ES Information

Religion and World Views are electives in Germany. Religion and World Views classes take place twice a week at the same time within each grade level starting in 1st Grade.

Up to the age of 14, it is the parent's or guardian's responsibility to choose which class their student will participate in. 

Registration forms submitted by May 31 will take effect at the beginning of the following school year. If no registration form is submitted, your child will remain in the same class. 

Children not attending one of these classes will be assigned to a regular homeroom/subject class one year above or below their grade level during that period.

Registration Form

Protestant Religion Classes in Germany are provided by the EKD, or in Berlin, the EKBO. The Evangelische Church in Germany is not the evangelical Christianity of the USA, but rather the reformation protestants, mainly the Lutheran Church. Protestant Religious Education is taught from a standard curriculum for grades 1-10 provided by the EKBO and approved by the Berlin Senat. Click here for a sample page from a work book used in grades 1-3.

In Protestant Religion Class, students explore questions about life, God, and their self-identity while gaining an understanding and appreciation of world religions and different beliefs. From the first grade on, World Religions are explored in a respectful and playful manner, especially as different religious holidays intersect in our yearly calendar (ex., Hanukkah/ Diwali/ Advent or as in this year, Ramadan/Lent/ Passover). All students are welcome, regardless of their church or religious affiliation or non-religious adherence.  

In Protestant Religion Class, students are not given answers, but are encouraged to explore and discuss the questions they have about life, God, different religions and religious beliefs. Protestant Education allows time and space for these questions. Its contents also have relevance for other school subjects, such as understanding how culture and history intersect, improving writing skills, speaking skills, self-reflection and cooperative learning skills. 

In Protestant Religion Class, students learn about how people historically, from the Bible, and from a modern standpoint of their world view, imagine God to be. The students have the chance to talk about their positions and to present them with imagination and creativity. Students are introduced to the biblical stories from both the Jewish and Christian scriptures and are encouraged to look for the meaning they had for people in the past as well as discover their meaning for people today. From these stories, students learn about how to deal with everyday situations – such as working through big emotions, choices and consequences, tolerance and acceptance, loving oneself and others.  In class, we explore how this search for meaning is reflected throughout the centuries in literature, architecture, art and music.

In Protestant Religion Class, students speak about their own experiences and emotions: what makes them happy, sad or hurt and what gives them hope and comforts them. They are given time to ask the questions they find important / relevant and look for answers as a group. Social, emotional learning is a major focus of protest religion class combined with a focus on creativity, writing and linguistic skills. Our goal is to help students become more confident in themselves, self-reflected in their interpersonal relationships, and courteous and respectful of others. The students are given the opportunity to implement their social, emotional skills as they learn about the Christian tradition of helping others through social service projects and grade specific projects such as the “Generationsbrücke” / Generational Bridge, yearly seasonal aid collections/actions, self-imagined and implemented gratitude projects around the school, field trips to religious sites/museums and Anne Frank Action Days. 

Visit our Staff Directory to contact the teachers.

“All Together” is a new course that invites students to explore the rich tapestry of human belief, culture, and values in our modern, interconnected world. With a shared focus on secularity and religion (and world religions in particular) this course encourages curiosity, reflection, and open dialogue about how people across cultures understand life, purpose, and morality.

Through engaging lessons in ethics, philosophy, history, geography, and cultural studies, students will encounter a wide spectrum of religious and non-religious perspectives. They will explore how traditions shape communities, influence decision-making, and inspire individuals in their everyday lives.

“All Together” reminds us that, though our backgrounds and beliefs may differ, we are all part of a shared and still-emerging human story—a story wherein learning, growing, and thriving as a global community can perhaps only be fully realized when we begin to embrace and celebrate our world—all together.

Excursions will also be offered in this class as well as participation in the Generations Bridge project.

Classes are offered in either English or German by the EKBO (Evangelische Kirche Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz).

Visit our Staff Directory to contact the teachers.

Catholic religious education at JFKS is an invitation and opportunity for your children to learn more about Christianity, the great Judeo-Christian cultural heritage, and in the upper grades, about the faith and traditions of other world religions.

It aims to be an opportunity for your children to explore important questions and issues in life and to offer guidance in decision-making. The lessons offer the opportunity to respectfully deal with different opinions and to search for solutions in an open atmosphere. The students should be enabled to form their own opinions critically and tolerantly, but also self-confidently – more Socrates than catechism.

The lessons are based on the age-specific cognitive abilities and life experiences of the students when dealing with fundamental topics such as family, friendship, conflict, reconciliation, fear, prejudice and moral courage.

The biblical narratives offer a traditional treasure trove of archetypal stories that have helped shape the human experience through the ages. As students engage with these stories, they will naturally ask themselves how relevant (and true?) they still are to their own lives today. In this context, many other big questions arise: “What is meant by God?” “What is the meaning of life?” “What is a good life and how do I manage to live it?”

On a Christian level, students learn about the importance of religion for our values, culture, art, as well as the festivals in the church cycle.

The content of the lessons is taught in a variety of ways. Age-appropriate stories are told, read, played, painted, crafted and sung. Likewise, the topics are developed by means of various laying techniques, text work and role-playing. Audio-visual media are also used when appropriate.

Note to Catholic parents:

Preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation is undertaken by the local parish, not through religious education classes.

Information on the curriculum: www.erzbistumberlin.de

Visit our Staff Directory to contact the teachers.

Jewish religion classes have been offered at JFKS alongside other religion lessons since 1992. The main contents of instruction are:

• The religious dimension of Judaism
• Jewish history (Torah, Bible Studies)
• The Hebrew language

The curriculum is primarily oriented around the Jewish Calendar. The integration of the instructional material into the current liturgical season with its festivals and holy days is vitally important as a firsthand experience and enrichment of the learning process.

It is especially important in the lower grades for children to express what they have learned through crafts, games, and stories etc.

In addition to all this, the students are given an introduction to biblical history in the context of Jewish life and liturgy.

In the fifth and sixth grades, the curriculum is designed to offer the students with a solid basis for their Bat- or Bar-Mizwah.

Visit our Staff Directory to contact the teachers.

Humanistic Life Skills is designed for students who are interested in ethical and philosophical questions from a non-religious perspective.

Values such as self-determination, tolerance, and responsibility form the ethical foundation of the subject. In class, students are given the opportunity to explore topics such as “Who am I?”, “Others and Me,” “Emotions,” “Friendship,” “Health,” “Conflict Resolution,” “Life Cycle,” “Environment,” and “World Religions.” They are encouraged to try out different working methods, discuss ideas with others, and form their own points of view.

Life Skills classes are sponsored by the Humanist Association of Germany, which offers the subject alongside religious education in Berlin and Brandenburg.

Information on the curriculum: www.lebenskunde.de

Visit our Staff Directory to contact the teachers.