SULAM (Educational Program)

In the fall of 2017, Beth El introduced a new approach to Jewish education, a result of two years of exploring current educational trends and listening to our children and families.

SULAM Beth El takes a hands-on, minds-on, and hearts-on learning to a whole new level, challenging our children to Seek, Understand, Learn, Act, and Marvel as they engage in our Jewish tradition and the world around them.

A sulam in Hebrew is a ladder. In Genesis, we read about Jacob who, in a dream, sees angels ascending and descending a ladder. He wakes from the dream, realizes that God, too, was in that place, which he calls Beth El, the home of God. Our SULAM Beth El represents the ladder of learning where each child is encouraged to energetically ascend at their own pace.

How do SULAM Beth El children learn? Forget traditional classrooms with desks and blackboards. SULAM Beth El is centered in learning spaces where our children explore individually, in pairs and small groups. They think, discuss, challenge, and grow. They draw, they dance, they sing, they cook, always working toward a specific educational outcome.

Hebrew Language Learning Lab

On Tuesdays, our learners gather in person for our new SULAM Learning Lab. The lab is for learners in 3rd – 6th grade from 4:30-6:15pm on Tuesdays. This program focuses on the how, what, why, when, and where of the prayer service, so learners are set up for success when they begin their 1:1 B'nei Mitzvah lessons. The SULAM Learning Lab is a fantastic opportunity to build community, strengthen Jewish identity, and simultaneously learn Hebrew.

We will maintain the Zoom option for midweek instruction (with a $180 fee), but we look forward to our learners joining us in person on Tuesdays instead of on Zoom during the 2025-2026 academic school year to hone Hebrew and prayer learning in a supportive and participatory environment.

Join our SULAM Beth El Facebook group for the latest information!