Religious School
Religious School
2023 RS Poster
Registration is open for the 2023-2024 school year!

Welcome to Temple Shaaray Tefila’s Religious School

Our Mission

We strive to help students love being Jewish. Our teachers are role models who show our students what it means to feel special and valued in our community. We believe that children who feel loved at synagogue will grow up to be adults who are drawn to places where Jewish learning and living happen, that they will find joy in the ebb and flow of Jewish holidays, comfort in Jewish spaces when they are in need, and will approach the possibility of raising a Jewish family with intentionality and excitement. 

Supporting Our Mission 
  • We understand that Religious School is a long term investment in the legacy of your Jewish family. This cannot be measured in charts and tables, or prayers memorized and recited, but rather, in the hearts of our students and in the Jewish life of their family. 
  • We aim to use the rich and beautiful history and culture of our people to foster a sense of community and belonging.
  •  We strive to raise young Jewish students who are excited to keep learning and who can’t fathom their lives separately from their Jewish identity. 
  • We hope to instill an understanding that kindness, patience, grace, and service to others is living Jewishly and that their leadership will frame the next era of synagogue life in America.  
  • We work tirelessly to ensure that our school is a safe place for our children, so that when they are in need they will find meaning, hope, trust and love in our holy community. 
What does this look like? 
  • Joy in Judaism 
  • Confidence in how to participate in Jewish life: Holidays, Torah, Hebrew, Israel, History, Prayer, and more. 
  • Comfort in the stories of our past.
  • Teachers and Teen TA’s who are Role Models for our younger students.
  • “Temple” friends, to walk through Jewish life with and celebrate milestones together.
  • Tikkun Olam, making the world a better place through giving Tzedakah, teaching about social justice issues, and how to take action.
  • Project-Based Learning infused in every grade to make each class meaningful and personal.

For the 2022-2023 school year, we are excited to announce a new option for K-3rd grade which responds to the needs of our community.

We offer an introductory monthly PreK program on Sundays or a weekly PreK program on Mondays open to current members, as well as families who are not yet members of Temple Shaaray Tefila, for those interested in experiencing what our school has to offer.

We know that the wisdom of Judaism has the power to support us and our children and we plant to have more community-wide events, opportunities for family learning, and exciting in person learning on Sundays for grades PreK-6th Grade or Monday afternoons for K-3rd grade, Monday evenings for 7-12th Grade, and online 30 minute small group Hebrew on Tuesdays for our 3rd-6th Grade students.

Students may enroll in one of two options for children in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade: An in person program weekly on Sunday mornings from 9:00-11:30am with a 30 minute virtual small group Hebrew lesson for 3rd graders on Tuesdays, or an in person program weekly on Mondays from 4:00-6:00pm for K-3rd grade with a 30 minute virtual small group Hebrew lesson for 3rd graders on Tuesdays.

4th-6th grade meets weekly on Sunday mornings from 9:00-11:30am with a 30 minute virtual small group Hebrew lesson for 4th-6th graders on Tuesdays,

Our 7th Grade students will attend Monday evenings, 6:00-7:10pm in person each week, with separate B’nei Mitzvah preparation tutoring arranged through Joanne Pass.

To reap all the benefits of our multifaceted program, we encourage parents to enroll children in Kindergarten through 12th Grade, but we welcome students at any point in their Jewish journey. We offer an introductory monthly PreK program open to current members, as well as families who are not yet members of Temple Shaaray Tefila for those interested in experiencing what our school has to offer.

Questions? Please do not hesitate to call us in the Religious School office at 212-535-0912. We look forward to getting to know you and developing relationships with each of you during the year.

Registration for the 2020-2021 school year coming soon…

My child is in…

PreK-5th Grade

Our classroom-based PreK-5th Grade program is infused with a love and passion for Judaism, inspiring our students to become lifelong Jewish learners.

Learn more about our Religious School