Seriously Rooted

VBSDS roots down in its tradition while rising up to new interpretations and applications of Judaism in our lives. Through a grant with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS), our instructors and administrators were introduced to practices of prayer, mindfulness and meditation, all of which give a Jewish vocabulary to the social emotional backbone of our school.

Working with IJS is a true integration of our work to support the best academic experience for our students and our fundamentally Jewish love of learning and caring for the wellbeing of others. Teachers, through their own professional learning and practice, model for their students how to regulate and label their feelings and how to express them in a Jewish way, be it through text, meaningful moments or thoughtful 19.

reflections. The goal of this partnership is to help students and teachers access wisdom and resilience and to deepen their connections to Judaism and to each other, thus finding greater meaning in life.

IJS, a national, non-denominational organization, teaches Jewish spiritual practices grounded in mindfulness to those seeking a deep, rich and truly meaningful life experience. This is done through reclaiming texts and practices from contemplative Jewish traditions including mindfulness meditation, yoga, singing, prayer and working with middot, best aligning our behaviors with our innermost values, and all taught with a Jewish lens. We are so proud of our partnership with IJS and look forward to another year of meaningful, spiritual connection to our Jewish roots. It is programs like these that truly elevate our school and set VBSDS apart!