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Curriculum

Our students learn modern Hebrew as well as prayerbook Hebrew, Israel, Holidays, Prayer concepts, Torah values, and ethics. Each year builds on the previous one, and students grow at their own pace while striving to reach benchmarks in each area of study. Students learn to use the same prayerbooks used in the main Sanctuary, Sim Shalom and Lev Shalem.

Educational Philosophy of the Learning Community

In the Book of Proverbs, there is a profound statement: “Educate a youth according to his path, so that when he is old he will not stray from it.” Here, we try to put that statement into practice: we try to find out what will help each child succeed, so that our educational process has a long-term impact on each student. Our goal is to make Judaism accessible, meaningful, and relevant for our students and families. Our goal is to make Judaism relevant, meaningful, and accessible to our students. To that end, our curriculum is both focused and exciting!

Overarching Themes

  • Pre-K: Jewish holidays and experiences are meaningful and fun. I can be an active part of my synagogue and community.
  • Kindergarten: The symbols and ritual objects of Jewish life, including Shabbat, have relevance for my family and myself.
  • First Grade: The symbols and ritual objects of Jewish life have relevance for my family and myself, as well as the larger Jewish community. The symbols around the synagogue are connected to my Jewish home.
  • Second Grade: We are created B’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God, and therefore have certain responsibilities in how we conduct ourselves among our family and peers. This concept is called Derekh Eretz.
  • Third Grade: Our Jewish responsibilities are called mitzvot. These mitzvot, or commandments, have two forms: between us and God and between us and other people.
  • Fourth Grade: Being Jewish in a modern world is challenging but rewarding. I am part of many communities, but in each of them I remain a Jew with certain responsibilities and expectations.
  • Fifth Grade: The Jewish values which are part of my life can help me make a difference in my Jewish community.
  • Sixth Grade: As I begin to prepare to become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, what does it mean to take my place in the Jewish community? How do my roles and responsibilities change?
  • Seventh Grade: We seek to understand contemporary Judaism through the lenses of history, including the Holocaust, and at Israel today through multiple narratives and viewpoints.
  • Eighth Grade and beyond: Learning continues through our Monday Night School, where teens develop their understanding of Judaism, Jewish thought and practice, ethical choices, and more.

Read more in our Parent Handbook