Our Approach


At BHS Religious School the purpose of Jewish education is to prepare a child for a life-long, personally meaningful and purposeful journey rooted in Judaism.  We go beyond the acquisition of knowledge.  We address the heart by exploring beliefs and values, the hands through lived ritual, service and celebration and the feet, guiding the student to stand in relationship with their classroom, synagogue and world community.
When To Begin
Families are strongly encouraged to enroll each child starting in Kindergarten.  To celebrate Bar/Bat Mitzvah at the traditional age of 13 at BHS, a child must begin Religious School no later than the 3rd grade. In other cases, families wishing to enroll a child must meet with the Senior Rabbi or Associate Rabbi Educator for an assessment and to recommend grade placement or tutoring. In such situations, the time of a bar/bat mitzvah will be adjusted to fit the level of the student.
How To Begin
Registration:

New members: You must be a member of Brooklyn Heights Synagogue to enroll your child in Religious School. Click here for information about membership
If you are already a member: Click here for a link to the online registration portal

Contact Information

To request information, registration materials, or a school visit, please contact us:
telephone: 718-522-2070 x160
email: religiousschool@bhsbrooklyn.org
address: Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, 131 Remsen Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Schedule
The Religious School year 2023-24/5784 will run from
September 2023 through May 2024.
Kindergarten (in person)

Tuesday 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Grade 1 (in person)

Tuesday 4:00pm – 5:30pm

Grade 2 (in person)

Tuesday 4:00pm – 5:30pm

Grade 3 (in person)

Tuesday 4:00pm – 5:30pm

Grades 4-6 (two options to choose from)
Hybrid: Sunday (on zoom) 10:00am-11:30am
and Wednesday (in person) 4:00pm-5:30pm
Fully in person: Monday & Wed 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Grade 7 (in person)

Tuesday 4:00pm – 5:30pm

Grades 8-10 (in person)

Tuesday 6:00pm – 7:30pm, and includes a pizza dinner! (dinner from 6:00pm-6:30pm)

Grades 11-12 (in person)
Thursdays twice a month from 7:30pm – 9:00pm at Rabbi Lippe’s home (begins with pizza and other food)
Core Curriculum
Judaics
We offer a curriculum for Judaics that exposes our students to an expanding base of Jewish knowledge and encourages an increasingly nuanced approach to Torah, Jewish identity and Israel.  To engage our students in an inquiry into how they fit into the Jewish narrative and what Judaism means to them, we begin with a joyous study of mitzvot, move on to experience and investigate Jewish holidays and ritual and then explore our student’ place in Jewish history.  As our students mature, they wrestle with Jewish text, their relationship with Israel and approach dilemmas they face every day from a Jewish perspective.
Hebrew (modern and Biblical)
Active participation in prayers and celebrations both at home and in the synagogue is the goal of our Hebrew curriculum.  We instill in our students an appreciation for the value of Hebrew as the historic, holy and living language of the Jewish people connecting Jews through time and space.  Younger students learn Hebrew organically through song and selective use of modern Hebrew in the classroom.  Third grade marks the beginning of formal Hebrew learning as students learn to read and write the Aleph Bet.  By the end of third grade our students are reading one and two syllable words in Hebrew.  Through our individualized and self-paced Hebrew program in grades 4-5-6, students learn basic Hebrew reading skills and prayer understanding.  As students move beyond the 7th grade they increasingly focus on modern Hebrew instruction in preparation for a 9th grade trip to Israel.
Tefilot / Prayer
At BHS, Religious School students in grades 4-6 participate regularly in tefilot / prayer; they don’t just learn about prayer.  They have an opportunity to develop prayer skills in an genuine and age-appropriate prayer service.  Younger students experience prayer through weekly music sessions.  Spirituality is nurtured in all grades through reflection and discussion.  In addition, attendance at congregational worship is encouraged.
Community Building and Enrichment
BHS Religious School is intentionally designed to be a safe, trusting space for sharing and growing.  Each day at BHS contains opportunities to build and sustain the classroom community.  Whether students participate in a sharing circle or cook together, they are building friendship bonds that will last.
Faculty
“Everything depends on the person  who stands in front of the classroom . . .
It is the personality of the teacher which is the text that the pupils read,
the text that they will never forget.”
-Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

 

Our teachers are selected based upon their ability to connect with and engage our students, their capacity to transmit their passion for Judaism in creative ways and their willingness to be a role model.  Our teachers are experienced in both formal and informal Jewish education with backgrounds as leaders in Jewish summer camp and youth group. Most of our teachers are currently graduate students, in the arts, young professionals or full-time staff in our preschool.