On Sunday, March 21, Temple Sholom (Fanwood/Scotch Plains) held its annual Congregational Education Day at Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains. The program brought together the entire congregation for a morning of learning and celebrating. More than 250 people participated in the Congregational Education Day, which was open to all Temple Sholom congregants and families with children in the temple's religious school program.

The theme for this year's Congregational Education Day was "People of the Book," and introduced participants to the sacred text of the Jewish people including the Torah, Talmud and Modern Writings. Participants began their experience with a "Walk Through the Book," where Temple Sholom teachers dressed as historical figures from throughout Jewish history enlightened passers-by with significant facts and details about the characters' lives and the books that tell their stories. Participants collected "quote stickers" from each book they visited and created their own collection of Jewish teachings to take home.

Afterwards, participants were given the opportunity to select an area of further study, led by Temple Sholom Rabbi Joel Abraham, Temple Sholom Religious School faculty and congregants. Participants explored fundamental principles of Judaism, such as the ethical teachings of Pirke Avot and the Jewish value system of self-improvement, called the Mussar. Some of the younger religious school students enjoyed Jewish folktales and stories from the Torah. Other congregants participated in thought-provoking discussions about Midrash–a collection of writings that expand upon stories of the Torah–while others delved deeper into rabbinical arguments from the Talmud or learned more about the mystical traditions of Kaballah.

Michelle Shapiro Abraham, Director of Education at Temple Sholom, said, "Congregational Education Days are a great opportunity for us to bring our whole congregation together to study in a fun, interactive style. It is great to see kids, parents, and older members of our community mesmerized while 'Moses' speaks to them about the Torah. This is what Jewish education should be–engaging, relevant and interesting."

On Sunday, April 25, from 10:30 a.m. until noon, Temple Sholom of Fanwood/Scotch Plains will hold an open house for its religious school. To sign up or for more information, please call 908-889-4900 or e-mail office@sholomnj.org.