Religious School
Kadima Beth El is Temple Beth El’s inclusive religious school, serving children from pre-K through high school. Rooted in holistic Jewish education, KBE nurtures the mind, heart, and soul of all students, helping them discover their unique Jewish voices. Our community welcomes families of all backgrounds, offering engaging learning experiences, leadership opportunities, and meaningful connections that extend beyond the classroom.
Kadima Beth El and KBE TBE Teens
registration is now open for the 2025-26 school year!
Mission
Kadima means forward, and reflects our commitment to helping families bring the vibrancy and relevance of Jewish tradition forward into their lives. For generations, Temple Beth El has been a place of connection for Jews in Portland, Maine.
Philosophy
KBE is rooted in the principles of 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 each unique, while also seeking meaningful connection to one another and our greater global Jewish family.
Community
Our students include the children of TBE members, the children of nonmembers, the children of two Jewish parents, the children of one Jewish parent. Faculty help each child create their own connection to our Jewish tradition. We provide opportunities for families to connect through family programs and Friday night dinners.
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.
Chaverim meets approximately 2 Sundays a month from 9am-11am
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 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.
1st and 2nd Grade meets every Sunday from 9am-12pm.
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 and grammar,by learning how to read Hebrew through the learning of T'filah. 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 Prominent Jewish Figures, customs, lifecycle, Tikkun Olam, values, Israel, etc.). The students investigate meaningful questions and create a presentation showing how they have answered them. Each 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 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 through 6th Grade meets every Sunday from 9am-12pm and every Wednesday from 4pm-6pm.
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.
Teen Opportunities
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.
TBE Teens
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 fun and low-key way for teens to stay involved with Jewish peers! Bi-Weekly meetings include social events, service opportunities, and discussions. Students engage with the TBE community by planning and hosting events, as well as by organizing holiday activities for younger KBE grades. Class also provides a safe and supportive environment for discussion of increasingly complicated topics such as antisemitism and relationship to Israel.
TBE Teens meet approximately twice a month on Sundays from 12pm-2pm. Lunch is provided.
Shane Van Vliet
KBE Religious School Director
Although Shane has spent the last twenty-five 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, and 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 sixteen 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 June 30, 2024 for our early bird discount or to be eligible for scholarship funds. Register below!
Tuition
Rates are listed as:
Members By June 30/Members After June 30/Non-Members
- Pre K-Kindergarten: $450/$500/$650
- Grades 1-2: $950/$1050/$1250
- Grades 3-4: $1350/$1500/$1650
- Grades 5-6: $1350/$150; no nonmember discount. Families must be members.
- 7th Grade b’nai mitzvah class: $1050/$1150
(does not include tutoring fee)
- Teen Leadership Cohort: $500 (members) / $750 (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).
