Welcome to Kesher Beth El

Two Synagogues, One Learning Community

The word kesher in Hebrew means “connections.” Kesher Beth El is a shared learning community between Temple Beth El and Congregation Beth El, and is supervised by the clergy of both synagogues (Rabbi Michael Knopf, Rabbi Ita Paskind, and Cantor Katie Kaplan), the Director of Kesher, Leo Linder, and a parent committee. Kesher aims to create a strong educational program for both synagogues and to provide our students and families with the opportunity to enhance their Jewish experiences by getting to know students and families from another Jewish community. We hope our students and families will be excited to learn and celebrate with each other and to build Jewish friendships that will last a lifetime.

Kesher Beth El offers weekly sessions for students in Kindergarten through 7th grade. Classes meet on Sundays from 9 to 12; in older grades, this Sunday session is supplemented by a weekly one-on-one Zoom session which focuses on Hebrew and tefillah (prayer) skills. Every week, Kesher students engage in hands-on experiences, cooperative learning, and personalized instruction to help them build their skills and confidence around tefillah and rituals, as well as develop a deep understanding of our Jewish culture and history. We offer regular specials such as music, Israeli dance, parsha plays, and spoken Hebrew, and Sunday sessions also include an all-school tefillah session led by clergy and by the students themselves!

For more information about Kesher Beth El, please contact Leo Linder, the school’s director.