Religious School is in session on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
*Online options available for B’nei Mitzvah and Small-Group Hebrew
**6th & 10th grades include overnights/retreats
Construction is underway on the Jerold B. Katz Family Center for Jewish Learning! This requires temporary changes to our traffic patterns.
Parking (All Families)
Carpool Drop-off/Pick-up (4th Grade & Above Only)
Special note: Younger students may be dropped off with older siblings, but the older sibling must walk them to the Barish Sanctuary before heading to class.
Pick-up reminder: If your student isn’t ready when you arrive, you may need to re-enter the line.
Please be patient as we all adjust to these new patterns!
Severe weather may cause an emergency closing of the school. If HISD cancels school due to a weather emergency, Helfman Religious School will do the same. Families will be notified via email and text. Please be sure to provide preferred emails and cell phone numbers. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated during emergency conditions.
Helfman staff will communicate with parents regularly. Please be sure to provide updated emails and cell phone numbers. Communications during the school year will include:
If you have questions about your child’s activities or progress in class, please contact the teacher or call the Helfman office at 713.535.6400.
Students are expected to dress in a manner that is safe and appropriate for an active learning environment in a house of worship.
Teachers are responsible for communicating classroom rules and procedures to students and parents, and for establishing and enforcing classroom management policies. The director is to be informed of any difficult situations or challenging behaviors that are continuous and ongoing so that alternative interventions may be discussed and applied.
At times, we have children with severe, life threatening allergies. Some of these allergies include milk, dairy products, nuts, nut products, eggs, soy and wheat. Please notify the office and your child’s teacher of any allergies that your child has, as well as the severity of the allergy. It is essential that the teacher know if there are any foods that your child cannot have.
Due to the dramatic increase in nut allergies over the past decade, as well as the sudden, unanticipated onset of symptoms, Helfman does not serve or allow food containing nuts or nut products on campus. We are a nut-sensitive school, which means we take every precaution possible to eliminate nut products on campus. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us implement this policy.
Families must be members of Congregation Emanu El in order to enroll in Helfman Religious School classes. If you have any questions about membership, please contact Anna Shabtay at annas@emanuelhouston.org.
Students will be assigned to their grade in conformity with their grade in public school or private school. For questions regarding placement, please contact Lucy Mosbacher at lucym@emanuelhouston.org.
Students who attend Jewish day schools must attend Helfman Religious School beginning in the 6th grade in order to be eligible to become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah at Emanu El.
For the purposes of participation in the Shirley Barish Memorial Israel Experience trip and life-cycle events, attending regularly is defined as being absent for no more than 25% of class sessions without prior arrangement.
This committee of the Board of Trustees is responsible for setting goals for the school, monitoring the school’s accomplishments, serving as a resource for the director and helping to integrate Helfman within the broader Emanu El community. The committee reports periodically to the board and also carries out any other charges directed by the president of the congregation or Board of Trustees. The director and one rabbi designated by the senior rabbi serve as ex-officio members of the committee.
