Religious School
Through our Religious School, Sinai is committed to guiding children toward an awareness of the spiritual dimensions of daily living, which we hope will mature into a life-long personal faith. We inculcate a positive Jewish identity that celebrates the beauty and values of our tradition, and yet links us with people of all faiths, races and cultures. The Classical Reform tradition emphasizes a strong grounding in ethical values, which enables children to apply Jewish understanding to their everyday experiences. We are particularly committed to helping children and their parents blend Jewish values and traditions with the principles of living as full members of American society. We recognize that many of our children live in homes in which more than one religious tradition is present. We strive to give children a sense of pride in their Jewish identity, while respecting other traditions.
Sinai’s Religious School is open to members’ children from kindergarten through ninth grade (Confirmation). Two separate but parallel programs are offered to meet different families’ needs: a Sunday morning program (grades K-8) or a Wednesday after school program (grades 3-8 only). Confirmation Class meets on Sunday afternoon. Sinai does not hold supplementary Hebrew classes for religious school students, and classes are not primarily geared toward bar/bat mitzvah preparation.
Heidi
Kon, Director of Education, joined Sinai in 1997. She was educated
at the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago. She
has worked in Jewish education for over twenty-five years, teaching and
developing curricula for all age levels. A licensed clinical social
worker, Ms. Kon also has major experience in the human service field. At
Sinai she has worked extensively on religious school curriculum development
and teacher training, and has developed a wide array of adult education
programs. She instituted
Sinai’s successful madrich (counselor) program for high
school students. She lives in Oak Park with her husband, Will
Jones, and their three sons.
Call the temple office for more information on our religious school curriculum as well as our bar/bat mitzvah philosophy and practices.