During last month’s Board Meeting a momentous decision was made. The
Board voted overwhelmingly to end Religious School fees. This means that no
longer will parents be charged a fee for enrolling their children in our
Religious School. In their wisdom the Board understood that the obligation of
educating our youth is a shared responsibility. Making educational
opportunities affordable and accessible for all our members increases Jewish
knowledge and strengthens our Jewish community. Ahad HaAm, the founder of
cultural Zionism, stated, “Learning, learning, learning; that is the secret of
Jewish survival.”
To be a Jew is to be a learned person and to be learned is to be engaged
in Torah study throughout one’s life. Temple promotes educational opportunities
to young and adult alike. For the young school begins in pre-Kindergarten and
continues through Confirmation or Chai School graduation (16 or 17 years of
age). Adults also have a vast selection of learning opportunities: Torah Study,
Prophet Study, Adult education offerings, Hebrew classes, the Aleinu Series,
Scholar in Residence weekends and the Downtown Study group.
I applaud the Board for reminding us that we are all “Life Long
Learners” and that the responsibility of making educational opportunities
available rests on the shoulders of all our members. And for this we as a
community can be very proud!
In Peace,
Rabbi James Scott Glazier
