Culture of Belonging

Kulanu כוּלָנוּ
 

At Rodef Sholom, we strive to make all community members feel not only included but also that they belong—that none of us is an outsider being welcomed but that we are all insiders welcoming each other. We believe diversity is a strength. All our children, like all of us, are b’tzelem Elohim—made in the image of God.

Covenant of Belonging:  We make a sacred commitment to create and sustain a community that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We dedicate ourselves to the Jewish values of kavod (honor) and kedushah (holiness), treating each other with love and respect, seeking to make everyone feel seen, heard, and valued, and assessing our feelings and actions with candor so that we do our best to live by our ideals.

Neurodiversity: We recognize that we learn in different ways with varying strengths and challenges. Our youth education endeavors to teach students in the ways that work best for them. We tailor our methods to their aptitudes and needs. Our measure of success is not what we teach but what our students learn—from us and from one another.

 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion: We design our youth educational experiences so that all students feel that they belong, whatever their relationships with Judaism, however they define their race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity, wherever and whenever they were born, however they learn, and whatever support they need. We strive for diversity, equity, and inclusion not only in how we treat our students, and not only in how we and they treat each other, but also in our curriculum. We discuss and represent perspectives from around the world and all walks of life.

“Chanoch LaNa'ar Al Pi Darco – Educate a child according to their way”
~Proverbs 22:6
 

חנוך לנער על פי דרכו