No Religious School – no matter how excellent it is – can make Jews out children without the active participation and support of the parents! To be effective, Jewish education MUST be a partnership between the school and the home. Below are ways that you, the parent, can become a fully active partner in this process:
Be a “Dear” Volunteer!
Or Ami has always been and continues to be a congregation made possible by the efforts of its congregants. Please help us in any of the capacities below:
Substitute Teacher (volunteer or small stipend)
Teacher Helpers support the teacher, adding another caring adult presence in the class, either long-term or short term.
Education Committee meets once a month and is responsible for supervising the school, setting policies, and developing the curriculum. For more information, contact chairpersons Sue Shires and Dell Berlinerman.
Room Parents assist classroom teachers upon request, make phone calls, help with snack schedule, organize class dinners, etc.
Office Helpers answer the phone, count Tzedakah, make copies, etc.
Special Events Committees help to plan, manage, and execute special events including Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Teacher Appreciation, and the family picnic.
Public Relations person sends out announcements about upcoming school events open to the public
Be a Role Model!
There can be no question that it is the parents who will be their children’s most important role model. Here are some things you can do:
Make Shabbat a regular part of your week and Jewish holidays a regular part of your year. Have dinner together on Friday nights. Light the Shabbat candles. Say the kiddush over the wine and the motzi over the challah. Come to Temple to pray. Do a havdallah ceremony on Saturday evening.
Fill your home with Jewish books, music, and artwork. Put a mezuzah on your doorpost.
Be positive about Jewish education. Don’t tell them that you hated Sunday School – it’s actually much more fun no. Let them know how important it is to you that they learn.
Continue your own Jewish education. There are many opportunities at Or Ami and in the wider Richmond Jewish community. Contact Rabbi Koller or the Religious School for more information.
Do an ongoing family mitzvah (good deed). Visit the infirmed and shut-ins. Feed the hungry. Cheer up the depressed. There is so much to do towards tikun olam (“the repair of the world”).
If you want your child to grow up to be a mensch (a good, ethical person), then be a mensch yourself. Treat people the way you would want your child to treat others. Remember, he/she is watching!
For more information about the Or Ami Religious School, contact:
