Why is the K-5 Learning Program at TBS Called Mayim?

 

 

 

"Water is likened to Torah." (Talmud - Bava Kama 82a)

 

Mayim is the Hebrew word for water. In so many ways we see connections between water and the learning settings that we have created for our elementary school-aged children and their families:

 

• Water has depth, and our foremost goals for the Mayim program are to create depth of relationships and of learning for our children and families.

• Water flows freely and easily, and we seek to create the smoothest transitions possible from year to year, from our youngest preschool students through our oldest teens.

• Water allows for growth in our world, and we want our students and their families to grow through ever-richer Jewish lives and experiences.

• Water takes on many forms just as our children vary significantly in their learning styles and needs, and we seek to create nurturning learning environments for all who are able to participate.

• Water allows us to float, and this is the definition of resilience - the ability to keep one's head up even through turbulent times and circumstances. Temple Beth Shalom is such a "life-preserver" for our children and adults alike.

• Water envelops us when we are in it, just as our Jewsh learning should inform all of our lives, both in and out of the synagogue.

• Water produces reflections in which we can see ourselves, just as we strive to see ourselves in the stories and values of Jewish tradition.

• Water can be tranquil and peaceful, just as Temple Beth Shalom serves as an oasis for our families - a place to seek sanctuary from the hectic pace of daily life.

• Water builds independence as children learn to swim in it, and our learning programs do the same, allowing children to take age-appropriate risks as they mature.

• Water is fun and engaging for the whole family, just as our learning programs need to be.

 

 

 

"Some teach that it is a parent's responsibility to teach a child to swim in the water." (Talmud - Kiddushin 29a)