Makom: A Jewish Learning Community
Makom means “place.” For each and every person who enters our doors, we hope Agudas Achim will be Your Jewish Place. The place where we gather. A place where we find Jewish community. A place where we connect: To ourselves, to our community, to our tradition, language, and culture.
Makom is also a name for God. A synagogue is one of the key places where we seek to encounter God and connect to all of God's creation in the world around us. Agudas Achim is a place where we learn and seek, engage and act, practice and play and grow.
Makom is our answer to the need for Jewish education and engagement for our children. It will be a holy place that will empower the next generation to feel rooted in Jewish life, proud of their Jewish identities, and connected to Jewish community for the rest of their lives.
A Different Approach to Learning
At Makom, our mission is to cultivate our children and members as Jewish meaning makers and spiritual seekers. To provide ancient and ever-relevant tools and a language for them to engage in this process. To foster a love of Hebrew, our tradition, lifecycles and holidays, the siddur, and the strength and beauty of Jewish community. To help participants of all ages and abilities develop a relationship with Judaism. And to empower all to take ownership of their own connections to Judaism and Jewish practice.
Makom is designed to involve the entire family in full and comprehensive engagement with Judaism and Jewish life. Participants and families in Makom will experience formal and informal opportunities for connection and learning.
Central to the Makom experience is the formal educational learning environment and a commitment to gather and be present to actively take hold of our Judaism and Jewish practice throughout the year.
Our goal is to foster, a place of joyful Jewish connections with peers, with adults, with family, and with our history with meaningful touch points throughout the year including:
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- Regular Sunday morning participation which will include engaging and musical Tefillah (prayer) experiences, Hebrew language exposure and immersion, and Judaic knowledge as outlined above.
- Quarterly Friday night services and Shabbat dinners to engage the entire family in living Jewish ritual and practice.
- Bi-annual Shabbat morning participation, focusing on grade level appropriate presence in Shabbat morning service.
- Quarterly family programs to reinforce classroom learning and create opportunities and family rituals to bring experiences into the home.
- Culminating experience for each grade level cohort to highlight growth, development, and showcase learnings.
Learning Through Place
Makom’s curriculum is built around the idea of “place,” with each stage of learning exploring a different layer of Jewish life.
Home & Foundations
Early learners begin by exploring Jewish life close to home, building a sense of belonging, identity, and connection to family and tradition.
Synagogue & Community
Students deepen their understanding of Jewish practice and community life, exploring the synagogue, prayer, and their role within the local Jewish community.
Beyond & the Wider World
As students grow, they expand their learning to the broader world, exploring Jewish identity, global community, and their responsibility to others.
What Your Child Will Experience
In Makom, learning happens through relationships, participation, and shared experience. Students build friendships and a strong sense of belonging while engaging with Jewish holidays, traditions, and values in ways that feel meaningful and relevant.
As they grow, students become more comfortable participating in prayer, exploring big questions about identity and responsibility, and developing confidence in expressing their own Jewish voice. Through a mix of classroom learning, hands-on activities, and community experiences, Makom helps students connect Jewish learning to their everyday lives.
Be Part of Makom
We invite your family to join a learning community where children build friendships, explore Jewish life, and grow with confidence and connection.