Bnai+Jeshurun-+Handout


 * BUILDING A LEARNING COMMUNITY FOR BJ CHILDREN**
 * AND THEIR FAMILIES**

//The world stands on three foundations—Torah, prayer and loving acts of kindness// -//Avot 1:2//


 * OUR** **MISSION****:**

To ignite the desire and provide the capacity for informed and passionate involvement in Jewish life, and active participation in the BJ community and the Jewish community at large, by our children and their families.


 * OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES:**

1. **LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES WILL REFLECT BJ’S CORE VALUES.**

Learning experiences will be designed to build connections between families and the congregation, and to reflect BJ’s commitment to:


 * TORAH**, as our children and their families explore Jewish traditions and texts to grow their own Jewish souls and identities;
 * AVODAH,** as children and their families are invited to engage in tefillah (prayer), and to follow a path to deeper Shabbat observance; and
 * GEMILUT HASADIM,** as children and families participate in our renewed mandate to pursue social action and social justice.

2. **LEARNING TOGETHER WILL BUILD COMMUNITY, THROUGH ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF CHILDREN, PARENTS AND TEACHERS.**

The excitement and joy of Jewish living and learning is sparked where learning takes place in community. Each child, each family, and each teacher will be invited to enter into a covenantal relationship to our community and to each other as learners.

Learning experiences at BJ will seek to build community within the larger congregation, by fostering meaningful connections among teachers, parents, and children. It is for each of us to nurture these connections and relationships in order to build the community to which we aspire.

3. **LEARNING AT BJ WILL BOTH CHALLENGE THE MIND AND REACH FOR THE HEARTS OF OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES**

We set ourselves two equal, and demanding, tasks: to provide a true Judaic foundation, and to inspire our children with a love of Judaism. To support our belief in this principle we will:


 * Embrace a variety of venues and opportunities for learning, both inside and outside the Hebrew School setting;
 * Create a clear progression of age-appropriate learning from a young age to adolescence, building towards a mature and informed participation in Jewish life and in the community;
 * Provide our children with a strong foundation in
 * Prayer book Hebrew
 * Jewish ritual life, including celebration of Shabbat and holidays
 * Historical and other Jewish narratives;
 * Expose our children to text study as a central form of Jewish learning;
 * Connect learning to action reflecting BJ’s commitment to social justice; and
 * Build strong connections between Jewish values and the challenges and opportunities of daily life experienced by our children.

4. **WE WILL EXTEND** **A WELCOMING HAND TO OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.**

In building a community of learners, we will draw inspiration from the experience of communal prayer at BJ, where we are each invited to enter, in our own way, a place of profound spirituality. Learning experiences for children and their families at BJ will similarly reach out with a welcoming hand. We will be respectful of the diverse Jewish backgrounds of the members of our community and the many paths we each follow towards greater knowledge and commitment to observance.

5. **WE WILL HONOR** **OUR TEACHERS**

Our teachers serve as role models and inspiration for our children and their families. We commit to providing human and financial resources to support the recruitment and professional development of our teachers.


 * 6. OUR PROGRAMS WILL BE STRENGTHENED BY ONGOING EVALUATION AND OUTREACH INTO THE FIELD OF JEWISH SUPPLEMENTARY EDUCATION.**

As we continually re-imagine, renew and re-energize our BJ learning community, we believe that it is critical to:
 * Engage in on-going assessment and evaluation of the success of our efforts, in consultation with affected constituencies;
 * Draw upon ‘best practices’ and innovations in the field of supplementary Jewish education; and
 * Contribute to the developing knowledge base in the field of Jewish education by sharing our experiences and successes.

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