Registration is Open for 2024-2025
Schedule: Classes begin on Sunday, September 8, 2024
Sundays: 9 a.m. to noon, grades Pre-K through 7
Wednesdays: 4:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., grades 2 through 7
2nd through 7th graders will also schedule a 30 minute lesson each week with a tutor for Hebrew
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!
Israel in our Curriculum
We have a strong emphasis on Israel through three different lenses. Our curriculum is scaffolded and grows with our students.
- Eretz Yisrael – The Land of Israel: from biblical times to today.
- Medinat Yisrael – The Modern State of Israel
- Am Yisrael – The People of Israel / Jewish Peoplehood
Overarching Themes
Pre-K: Jewish holidays and experiences are meaningful and fun. I can be an active part of my synagogue and community. There are Jews all around the world and I am part of a larger Jewish community. We learn about the different types of people who live in Israel.
Kindergarten: Exploring Judaism through the lenses of Torah, kindness, holidays, and symbols. We begin to discover the people and places of Israel, and become familiar with Hebrew letters and language.
First Grade: We continue on our journey or learning Hebrew letters and sounds, as well as language. We continue our exploration of Torah stories, holidays, making the world a kinder place, and exploring Israel.
Second Grade: We begin at the beginning, exploring in more depth the values and teachable moments from the creation of the world through the story of Isaac and Rebecca. Our exploration of commandments (mitzvot) and our relationship with God, alongside a deeper dive into holidays and the people and places of Israel round our our Judaics curriclum. In addition, we begin reading Hebrew with a weekly lesson (1:1), and we reinforce that with in-class games.
Third Grade: We continue from the birth of Jacob and Esau through the beginning of Moses’s life, exploring in more depth the values and teachable moments in our tradition. We learn how to be a mensch, and how to incorporate the mitzvot (commandments) between ourselves and other people into our lives. We also begin to explore what a community is, and why being part of it is so important. We continue reading Hebrew with a weekly lesson (1:1), and we reinforce that with in-class games. As we master the alef-bet and vowels, we move on to prayers and some modern Hebrew.
Fourth Grade: Jewish heroes and the values they can teach us are a big part of fourth grade, along with our continuing exploration of the Torah and Tanakh. We begin with the splitting of the Sea and the giving of the Torah, and continue through the challenges of King David! Our study includes the Jewish calendar and Jewish life cycle, and we begin to delve into the complicated issues surrounding Israel. We continue reading Hebrew with a weekly lesson (1:1), and we reinforce that by helping to lead the services (tefillah) on Sunday mornings.
Fifth Grade: We begin our Tanakh study with the trial of King David and continue through the rebuilding of the Second Temple with the prophets Ezra and Nehemia. We learn about the sacred texts of the Jewish people and the history that surrounds them – including Tanakh, Mishnah, Talmud, and Midrash. We continue reading Hebrew with a weekly lesson (1:1), and we reinforce that by helping to lead the services (tefillah) on Sunday mornings.
Sixth Grade: We look to the texts of the Prophets to help us understand the world around us and how to stand up for what is just. In addition, we continue our exploration of the complicated issues surrounding Israel by using primary sources and debating them ourselves. We learn the basics of the history of Jewish civilization, from the destruction of the first Temple to our communities in North America, Israel, and around the world. We work with senior adults in our congregation, learning with them as part of the Better Together program (see page 9). We continue reading Hebrew with a weekly lesson (1:1), and we reinforce that by helping to lead the services (tefillah) on Sunday mornings, and we prepare for becoming b’nai mitzvah.
Seventh Grade: We use the concepts of the graphic novel to explore Tanakh as well as gain an understanding of Jewish history before, during, and after the Holocaust. In addition, we continue our exploration of the complicated issues surrounding Israel by using primary sources and debating them ourselves. We work with senior adults in our congregation, learning with them as part of the Better Together program (see page 9). We continue reading Hebrew with a weekly lesson (1:1), and we reinforce that by helping to lead the services (tefillah) on Sunday mornings, and we prepare for becoming b’nai mitzvah.
Hebrew Reading Goals:
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 prayer books used in the main Sanctuary, Lev Shalem.
Once students have reached a comfortable level of reading proficiency, they move to Hebrew prayer reading. In order to move forward, students must read each prayer fluently, chant it if applicable, identify key vocabulary, and explain when and why the prayer is said. Generally, students take between one and two academic years to master reading fluency, and then begin working on the following prayers. Some students are motivated to learn Modern Hebrew as well! By the time students are ready for b’nai mitzvah tutoring, they will have been exposed to the following:
Adon Olam, Aleinu, Amidah (Avot, Gevurot, Kedusha), Ashrei, Barchu, Blessings for Foods, Blessings for Holidays, Blessings for Mitzvot, Blessings for Shabbat, Ein Keloheinu, Haftarah blessings, Hashkivenu, Hoda’ah (Modim Anachnu), Kiddush, L’cha Dodi, Maariv Aravim, Mi Chamocha, Modeh Ani, Mourner’s Kaddish, Oseh Shalom, Shalom Aleichem, Shalom Rav, Shema, Sim Shalom, Torah blessings, Torah service, V’ahavta, V’shamru, Yotzer Or.