Kadima Beth El Religious School
Kadima Beth El and KBE Teen Leadership Cohort registration is now open for the 2024-25 school year!
Mission
Kadima means forward, and reflects our striving to help today’s families bring the vibrancy and relevance of the Jewish tradition forward into their lives.For generations, Temple Beth El has been a place of connection for Jews in Portland. Whether in prayer, learning, celebration, mourning, or in pursuit of a more just world, our members and friends come from diverse backgrounds and each have a role to play in creating the beautiful tapestry that is TBE.
Philosophy
KBE is rooted in Holistic Jewish Education. We seek to cultivate the mind, heart, and soul of each child, so that they may find their own unique Jewish voice. We celebrate what makes us unique, while seeking meaningful connection to one another and our greater global Jewish family.
Community
Some of our students are children of TBE members, some are not. Some of our students have two Jewish parents - some do not. KBE is proud to nurture children from diverse backgrounds and families. Our faculty and madrichim (teen teaching assistants) have years of experience and help each child create their own connections to our Jewish tradition. We provide opportunities for families to connect through Sunday B'Yachad family programs, Friday night dinners, and informal get-togethers.
Grade Breakdowns
Chaverim (Pre-K - Kindergarten)
Little ones ages 4 and 5 enjoy stories, songs, games, crafts, and movement in a caring environment enhanced by natural, everyday Hebrew.
Chaverim are also invited to join periodic B'Yachad family programs when the entire school gathers together for activities that foster community service, Judaic enrichment, and Jewish social interaction.
1st - 2nd Grade
Hebrew reading is taught over two years beginning in 1st grade, giving students time to integrate each letter and vowel they learn. Through interactive activities the students also learn about Jewish holidays, customs, values, t'fillot (prayers), and other Judaic topics.
When students have Sunday or Wednesday conflicts, Kadima Beth El provides a variety of multimedia resources integrated with and parallel to the classroom learning, which can also serve to enrich and enhance the Jewish knowledge and skills of families.
3rd - 6th Grade
Core Curriculum
Our program for 3rd - 6th graders focuses on t'filah (prayer), Tanakh (Bible), and Hebrew. Our ambitious Hebrew program places renewed focus on vocabulary, grammar, and conversation, giving students the ability to explore Hebrew as a living language. Midweek Hebrew allows students the opportunity to keep building their skills. We include shorashim (Hebrew roots) as a core part of our t'filah program. Students will not only learn to sing prayers, but be empowered to grapple with the meanings of the prayers inside the classroom and without. In Bible classes, students are encouraged to examine the commentaries, to think about the text in an expansive way, and to see themselves as part of Jewish history.
Project-Based Learning
Through engaging, hands-on, and interdisciplinary elective group projects students cover a wide variety of Judaic topics (such as Jewish holidays, customs, lifecycle, Tikkun Olam, values, Israel, etc.). The students investigate meaningful questions and create a presentation showing how they have answered them. Each six-week cycle is capped off with an open classroom program, where other students, parents and community members are invited in to learn about the students’ work.
When students have Sunday or Wednesday conflicts, Kadima Beth El provides a variety of multimedia resources integrated with and parallel to the classroom learning, which can also serve to enrich and enhance the Jewish knowledge and skills of families.
7th Grade - B' Mitzvah
Our innovative 7th grade curriculum prepares our students to become full citizens of our Jewish community -- touching the many fields teens will need to explore as they become b'nai mitzvah. Examining fields such as community, history, the synagogue and Jewish texts, students explore the various ways their Judaism and Jewish identities affect how they live their lives as Jewish adults. This course incorporates trips around the state, guest speakers, weekly journaling assignments, and interactions with community members at every level.
To learn more about the B' Mitzvah process, please click the button below.
KBE Teen Initiatives
Madrichim Programs
Interested in being a leader and role model for younger students? There are two ways to contribute to our community:
- Classroom Madrichim (teaching assistants) - For students interested in working at KBE and/or from home during the week with online tutoring. Madrichim choose either to be paid or receive community service hours for their work.
- Mitzvah Madrichim - Interested in a leadership role, but the classroom isn't the place for you? Are you passionate about making the world a better place? Our mitzvah madrichim lead students and adults in fun events that serve a cause.
Teen Leadership Cohort
Teens are changing the world. In addition to their academic, social, and extra-curricular responsibilities, many are dedicating considerable time to tackling global and local injustices in new and inspiring ways. The Kadima Beth El Teen Leadership Cohort (TLC) seeks to offer these young leaders a structured opportunity to approach their activism with a sense of connection: to each other, to their Jewish values, and to our community.
Shane Van Vliet
KBE Religious School Director
Although Shane has spent the last 25 years working in the theater and entertainment industry, she is no stranger to the Jewish community and Jewish education. Shane’s mother ran the school at every temple they were members of and her father was the board president. Shane grew up in Hebrew schools and Jewish youth groups, and she started teaching herself while she was still in high school. She has been teaching on and off for many years while also working as a stage and production manager from New York City to Venice, Italy to other places around the world .
Shane grew up in the Midwest, but moved around a lot as a child. She received her BA in theater from SUNY Buffalo State College and has lived in Maine for the past 16 years; here, she has set down roots and started a family.
Shane is passionate about making Jewish education exciting and accessible to today’s Jewish youth. Her goal as education director is to help our students find joy in Jewish learning and then carry that joy and passion in their lives as they go out into the world.
To reach Shane, call (207) 774-2649 ext. 208 or email her at education@tbemaine.org.
Registration & Tuition
KBE is open to all Jewish students regardless of TBE membership, though TBE members receive a discount on tuition. Register by July 14, 2023 for our early bird discount or to be eligible for scholarship funds. Register below!
Tuition
Rates are listed as:
By August 1/After August 1/Non-Members
- Pre K-Kindergarten: $412/$433/$506
- Grades 1-2: $894/$938/$1129
- Grades 3-6: $1250/$1312/$1575
- 7th Grade b’nai mitzvah class: $894/$938
(does not include tutoring fee)
- Teen Leadership Cohort: $361 (members) / $421 (non-members)
KBE Blog
Check out our blog for remote learning assignments, prayer recordings, resources for learning the aleph-bet, or the latest news from KBE.
KBE Teachers
Our dedicated teachers have many years of experience teaching religious school and are passionate about our mission. They care deeply about the progress of each student and keep open lines of communication with parents. Madrichim (teen assistants) help out with tutoring and small group work to give each child the personal attention they need.
Kadima Beth El is supported in part by funding from the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine (JCA).
