k-12 education
OUR MISSION
Temple Sinai Religious School engages students and their families in Jewish learning and meaningful experiences that inspire them to appreciate and proudly celebrate being Jewish in our community and in today’s world.
OUR VISION FOR LEARNING
We love our students.
Teaching Jewish children is sacred work. We recognize our students for who they are today and who they may yet become. Our students know their feelings and experiences are valued and that we care about them as individuals. As each child brings unique interests and skills to the classroom, we embrace these differences and create learning that is engaging and challenging. In the Reform Jewish tradition, we create an atmosphere that encourages students to reflect on and question new ideas and to find answers that work for them.
We believe Jewish learning “sticks” when it’s meaningful.
There is so much we want our students to know about Judaism and Jewish life. By helping students find personal meaning in Jewish learning, we open up the study of traditions, sacred texts, values and ethics, spirituality, history, Israel and Hebrew in ways that speak to them today. Through active learning we guide our students to discover the richness of Judaism and to develop a passion for lifelong Jewish learning and living. Our developmentally-appropriate curriculum encourages our students to apply the Jewish lessons of the past to their current lives and into the future.
We partner with families in raising Jewish children.
Whether in a classroom or at the beach, meaningful learning takes place when students and adults mutually respect and learn from each other. We encourage students to work together, as our tradition encourages us to find both a teacher to learn from and a partner to learn with. Our teachers are regularly expanding their repertoire of teaching techniques and our teenage teaching assistants serve as important role models. Because we believe parents are their children’s primary Jewish teachers, we seek to support parents in creating Jewish family time. Additionally, parents are invited to be an active and visible and part of school life through volunteering, helping teachers, working behind the scenes and attending school programs.
We best experience Judaism together.
Our students’ sense of community begins in the classroom with their peers and teacher and grows as they participate in school-wide activities, worship services, and celebrations. Through participation in temple life they learn to value the importance of the synagogue. We strive to build a foundation for our students to live their lives beyond our doors as involved members of the Jewish community both locally and globally. Likewise, our students learn to navigate being Jewish in a secular community and they acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and support to live proudly as a minority in American society.
MEET OUR DIRECTOR
Bethany grew up in Baltimore, where she was very involved with USY and even continued her religious school studies long distance after her family relocated to Sarasota. As a result, she was able to receive her diploma from a Hebrew High school. She earned a Bachelor in Elementary Education and Judaic Studies and her Master in Reading and Learning Disabilities from University of Miami. She participated in a semester abroad in Israel during her college years. She has worked in a Religious School settings for 25 years, teaching grades K-8, Hebrew and Judaics. Bethany is the Founding Director of The Gan at Temple Sinai. She teaches Kindergarten at Sarasota Suncoast Academy. She and her husband, Joshua, are the proud parents of Noah, Sage and Alix.
Click here to contact Bethany.
