Values Statement

FTJC’s efforts to educate and engage our youth and families are organized around תלמוד תורה / Talmud Torah (a life of Jewish learning) as a priority and a lifestyle that is central to our community.

Youth and family engagement at FTJC expresses this culture of Talmud Torah, which also includes a commitment to egalitarianism and halachah (Jewish practice). Our educational efforts will reflect these commitments through formal and informal (i.e., experiential) learning opportunities for all FTJC members, from individuals, parents, and families, to children of all ages. As a result, youth will learn how being Jewish and the knowledge they both carry and produce, can serve them throughout life and make them better people.

תלמוד תורה / Talmud Torah (Jewish Learning) at FTJC encompasses three essential principles:

1. A culture of ערבות / Arevut (ownership and involvement) among adult and child community members alike. “Ownership” here connotes a sense of:

a. welcome and belonging;
b. caring and comfort;
c. standards and accountability;
d. contribution and responsibility.

2. A culture of חסד / Chesed (love and kindness), expressed through:

a. attending to the needs of our community members;
b. practicing social action beyond the FTJC community;
c. creating explicit opportunities for learning and reflection;
d. respecting and celebrating difference in observance and identities.

3. A culture of לימוד / Limmud (learning), with these priorities:

a. tefillah (prayer) - develop familiarity with the prayer cycle, encourage broad participation in prayer, and promote new leadership;
b. calendar and life cycle - facilitate learning that will enable broad participation in the Jewish calendar’s communal and home-based rituals;
c. limmud (Jewish learning) - facilitate learning of core content knowledge, from the weekly Torah portion to Jewish history and culture, as well as the Hebrew language;
d. mitzvot bein adam lechaveiro (mitzvot between people) - fostering knowledge and practices of essential mitzvot such as bikkur holim (visiting the sick) and tzedakah (just giving), as well as valuing the Torah as as guide for contemporary issues of justice and ethics.