Welcome to Sinai Temple Religious School, STARS!~
Sinai Temple Religious School (STARS) Registration
Register your students online here!
Sinai Temple Religious School (STARS) is back this fall, starting Sunday September 12th.
What to expect? STARS will continue to take place on Sunday mornings, with a robust schedule from 9:30-11:30am. Read our Fall 2021 COVID Statement here and stay tuned for scheduling information about weekly Hebrew learning. In addition, you can read about an exciting prospect of creating a joint religious school with Beth El in 2022 here.
Feel free to reach out to Molly with questions. We can't wait to have you back!
For further information:
(413) 736-3619 x116
molly@sinai-temple.org
About Our Religious School
Our school combines knowledge, caring, creativity, respect, and dedication to provide positive Jewish learning for all of our students.
Our religious school serves students ages K-10th grade, and this year we are also piloting a preschool class for kids ages 2.9-5. At STARS, we strive to create a rich learning environment for both students and families that centers on Jewish values and the innate magic within our tradition. Our school meets Sunday mornings from 9:30-11:30am and includes a songful family service led by Rabbi Master and Molly Bajgot. We welcome LGBTQ families, interfaith, blended and BIPOC families; families who are new to our community and families who have been long-time members. You need not be a member of Sinai Temple to attend.
Philosophy and Vision
Through the experiences in our Religious School, every student will have the skills and knowledge to form a Jewish identity that will change with their life experiences and remain an essential part of their individual self. Students will know that they are welcomed into the Sinai Temple community and larger Jewish community however they are, as an individual created b’tzelem Elohim בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִים /in the Divine image – however they perceive God.
Curriculum
This year we are implementing a Jewish Values-Based curriculum designed by Shalom Learning. This interactive curriculum helps children develop a positive Jewish identity. It is based on values we all share, such as “Using your inner strength to do what’s right” and “Taking responsibility for your actions.” All students study the same values throughout the year, with each grade applying an age appropriate lens.
Director of Religious School & Youth Programs
Molly Bajgot is our incoming Director of Religious School & Youth Programs at Sinai Temple. Most recently she served as the Assistant Director of Jewish Life at Congregation B'nai Israel (CBI) in Northampton, overseeing the religious school, teen life, young family & B'nai Mitzvah programs. During that time she also served as the Havurah Coordinator for the Harold Grinspoon Foundation Havurah Initiative, supporting the Northampton Jewish community to organize peer-led micro-community groups.
Prior to her work at CBI, Molly served as the Western Mass Organizer for the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA), was a housemate at the Kavod Social Justice house in Boston, MA, and a JOIN for Justice Fellow in 2015. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College and has a degree in Sustainable Food and Farming from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Molly has a strong passion for song and ritual leadership, and she looks forward to sharing that with the Sinai community.
To contact Molly, email her at molly@sinai-temple.org
Meet Our Teachers!
This is Morah Nina's first year at Sinai and she's excited to work with our Pre-K students! She has worked a wide range of jobs from growing food to processing trash, and has always found grounding in Jewish community.
She is excited to explore this wide world and deep tradition with your little ones. We're so excited to have Nina with us this year!
K-2: Morah Helene Shapiro
Morah Helene is so excited to be back with her K-1 students and now also 2nd grade! She has been teaching at Sinai for 8 years, however she's been a teacher since 1989.
She loves her work and her students so much, and because of this she travels back and forth one hour from Connecticut each time she comes in! We're so glad to have Helene back.
3-4: Morah Norma Garde
Morah Norma has been teaching at Sinai Temple for over 20 years! Throughout that time, she has taught grades 1-4. Over the years, she has also worked with children of all ages having been involved in girl scouts.
In addition to her work at Sinai, Norma currently works in retail and has a small home business creating various paper crafts, invitations and greeting cards. We're so glad to have Norma with us again.
5-6: Morah Phyllis Katz
Phyllis has taught Judaics in every grade from 3rd to 10th at Sinai; An accomplished educator, she has her teaching license to has won the Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.
Prior to teaching, she was an attorney who in Springfield and coached over 500 children grades K-12 in basketball. Phyllis and her husband live in East Longmeadow and have 2 cats and four children. We're excited to have Morah Phyllis back this year!
Grade 7: Morah Levanah Lieber
Heather "Levanah" Lieber lives in East Longmeadow with her husband, David, and 4 daughters, ages 13, 11, 7 and 3. They have a small farm known as Levanah Farm, which raises chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats and sheep.
Levanah is a naturalist and she loves sharing her passion for tikkun olam as it relates to the environment. We're grateful to have Levanah back with us this year teaching 7th grade!
Religious School Calendar
click for PDF calendar here | Google Calendar below
