Religious School

Stay informed about all the school events and youth activities at Olam Tikvah. Send your e-mail address to otrs@olamtikvah.org to receive all the e-mail notices.

The school office is open during religious school hours.  If you need to meet with someone specific, please call first.  Materials may always be left with the main office.

The Fall 2010 Welcome Package is available on our Calendar, Forms & Fees page, together with the Handbook.  Please see the August Contemporary for more information about the first day of school.

OT's curriculum introduces children to Jewish rituals, history, and values.  We want our students to develop a strong connection to Israel.   Our Hebrew program emphasizes the ability to read and understand the siddur, so that our children will always be comfortable in synagogue.  We study Jewish holidays in all grades, sometimes coming together as a school for celebrations and other times celebrating in individual classrooms.

Debra Beland

Michelle Pearlstein

Debra Beland
Director of Education and Youth Activities

Debra is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she worked in Jewish education during college as a teacher at the Jewish Community of Amherst. After moving to Virginia, Debra taught religious school at Temple Micah of Washington, D.C., on the weekends while working full time as an assistant editor at the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Debra subsequently became Temple Micah’s Education and Youth Activities Director, filling that position for seven years. In 2007, Debra joined the staff of the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, where she served as Director of School-Age Programs and Informal Jewish Education. Her work at the JCCNV included serving as Director of the Before and After School Enrichment (BASE) program and Director of Camp Achva.

Michelle Pearlstein
Education Committee Chair

Michelle is a long-time member of Olam Tikvah with a strong background in Judaics.  Before taking on the responsibility of chairing the Education Committee, Michelle taught in OT's religious school.  She works closely with the Director of Education and Youth Activities, the rabbis, committee members and parents to ensure our religious school provides students with an outstanding Jewish education.

Beth Felsen

Beth Felsen
Administrative Assistant

Beth has many years of experience with the religious school. A former chair of the Education Committee, Beth now spends much of her time in the school office keeping everything organized.  Hers is the face and voice many parents encounter first when they contact the religious school.

First Day of OTRS

Sunday, September 26

We look forward to welcoming our 2010-2011 OTRS students into our new space for the first day of religious school. All registered students should have received welcome packets with information about their teachers and what they’ll be studying throughout the year.

Parents are invited to join Debra Beland from 11:15am-12:00pm in the Ulam (the gathering space outside the OTRS office), to discuss what’s planned for this school year and to ask questions. We’ll conclude our first day with singing and a blessing for our new space.

 Grades 8-10 Opening Session: Parents Invited

Grades 8-10 will have their first class at 6:00pm on Sunday, September 26. We’ll begin the evening with an introduction to this year’s programming; parents are invited to attend this opening session. We encourage students who are still considering high-school programming at OTRS to attend this first meeting, even if they are not currently registered. Come and hear what we have planned, and ask your questions. Reconnect with old friends, and make some new ones, too!

Still Time to Register for OTRS

If you have not yet registered your child for OTRS, it’s not too late! Just contact the school office at (703) 425-3237 or otrs@olamtikvah.org.

3800 Glenbrook Road · Fairfax, Virginia  22031 · phone 703-425-1880  · fax 703-425-0835  · info@olamtikvah.org

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