JEWL
Temple Israel’s learning community
for kindergarten through high school.
JEWL is Jewish Experiential Whole-Person Learning, Temple Israel’s learning community for kindergarten through high school.
JEWL inspires a love and passion for Judaism grounded in Jewish values and nourished by art, music, and the natural world. As learners connect with Jewish heritage, texts, Hebrew language, and Israel, they see themselves reflected in Judaism and develop a sense of belonging. Exploring the diversity of Jewish traditions and wrestling with ideas about God, community, and spirituality supports our students in making life choices rooted in Jewish wisdom.
JEWL is a home for diverse Jewish backgrounds and experiences, learning styles and needs, abilities and disabilities, and genders and gender expressions; people of color; LGBTQ people; and interfaith families.
Kindergarten through second grade Classes meet on Sunday mornings.
View details for Kindergarten through second grade classes.
Third through sixth grade
Classes meet on Sunday mornings and Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons.
View details for third through six grade classes.
Middle JEWL
Classes meet on Sundays and include special experiences of community to deepen relationships among learners, such as our five 6th-grade Shabbat experiences and four 7th and 8th-grade Shabbat experiences. Learners also develop leadership skills as they prepare to celebrate becoming b’nai mitzvah.
View details of Middle JEWL classes.
High School JEWL
JEWL’s High School years provide opportunities to deepen connections with peers and Temple Israel’s clergy. Learners build their personal Jewish identities as teens while tackling the challenges of being a citizen of the world. Each Wednesday evening session includes snacks for all learners together.
View details of High School JEWL classes.
JEWL’s educational philosophy is rooted in these principles:
Relational Judaism
JEWL cultivates a culture of kindness so that our learners experience a sense of belonging, form positive memories and develop friendships. We learn with partners, in small groups, and as a class.
Experiential & Project-Based Learning
JEWL encourages exploration, playfulness, and discovery and often encourages learning to work toward a meaningful concrete outcome.
Whole-Person Learning
JEWL addresses and honors the intellectual, physical, social, emotional, ethical, and spiritual aspects of learners' lives within and beyond the classroom. We layer the curriculum to expand the previous year’s content and challenge our learners to go deeper as they grow as members of their families, the wider community, and as global citizens.