December 13, 2025 ·

Congregation Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun

Purpose and Values of Jewish Education

Why

Lifelong learning at CEEBJ builds Jewish connections and community that enables us to make a positive difference in the world today and guides us as we strive to become our best selves.

How

Through our connections to Torah, God, and Israel, we draw closer to our individual selves, our family, our friends, our congregation, our community, the Jewish people, and the world.

What

Creative and engaging educational experiences for individuals and families of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.

Values

  • Fostering a deep understanding of the Jewish people, the Land of Israel and the State of Israel
  • Supporting the local, national, and global Jewish community
  • Building a sense of pride in one’s Jewish identity
  • Promoting a sense of belonging where each person is welcomed as their authentic self – within CEEBJ and the Jewish people
  • Celebrating diversity, inclusion, and equality within the Jewish people
  • Acknowledging that each of us is created in the image of God and, therefore, it is our responsibility to help each person find the Divine in themselves
  • Discovering that we each have something unique to offer the world and helping each other fulfill that purpose
  • Using middot (Jewish ethical values) to become more holy, and more whole, while recognizing that God made each of us perfectly imperfect
  • Developing the capacity to grapple with and express the experiences that occur along the spiritual journey
  • Exploring the God of our own understanding through the lens of Jewish texts and beliefs
  • Opening our hearts and minds to welcome all (lev tahor)
  • Honoring, respecting, celebrating and supporting those around us (kevod/kavod)
  • Seeing the other as a holy human being even when we disagree with their viewpoint, giving them the opportunity to share their opinions, and being open to thinking differently (Machloket l’shem shamayim)
  • Finding the wonder, joy, and awe in the world
  • Expressing the joy that is found in building and nurturing relationships
  • Showing appreciation for blessings in our lives
  • Seeking out the good in each other and ourselves, and highlighting it
  • Fostering a love of Judaism from generation to generation
  • Connecting generations: recognizing that we are each a link in the chain of Jewish continuity
  • Supporting healthy family relationships
  • Embracing the Jewish traditions of continuous learning, questioning, and discovery
  • Challenging a deeper understanding
  • Seeking meaning in text and applying it to one’s life
  • Preparing each individual to act as a part of the world
  • Inspiring others to make a positive difference in their various personal, local, and global communities
  • Contributing to the world and helping to repair it