:: Religious School

Washington Hebrew Congregation offers an innovative, experience-filled, and substantive opportunity for our Congregation’s children to learn about Judaism through our religious education program. The Congregation offers parallel programs at both the Temple and the Julia Bindeman Suburban Center for children in Kindergarten through tenth grade.

In the Primary Years (Grades K – 3), students attend once/week, developing a comfort with Judaism and the synagogue, and a love of being Jewish.

Children begin learning Hebrew in fourth grade, when our twice/week program begins. In the fourth through seventh grades, students combine learning Hebrew with other Jewish subjects that vary from year to year, and include Bible, Jewish Life Cycle, Modern Israel, the American Jewish Experience, and Jewish History. Of course, holidays are reviewed annually, and Jewish values are incorporated into every grade’s experience. Special Education classes are available in Hebrew upon consultation with the Religious School Director. The Religious School incorporates in its teaching arts & crafts, music, games, and computer materials.

Our eighth and ninth grade program is referred to by the Hebrew term “Havayah”, meaning “adventure”. Students in these grades participate in one semester of once/week classes and one semester of three Retreat Weekends at a Retreat Center. During these years, students are exposed to issues surrounding the Holocaust, Jewish and personal identity, comparative religion, issues surrounding Israel and the Middle East, and many others. During these adolescent years, teens are exposed to issues that can help them solidify their Jewish identities as young adults.

The pinnacle of our program is our tenth grade, Confirmation year. During this year, our students meet with our clergy on a weekly basis, grappling with significant Jewish theological issues. Among the highlights of the Confirmation year are the annual New York trip and the Confirmation Retreat.