Religious School
“And you shall teach them to your children”
— Deuteronomy 6:7
About
The mission of the CMI Religious School is to instill students with strong Jewish identities, knowledge of Hebrew language and prayer, a connection to the State of Israel, a sense of social responsibility and respect for all people, and a life-long love of Jewish learning. We seek to provide our students with the necessary tools to create a meaningful Jewish life as an adult.
This is accomplished through a professionally supported Religious School by focusing on social action, community involvement, youth groups, tzedakah, and living the Torah in the tradition of the Reform movement. Our Religious School is guided by beloved teachers — three of whom grew up at CMI.
View our 2023-24 Religious School Calendar
Curriculum
All students are learning about and through Jewish values, Hebrew, Jewish holidays and Torah. Students will be working on the following values:
Kehilah K’dosha (sacred community)
V’ahavta l’reicha k’mocha (love your neighbor as yourself)
Hesed (kindness), Derech Eretz (proper behavior)
B’tzelem Elohim (all people are created in God’s image)
T’shuvah (repentance)
Tzedek (justice/righteous actions)
Shomrei Adamah (protecting the Earth)
Ahavat Ger (love the stranger)
Areivut: kol yisrael aravim ze be ze (special responsibilities to other Jews)
Pikuach Nefesh (saving a life)
Shmirat haGuf (guarding the body)
Hoda’ah (appreciation)
Avodah (engaging in sacred work)
Ani Adonai Eloheichem (I am Adonai your God)
Pre-K through Grade 2
Sundays 9:30 a.m.-12:00 noon
Preschool/Kindergarten: Students in our preschool/kindergarten classroom are going to be learning about our values through the concepts of self-esteem, forgiveness, tzedakah, kindness, helping the Earth, Jews around the world, emotions and feelings. Students will participate in morning circle, art projects and music. Students in preschool will be introduced to the Hebrew letters and their sounds through coloring and exploration activities. Students in kindergarten will be learning to identify letters and their sounds through small group work. Students will be learning about a Jewish holiday each month and will also be using the Creation story in their studies.
Grades 1 and 2: Students in grades 1 and 2 will be learning about values through the concepts of self-confidence, self-respect, forgiveness, goal setting, right and wrong, helping the Earth, inclusiveness, refugees and immigration, Jews around the world, emotions and feelings. Students will participate in a weekly gratitude activity, morning circle, art projects and music. Students in first and second grade will be working on Hebrew vowels, reading one syllable Hebrew words and basic prayers like the Sh’ma through whole and small group work. Students will also be learning about a Jewish holiday each month and will also be using the Adam and Eve and Noah stories and other aspects of Torah in their studies.
grades 3 through 7
Sundays, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Tuesdays, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Grades 3 and 4: Students in grades 3 and 4 will be learning values through the concepts of racism, equality and equity, forgiveness, how to achieve goals and adjust, justice and righteousness, homelessness, lifecycle events, Greater New Haven Jewish community, self- image, self-confidence, building healthy habits, and demonstrating gratitude in our lives, lifecycle events, rituals and traditions. Students will be participating in music and doing some project work. Students will be working on becoming fluent Hebrew readers using the Mitkadem Hebrew program. Students will also be learning about a Jewish holiday each month and will be using sections of Torah to enhance their values discussions, understandings and activities.
Grades 5 and 6: Students in grades 5 and 6 will be learning about values through the concepts of anti-Semitism, prejudice, identity, bias, the Holocaust, justice, immigration, the environment, and finding gratitude. Students will be working on Hebrew reading and prayer fluency through the Hebrew program Mitkadem. Students will be learning about a Jewish holiday each month and will be using sections of Torah, Facing Ourselves and History and teaching tolerance to enhance their values discussions, understandings and activities.
Grades 7 and 8: Students in grades 7 and 8 will be learning about values through questioning. Our studies will focus on who or what is God, how do I relate to my Judaism, how does my Judaism relate to the world, why be good, and what can I do. Students in grade 7 will be focusing their Hebrew studies on Shabbat morning services in preparation for their B’Mitzvah. Students in grade 8 will have the opportunity to become a madrich in our classrooms and develop a leadership role within our school.
Family Education
All grades have a family education component. Parents learn both alongside their children and separate from them, with the clergy and faculty.
Some examples of family programs:
Preschool/Kindergarten: Tot Programs, Parent Connection
First/Second Grade: Parent Connection
Third/Fourth grade: Jewish life cycles, including participating in a wedding vow renewal ceremony, ADL's Julia's Star program
Fifth/Sixth grade: ADL's Confronting Anti-Semitism program, B’Mitzvah programs, Jewish life cycles, including participating in a wedding vow renewal ceremony
Staff
We provide ongoing guidance and professional development opportunities for our staff to enhance their knowledge of child development and effective teaching strategies. We will continue to work to provide training that helps to engage and encourage our students. We provide weekly program updates through our electronic newsletter.
Special Needs
Our Religious School recognizes that children learn at their own pace. Some of our students are starting Religious School in later years and need some personal attention to get caught up with their peers. Others have social or educational needs that make learning in a traditional classroom setting more challenging. That’s why we created Yad b’Yad (“hand-in-hand”). During part of their class time, these children work one-on-one or in small groups with experienced, loving teachers who help develop their full potential.
B’Mitzvah
Celebrating with our student’s becoming a B’Mitzvah is such a special time for our community. Students learn about Judaism in the religious school, learn how to read Hebrew, and study with the Rabbi and Cantor in preparation to lead the CMI community in a Shabbat morning service. Through the process students learn confidence, public speaking skills, and develop a positive Jewish identity. We only officiate at the B’Mitzvah of members and you must be enrolled in our religious school.
Listen to the prayers/music for B’Mitzvah ceremonies.
Post-B’Mitzvah
Madrichim
Rooted in the belief that “as teachers, we learn and as students, we teach,” we encourage our students to continue their Jewish education after their B’Mitzvah. Each year, many of our Religious School graduates return to volunteer and serve as madrichim — guides and role models for our younger children. Madrichim also meet to learn and discuss teaching and education, and to reflect on other themes important to Jewish teenagers.
L’tAKEN
By invitation only, students will be asked to travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in the RAC's (Religious Action Center) L'Taken Seminar. In this seminar, teens from CMI will join hundreds of other Reform Jewish students from around the country to learn about current social justice issues and share their views with congressional leaders on Capitol Hill. This experience is enriched by participation in services, classes on current events issues, and opportunities for seeing the sites in the Nation's Capitol.