Religious School – General Information
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ADMINISTRATIVE CONTACTS
Michael Witman
Director of Lifelong Learning
(212) 507-9528
Jayme Epstein
Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning
(212) 507-9529
Em Besthoff
Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning
(212) 507-9526
Yael Greene
Program Coordinator for Department of Lifelong Learning (Downtown)
(212) 507-9544
Isabel Robin
Program Coordinator
(212) 507-9546
General Office Contact
(212) 507-9546
www.emanuelnyc.org
FACULTY
We endeavor to build a faculty of distinction, by hiring creative, passionate professionals to be our educators, who model the values and ideas of our Jewish Reform community and inspire a journey of lifelong learning. Through faculty meetings, supervision, evaluation, and professional development opportunities, faculty members will have the opportunity to learn and grow as educators.
APPLICATION AND TUITION
2024-25 Religious School application forms will be available soon. To view current tuition rates visit the registration page. Previously enrolled students should email to receive the link to their personalized, pre-populated registration form if they have not already received it. For more information or to receive a full packet of materials, including the Religious School calendar, email us or call 212-507-9546.
Tuition may be paid at www.emanuelnyc.org/payment. Financial support is available through the Greenberg Scholarship fund.
In order to register a student for Religious School, at least one of the student’s legal guardians must be a member of the congregation. For membership information, call the Membership Department at (212) 507-9519.
Note: Non-members may register their student for our program, for an additional cost but may only attend in person as a non-member for one year, after which the family must join Temple Emanu-El to continue in our school. Only members can schedule a B’nei Mitzvah date. Your child must be continuously enrolled in our Religious School in order to confirm and maintain a date. Learn more about Membership at Temple Emanu-El
Refund Procedures: All dues and fees associated with the Congregation Emanu-El Religious School are nonrefundable.
SECURITY
Strictly enforced at all times.
Please be advised that our security officers have the right to inspect any individual as he or she enters or exits the Marvin and Elisabeth Cassell Community House (One East 65th Street), the Sanctuary (Fifth Avenue and 65th Street), or the Goldsmith Religious School Building (10 East 66th Street).
The Temple Religious School provides security and safety supervision for students arriving or departing by bus or by car, as well as for students arriving by foot at the doors of 10 East 66th Street. The Temple cannot maintain security for those students being dropped off or picked up at any other location.
SCHOOL CLOSINGS
School closings – such as in cases of inclement weather conditions – will be communicated to Religious School families via email; please make sure we have your current email address on file. Or, families may call the Religious School office at 212-507-9546. We will also post closing announcements on our website.
CELL PHONES
Students are requested to keep cell phones OFF during Religious School hours. Should you and your child need to make contact, you can reach each other through the Religious School Office: 212-507-9546. If a student needs to make an important call to parents or guardians, they must seek permission from the Religious School Office. If phones become a distraction, teachers or Department of Lifelong Learning staff will collect and return them at the end of the school day.
ATTENDANCE
It is critical that each student attend class on a regular basis in order to learn the material covered throughout the year. Therefore, we expect that students be present every week school is in session.
In the event that a student must miss a session, parents are asked to contact the Religious School office in advance so that we may notify the teacher and arrange for appropriate make-up work as needed. If we are not notified of an absence in advance, then parents should expect a phone call from their child’s teacher to make sure that everything is okay at home.
STUDENT CONDUCT
Our school is one in which all individuals, whether students or staff members, expect to be treated fairly and with respect. All of our students, from youngest to oldest, are participants in the creation of an environment conducive for learning. Students are expected to be courteous and respectful at all times, to cooperate with teachers, and to follow class rules.
In the older grades, students take greater responsibility for setting the classroom norms that allow them to most benefit from each lesson. We expect our students to take their role as stakeholders in the learning experience seriously by arriving ready to fully participate in class each week.
COMMUNICATIONS
We endeavor to keep families informed about all that is going on in the school and our programs for Emanu-El families. The Religious School utilizes email for most communications but also uses postal mail occasionally throughout the year. To remain informed, we ask families to update our office – 212-507-9546 – if their contact information changes.
Join the conversation! Grown-up community chats can be joined via WhatsApp:
Uptown Religious School Families
Downtown Religious School Families
Remind: Temple Emanu-El Religious School uses Remind to notify grown-ups of emergencies and important logistical changes/updates. To join the Remind group, please email Assistant Director, Jayme Epstein.
HEALTH AND LEARNING NEEDS
We aim to support the specific needs of every child in our program, and we strive to create and maintain a healthy environment for all children. If a child has any special health or learning accommodations, then please let us know by speaking with someone in the office or by documenting additional supports on the registration form.
All of our school faculty and administration are trained in CPR and the use of an Epi-Pen. School personnel are not permitted to dispense medication to our students. If your student carries an Epi-Pen, please complete the Epi-Pen emergency form.
LOST AND FOUND
Lost-and-found items are kept in the Religious School office. Students who find an item without identifying information should bring it to the Religious School office. If a student loses something, parents should contact the Religious School Office as soon as possible, and we will make every effort to recover the lost item.
SNACKS AND FOOD
A light snack is provided for all students in the classroom during school and in the Early Room prior the start of school. Students also may bring a small snack from outside, preferably to be eaten prior to the start of the school day. Because of food allergies, we endeavor to keep our building free of nuts and foods containing nut products.
Please note that food and beverages are not permitted in the Lowenstein Auditorium or in the Fifth Avenue Sanctuary. If you would like to further discuss food allergies with the school, please contact – 212-507-9546. If your student carries an Epi-Pen, please complete the Epi-Pen emergency form.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Throughout the year, both in class and at special events, we take photographs of our students and their families. These photographs are used for our end-of-the-year slideshow at our closing assemblies. We also post photographs of school and family activities on sections of the congregational website, on congregational social media channels and in promotional materials.
It is our policy to never identify any children by name in our materials. In cases where Religious School students have earned special recognition or achievement, we will contact parents or guardians for permission before posting an announcement. Parents who do not wish for Congregation Emanu-El to use photographs of their children on our website or in our publicity should please indicate this on their registration form or contact the Religious School Office.
KIPPAH / YARMULKE
Regarding kippot, the Religious School takes its direction from our senior rabbi, Joshua M. Davidson: “The kippah…a custom, not a commandment…instills humility before the Almighty, reminding us of God above.”
We are a Reform Jewish congregation, when it comes to ritual traditions, we support personal choice based on learning, reflection and experimentation. In that spirit, students in our Religious School experiment with the wearing of kippot and other Jewish traditions. Kippot are available for use in our prayer spaces, so that students and parents will have the opportunity to make their own choice about whether to wear one or not each time they enter a prayer service. Students always are welcome to bring their own kippah from home.
B’NEI MITZVAH
We are excited to guide you into deeper engagement with the Jewish tradition, people, and faith as your child studies to become Bar, Bat, or B’nei Mitzvah. In preparation for your family’s ceremony, we have designed a process to make this rite of passage even more meaningful for our students and families. Along this path you will have opportunities for one-to-one meetings with our clergy, and joint learning sessions with other B’nei Mitzvah families. Learn more.
OFFICE HOURS
Sunday | 8:00 AM– 1:00 PM |
Monday | 10:00 AM – 6:30 PM |
Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Thursday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
The office is closed on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as on Jewish and legal holidays.
During summer vacation our office is open:
Monday – Thursday | 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM |
Friday | 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM |
Articles by Director of Lifelong Learning Emeritus Saul Kaiserman
Ideas in Jewish Education and Engagement — The Jewish Federations of North America — November 2018
The Golden Age of Religious School Education — Temple Emanu-El Bulletin — March/April 2018
The Case for Tzedakah in Jewish Education — eJewish Philanthropy — July 2015
New York, NY 10065
212-744-1400