Youth & Family Education

Registration for the 2025-26 school year is now open!

50% discount on tuition + $180 introductory membership for new families!

Congregation Beth El offers engaging, personal and experiential Jewish education for young learners of all ages, from toddlers to high school seniors — and we don’t forget those who raise them!

What makes Beth El different?

Jump to:

  • Beth El is a small congregation with two dedicated professional educators on staff in addition to our team of talented and devoted teachers, as well as a rabbi and cantor who are intimately involved in all our educational programs.
  • We believe that having intimate classes is an advantage. It allows us to craft our curriculum and programs for each and every student and provide the personal attention that our learners — with all their diverse needs — deserve.
  • Young families are invited to join us for a family-friendly musical Shabbat Service on the first Friday night of every month.
  • We always welcome new and old friends to participate in our young family activities regardless of congregational affiliation or membership. Our programs are inclusive and open to all families.
  • While Jewish education sometimes tends to fade out after b’nai mitzvah, that isn’t the story at Beth El. Our teens program is unparalleled in its quality and breadth of offerings, and virtually all our students stay actively engaged through high school graduation.

Read on to learn about Beth El’s educational journey.


BEginnings

BEginnings is a monthly Sunday morning introduction to Jewish education for families with children 0-5 years old. Each morning includes a light bagel breakfast, and Kehilla (community) time, followed by parallel child and parent programming.

  • 9:30-10:00am — Play, schmooze, eat! Enjoy a dedicated playing area filled with toys, as well as bagels, coffee, and hot cocoa.
  • 10:00–10:15am — Kehilla (community) gathering, led by Beth El clergy
  • 10:15–11:00am — Parallel sessions for parents and kids:
    • Kids age 3-5 go to our preschool room to engage in Jewish arts and crafts, storytelling, and playtime led by Beth El teachers.
    • Parents and younger children stay with our clergy for collaborative educational sessions focusing on Jewish parenting, holiday how-to’s, and more — most importantly, forming connections with other local Jewish or interfaith families.

Schedule

BEginnings dates for 2025-26 are:

  • September 7
  • October 5
  • November 9
  • December 14
  • January 11
  • February 8
  • March 8
  • April 12
  • May 3
 

Enrollment

The program is free for all Beth El members. Non-members can choose between an annual admission for $195, or pay per individual session, $24. 

All new BEginnings families can also take advantage of one, free, intro session!

Register here

Don’t Miss Out! Beth El introductory membership is now offered for $180, and includes free admission to all BEginnings, Pajama Havdalah, and First Friday events!

For questions and additional information, don’t hesitate to reach out — email BEginnings@bethelsudbury.org.

All are welcome!

While Congregation Beth El is affiliated with the Reform movement, our culture allows for members who identify with different denominations to feel at home. Beth El is also known for, and takes pride in, being a warm and welcoming home for many interfaith families, and families from the LGBTQIA+ community.

 


Pajama Havdalah

PJ Havdalah is a monthly program for folks in their 20s-40s, with or without kids, who are interested in a friendly, low-key setting to connect with others like them. 

The first part of the evening is for the whole family, and the second part is just for adults, with childcare for all ages provided by certified caregivers.  

  • 5:00pm – Family Dinner
  • 5:30pm – Family Havdalah service led by Beth El’s clergy
  • 5:45pm – Childcare handoff
  • 6:00pm – Adult time at Beth E’s lounge – fancy snacks and adults beverages included!

Schedule

Pajama Havdalah dates for 2025-26 are:

  • September 13
  • October 25
  • November 22
  • December 20
  • January 31
  • February 28
  • March 28
  • May 30
 

Enrollment

The program is free for all Beth El members. Non-members can choose between an annual admission for $249, or pay per individual session, $36. 

Register here

Don’t miss out! Beth El introductory membership is now offered for $180, and includes free admission to all BEginnings, Pajama Havdalah, and First Friday events!

For questions and additional information, don’t hesitate to reach out — email youth@bethelsudbury.org.

All are welcome!

While Congregation Beth El is affiliated with the Reform movement, our culture allows for members who identify with different denominations to feel at home. Beth El is also known for, and takes pride in, being a warm and welcoming home for many interfaith families, and families from the LGBTQIA+ community.


Elementary Education

BE InSpirEd (K-7)

“BE InSpirEd” stands for Beth El Innovative Spiritual Education. We believe that education should be fun, engaging, and a source of wonder and natural inquiry to our learners. Learners in preK to grade 7 get together every Sunday morning for a healthy blend of community time (kehilla) and Hebrew and Jewish learning. Starting in the 2025-26 school year, one Sunday morning a month will be held outdoors where our students and families will engage in innovative Earth-based Judaism programming!

BE InSpirEd meets every Sunday morning, from 9:00-11:30am. Our Sunday mornings include:

  • 8:30am — Bagels, hot chocolate, coffee and schmooze (ptional)
  • 9:00am — Communal song time, which we call Kehilah, the Hebrew word for community, led by Rabbi Josh and Cantor Vera
  • 9:30am — Hebrew Language based on skill level
  • 10:00am — Project-based learning rooted in Jewish tradition

In addition, students in grades 3-7 are offered weekly Hebrew classes online in a timeframe that works for them with one of Beth El’s excellent Hebrew instructors.

Curriculum

Our curriculum bridges Project-based Learning with traditional Jewish text, values, and stories. We take advantage of the arts for students to express their learning, including but not limited to 3D creations, technology, quilting, cooking and theatre.

Every 4-6 weeks, students present a project that captures their own unique, developmentally appropriate analyses of Jewish concepts they’ve tackled in class. For example, after learning about several torah portions connected to the idea of mitzvot (commandments,) each age group completed projects rooted in discussions of the topic. The mitzvah project produced by Kindergarteners was very different from the one created by 7th Graders, but the key questions were overlapping and recurring. This approach is designed to promote sustained engagement with relevant topics over time. In this way, students find their own way in our tradition!

Teaching Staff

We are fortunate to work with a gifted and passionate teaching staff. Two of our current teachers have significant experience teaching in area public schools. One grew up in Lincoln and is a graduate of the program! All three are active members of our community outside of their classrooms. Most importantly, they guide our students toward compassion and intellectual curiosity. Our teachers are supported by five amazing madrichim (teen teacher assistants), who help provide individual attention to our students, while inspiring them with their kindness, curiosity, and maturity.

Inclusion

Beth El in general, and BE InSpirEd in particular, is very inclusive of LGBTQ+ people of all ages, and takes great pride in having a large number of interfaith families who call Beth El their home. This continually applies to the students of BE InSpirEd. All are welcome–always.

Our teachers – several of whom have special-ed backgrounds – work tirelessly to make BE InSpirEd a supportive place for all learners. Sometimes we duplicate accommodations that work during the week. Sometimes we fashion unique methods for students. As a private synagogue program, we have ample flexibility. 

Tuition

Grades K-2: $875
Grades 3-7: $1,150 (online Hebrew included)
* First-year families receive an automatic 50% discount on tuition.

Like everything at Beth El, finances should never be a barrier to engagement. More details in the online registration form.


Teens

J-LOFT

Enroll now for the 2025-26 school year!

Beth El is home to J-LOFT (Jewish Learning Opportunities for Teens), a regional collaboration among several synagogues that offers a rich variety of academic and experiential Jewish explorations, including our flagship subsidized travel programs:

In addition to these popular travel programs, all our teens in grades 8-12 get together two Sunday nights a month for an evening of community (with dinner), fun, and learning, led by a team of local clergy and educators. To learn more about J-LOFT, visit jloftboston.org.

While J-LOFT is a collaborative program, Beth El members are privy to additional activities such as family nights, holiday celebrations, a fall retreat, and temple overnights.

Special Programs

Torah Class

In the year leading up to their bar/bat mitzvah, students and their families study with Rabbi Josh and Cantor Vera in our Torah Class that culminates in a family Shabbat retreat. Together they explore questions of Jewish identity in the 21st century, role-play issues in Jewish ethics, and draw close together as a mutually supportive community.

Holidays

The Jewish holidays are a special time at Beth El, when students and their families are invited to participate in special programming tailored to their specific age group. Our educators, along with Rabbi Josh and Cantor Vera, create a different and unique experience every year to bring to Jewish holidays to life.

First Fridays

Every first Friday of the month, the entire education community is invited to take part in a musical, interactive, short (!), and enjoyable kabbalat shabbat, and dinner! We start at 5:30pm with Tot Shabbat, followed by dinner at 6:15, with services going from 7-8pm.

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