Our Vision
 
Or Shalom Jewish Community Religious School helps families to provide a Jewish education for their children.  We nurture a positive, active, and committed sense of Jewish identity in our students, and teach them the knowledge and skills they need to discover their own pathways to authentic relationships with God, Torah the Jewish people, and all peoples.   

Our creative teachers and innovative curriculum prepare our students:

• to participate in Shabbat and holiday traditions and life cycle events,
• to understand Jewish history and its influence on our lives today,
• to understand Israel’s history and its current place in the world, and
• to practice Tikkun Olam (community service) in their lives.
  
  Upon completion of their formal Religious School education, our students will have the skill and knowledge to participate confidently and enthusiastically as members of the greater Jewish community throughout their lives.
  
  Our school establishes a community within the congregation by inviting and supporting family involvement.  We recognize that many parents also need the very Jewish tools we are giving to their children, and we also have thriving family and adult education programs along with our school for our children.

Classes

Yad B’Yad/Hand in Hand (Parents and tots) Sundays 10-12:00PM 2x/mo.

This Parent Participation Program for children ages 2-3 meets twice monthly, from 10:00 AM to Noon, on Sunday morning.  The program introduces basic Jewish rituals to the young children and their parents through age appropriate fun activities such as baking challah, singing songs and reading stories.  All these activities create a warm sense of connection to Jewish life and to the community. The sessions coincide with the Judaism School sessions.

Judaism School (Grades PreK-2nd) Sundays 10-12:00PM 3x/mo.

Judaism School meets three times a month on Sunday morning.  In this program, students are led through a values-based exploration of Judaism where holidays, rituals, stories, people, spirituality, and mitzvot come alive. Learning is always experiential and hands-on, activities including cooking and baking, art, drama and music related to the curriculum. The 1st and 2nd grade students begin learning Hebrew letters and Torah stories using fun and creative games and colorful workbooks.  Each grade level’s curriculum is designed to reflect on the studies of the previous year(s), while ensuring that new students with no previous Jewish education feel comfortable and able to excel.  

Parents' Circle

Don’t just drop your kids off -- stay and learn!  Whether you have a tot or a teen, you are invited to join this circle of Or Shalom parents.   We will gather each month to share and discuss issues, and learn with various experts and teachers.  Each session we will gather at 10 am at Or Shalom (1250 Quintara Street) for coffee and schmoozing and open the circle at 10:30.  We will end by noon.  Please contact our office if you are interested at (415) 242-9992 or admin@orshalom.org  We have scheduled the following sessions during Judaism School meeting times in the coming year.  All adults welcome:  

• Sunday December 6, 2009 - Celebrating Holidays in an Interfaith Home
  Sunday February 7, 2010
• Sunday March 7, 2010 - Temperament, Roles and Pigeon Holes
• Sunday April 11, 2010 - Freedom and Limit Setting
• Sunday May 2, 2010

Hebrew School (Grades 3-7) Mondays or Wednesdays 4-6pm

Hebrew School meets weekly from 4:00 to 6:00 PM on Mondays  (3rd, 4th and 5th grade), and Wednesdays (3rd through 7th grade). Our program takes students deeper into the world of Jewish Studies by focusing on Hebrew literacy, prayer, Torah study, Jewish history and holidays.  

Class size is kept small to allow for individual attention and strong bonding amongst students.  Each grade focuses on important Jewish values and concepts such as Tikkun Olam (Repairing of the World), G’milut Chasadim (Act of Loving Kindness), and T’filah (prayer). We use relevant workbooks to support our project-based learning that allows for our students’ areas of interest to remain central to their studies.