summers Shiree has performed various Opera scenes with Pacific Opera in Carnegie Hall. She has received her Masters Degree in Vocal Performance in the Manhattan School of Music and her Bachelors of Music Cum Laude from Rubin High Academy of Music in Jerusalem. She has been teaching Hebrew both privately and in a classroom setting for over 7 years and this is her 5th year on our Hebrew team.

Robin Mont received her Associate Degree in Office Technology and Information Processing from Morrisville State College in 1992. She and her husband are both alumnae of our Religious School. Her son Brandon will be entering our Kindergarten in another year! This is her second year as secretary.

Florence Roffman is a graduate of the Morasha Teacher Training Program (SAJES). She is a long time Hebrew High teacher and a past president of Temple Beth El. Florence helped initiate our Re-Imagine initiative and will be teaching fourth and seventh grades.