Religious School

Marian Gorman, Director, Education and Youth Activities

Photo by Lisa Friedman

About Marian Gorman: Marian has been involved in Jewish education since 1986. She holds a Master’s Degree in Jewish Education from The Jewish Theological Seminary, in New York. Marian is married, with two sons, two daughters-in-law and a bunch of grandkids. She and her husband, Allen, love camping and hiking. Marian works with teachers, advisors, students, parents, rabbis, school board and youth committee members, and various Jewish community organizations and associations to ensure the vibrancy and relevance of your child's Jewish experience.

See the 2007-2008 Registration Packet (PDF) for enrollment materials, and the school Handbook for more information about our curriculum and goals.

(above) Choosing a book from the religious school's Grade K-2 STAR reading library.

(below) Grade 5 has a great time celebrating Purim.

Our Curriculum

We want our children to want to live their lives as Jewish individuals within a Jewish community. With this in mind, we teach:
Torah: The history of our people, our mitzvot—our laws and ethics.
Jewish Living: Our holidays, rituals, and celebrations.
Hebrew: The language of Torah, prayer, and the modern state of Israel.
Prayer: How to pray from the Siddur; how to pray from the heart. How to pray for the community; how to pray for oneself.
Israel: What it has meant throughout the generations, and what it means to us and to the world today.

Friday Night Home Rituals

Welcome Shabbat at home with this convenient guide (PDF), including blessings in Hebrew, transliterated Hebrew, and English.

School News from Marian Gorman, 5/8/08

Grades K-6

We continue to celebrate Israel@60! On Tuesday, OT was rockin’ with the sounds of Lenny Solomon and “Shlock Rock.” A big, big “Thank You” to Nechama Retting for organizing the concert. We happily note that the concert was funded in part by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s Initiative in Congregation Education (I.C.E.) grant program. Additionally we received donations from the Hausfeld and Farling families, Z-Tov, and Hoffman and Hoffman PR among many others.

The opportunity to say Thank You is one of the perks of writing this newsletter. Thank you to John Baer for speaking to the 7th grade about his experiences during the Holocaust. Thank you to Talia Schmitt for sharing her interview with a Holocaust survivor. Thank you to fourth grade teacher Dan Noble for creating our Israel@60 banner, which will be on display at the National Mall on June 1. Thank you to the third grade for buying a Monopoly Game for a birthday present to Israel.

High School

Please see the community service program possibilities that you have been waiting for, together with a feedback form. You can also read a copy of the original email that is being sent to all families of 8th through 10th graders.  (All are in MS Word format.)  I hope you will read them and discuss them with your families. To echo Rabbi Kalender, your input and buy-in is crucial to a successful Jewish education for your teens. Please return the feedback form to the school office by May 15.

Dates to Remember:

Junior Congregation and Shorashim meet May 3, 10 and 31.

Sundays, April 20 and April 27: Pesach, no classes.

Tuesday, April 22: Pesach, PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY FOOD INTO THE SYNAGOGUE.

Sunday, May 4, 6:45pm: Confirmation parents meeting. Please note time change. We are meeting a half hour earlier than originally planned. Tuesday, May 6, 5:00 pm: Shlock Rock Concert. All invited.

Sunday, May 4, 7:30pm, Grade 7, 8, and 9 Parents: A representative from JYPI will be joining us to discuss WITH PARENTS a “Service-Learning” initiative for next year. Parents are requested to attend. The meeting will be held in the sanctuary.

Sunday-Sunday, May 4-11: Wear-A-Jewish T-Shirt Week.

Sunday, May 11, 10:00am-12:00pm, OTRS celebrates Israel@60. Student-created museum, Zimriyah (song fest) and Taste of Israel. (No evening classes). Parents invited.

May 17: Student led Shabbat Service. Parents and Grandparents invited.

Sunday, June 1, afternoon: Israel@60 on the National Mall. (No morning classes or evening).

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

	Olam Tikvah teachers join religious school teachers from around the region at a training session held at OT in January 2008. Photos by Marian Gorman