Last December, volunteers at Temple Emanuel started this project by tearing down old coat racks, repainting the walls a calming blue and installing stained glass paper on the windows to give the hallway a shiny glow. As it is with many projects, one bit of inspiration lead to another. The hallway was beautiful, but it was now glaringly obvious that the classrooms, floors, doors, and ceiling needed lots of TLC.  

Fast forward a few months and a lot of hard work, and thanks to a generous grant from Tidewater Jewish Foundation, Temple Emanuel Religious School has undergone extensive renovations and will be able to realize the dream of a new school building. 

The renovation goal is to modernize the aesthetic while maintaining historical integrity. First, the beautiful parquet floors were refinished. Next, volunteers and contractors tore down the textured, stained wallpaper and hand scraped glue off the walls, priming it for paint. The lower elementary classroom doubled in size to give the children a larger space to move through multi-sensory learning centers. Finally, ceiling tiles are being replaced, doors are being sanded and repainted, and all wall décor is being redesigned. 

The final product will be a cheerful, modern, nurturing school environment that will match the motivating energy from the teaching team. The grant helped transform an archaic space into a lively, energetic learning environment. 

Registered and prospective families are invited to Temple Emanuel Religious School’s open house on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 10 am to see the final product and learn more about the school. 

Dr. Sarah Davis is Temple Emanuel’s Religious School director.