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Registration and Calendar

Contact Madeline Pimentel-Diaz at madi@tbetacoma.org or Olivia Goodwin at olivia@tbetacoma.org with any questions that you might have regarding the registration process.

Religious School Registration

2023/2024 Religious School Registration Letter

July 1, 2023

Shalom Families and Students,

The 2022-2023 religious education school year was one filled with new experiences, community building, and learning made fun.

This year, we will build on our program to offer even more opportunities for learning, connection, and community. Through class learning, exciting events, and volunteer opportunities, TBE religious school seeks to give you—our students and families—a deeper connection to Judaism, to the temple community, and to living Jewishly in today’s world. Throughout the year, students will be able to join us for Sunday school, youth group activities, holiday programing, Hebrew school, special programing, and more!

Parents and family members will also have the opportunity to be involved. By volunteering and participating in programing, you can make a powerful statement to all of our religious school kids that Jewish learning is a lifelong process and that we are all invested in creating these experiences for them.

UPDATES FOR THE 2023–2024 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM

Our first year back in person served as an opportunity to evaluate every aspect of our program—from our facilities and services to our curriculum and extra-curricular programing. We have spent much of the last few months reflecting on what has worked well, developing meaningful goals for our program, and ensuring sustainability for future generations. We took into consideration many factors such as learning tools, materials, equipment, teachers, class size, space, and more.

We noticed that a number of updates were needed, especially in the areas of curriculum, learning environment, and financial sustainability. Over the summer, we are planning to revise and restructure our curriculum for Sunday mornings to be more hands-on and engaging, allowing students to explore the various ways that Judaism brings meaning into our lives. We also plan to incorporate more Hebrew into our Sunday program to increase students’ connection with Hebrew as a living, spoken language. Our Wednesday Hebrew program will also see some changes to help our students learn more effectively and efficiently. We are especially excited to explore offering alternative Hebrew options for those who cannot make Wednesday afternoon Hebrew work in their schedules.

We know that the best curriculum and materials can only do so much if students aren’t in an inviting and comfortable learning environment. To that end, we have already started making some changes to our space. Many of you have already seen our expanded and accessible youth library and new Kindergarten classroom. We have also acquired new chairs to fit students of different sizes and movement needs and cleared rooms of excess furniture.

Our full review of our religious education program has also shown that our tuition does not come close to covering our expenses. Synagogues have always subsidized a portion of youth learning expenses because we highly value our children’s Jewish education. Nevertheless, we have not raised tuition in approximately a decade despite increasing costs, and our tuition is significantly lower than that of other Puget Sound area religious schools.

To ensure that we remain financially sustainable and can continue to serve our youth with quality experiences, we are announcing a 10% increase in tuition. Even with this increase, we still have one of the most affordable Jewish education programs in the region. If, however, your family needs financial assistance, please fill out our scholarship application.

CO-OP PRESCHOOL

Thanks to the coordinated efforts of current teacher, Stacy Lappin and new team member, Hannah Goldstein, our Sunday co-op preschool program is now full-time. Please note, temple membership is not required to enroll in preschool.

HEBREW SCHOOL

Hebrew education formally begins in 3rd grade and continues through 7th grade (or beyond under special circumstances). Students in these grades are expected to attend Hebrew weekly. In-person classes will take place on Wednesday afternoons and will be arranged based on each student’s skill. We recognize that Wednesday afternoons do not work for everyone, please inquire about potential online options.

YOUTH GROUP

We encourage students between the ages of 11–18 to join our vibrant Beth El Temple Youth (BETY) group. BETY offers meaningful Jewish opportunities for socializing, participating in social action, and having fun. Membership in Temple Beth El is not a requirement for joining. For more information, please contact Madi at madi@tbetacoma.org.

Stay connected with school activities and events by checking the weekly Shabbat Shalom email, visiting the Temple Beth El website, following the Religious Education Facebook page, and reading the bulletin. I am available to meet in person, via Zoom, or by phone to answer any questions or to schedule a tour. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are eager to assist you in any way we can.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at (253) 564-7101 or madi@tbetacoma.org.

Madeline Pimentel-Diaz
Religious Education Director

School Registration 2023-2024

When registering, you will have the option of paying in full or selecting a payment plan. If you choose a payment plan, the first payment will collected at the time of registration and is non-refundable. Financial aid scholarships are available to lower the financial barriers to attending religious school. You may check the box on the registration form and an application and instructions will be sent to you. You may also reach out directly to Dan Miller by email at scholarship@tbetacoma.org.

General Information About Registration
To register, please use the link at the top of this page or register through your member portal. If you are not a member of TBE, please note that only the co-op preschool program is available. If you have any problems accessing your account or have questions about registration, please contact Madeline Pimentel-Diaz at
madi@tbetacoma.org, Olivia Goodwin at olivia@tbetacoma.org, or call the office at (253) 564-7101.

Hebrew School: Hebrew offers students the opportunity to learn not only how to decode and decipher the Hebrew language, but also a chance to understand prayer language, and chant Torah trope. All 3rd–7th graders are expected to attend Hebrew school, and will automatically be enrolled in Wednesday Hebrew classes when you enroll them in religious school.

Co-op Preschool Registration: For our littlest learners, our co-op preschool gives growing and expanding Jewish minds the opportunity to explore the Jewish worlds with their parents through play, song, stories, art, and other projects. You do not have to be a member of Temple Beth El to register your child for Sunday co-op preschool.

Tuition Fees

  • Co-op Preschool–2nd Grade: $670
  • 3rd–7th Grade: $975 (includes Wednesday Hebrew)
  • Hebrew High: $425
Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784