Jewish Practices

We share our Jewish heritage and traditions with our families. Early exposure to our special customs lays the groundwork for developing a Jewish identity. In early childhood, Jewish experiences basically revolve around the holidays, as we share each holiday’s stories and morals, songs, traditions, and rituals. In addition, we recite prayers before we eat, at both snack and lunch time. We also share the Hebrew language with our children by introducing them to everyday words (such as water and milk, body parts, and numbers); we want children to understand that there is a language other than English that Jewish people share and that they can use.

Fridays are particularly special, as each class creates a unique and meaningful celebration of the Jewish Sabbath, known as Shabbat.

Temple Beth Ami does not celebrate non-Jewish holidays with origins in other religions, including Halloween, Christmas, St. Valentine’s Day, or Easter. We proudly celebrate uniquely American holidays, particularly Thanksgiving.