RELIGIOUS SCHOOL CURRICULUM

KINDERGARTEN: “TURNING THE CYCLE OF THE JEWISH YEAR”

Through the playful exploration of the kindergarten year, children are introduced to Jewish holidays, life and values, the synagogue, Jewish symbols, and Bible stories.

FIRST GRADE: “LIVING JUDAISM”

Throughout the year, the students will be studying various ways to bring Judaism into their lives and the lives of their families. Not simply one class session will cover Shabbat, but an entire unit will discuss the origins of Shabbat and how the children can make this time enjoyable and memorable for them and their family. The goal of this class is to bring Jewish holidays and rituals to life as well as giving easy and practical ways the students can actively share memorable Jewish moments with their families.

SECOND GRADE: “TORAH STORIES AND THE VALUES THEY TEACH US”

Second grade students learn the central Torah stories found in the Books of Genesis and Exodus. Through these stories, students become acquainted with the personalities and adventures of our Biblical ancestors as well as the ethical issues these stories raise. The ethics and values found in the stories of the Torah are highlighted and discussed in relation to students’ lives and to larger society. The Hebrew word associated with each value is connected to an element of the story from the Torah.

THIRD GRADE: “A TRIP TO ISRAEL”

The third grade year is structured as a simulated trip to Israel. Each week, students explore a different aspect of Modern Israel: Her history, people, cities, culture and geography. Holidays are celebrated with an emphasis on Israeli traditions. A key goal for the year is the students’ development of an emotional connection to Israel. The aleph-bet is introduced and children learn to use simple conversational phrases in Hebrew.

FOURTH GRADE: “TORAH, OUR, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE”

In the fourth grade, students focus on what it means to study Torah. The lessons, stories, history, relationships with God and with fellow man that come this central Jewish text, will come to life for these children. Through, creative writing, drama, art and active projects, the students will discover the richness of Torah. All Jewish morals, values and ways of behavior come from the Torah and the study of Torah leads to them all.

FIFTH GRADE: “PROPHETS AND LIVING A JEWISH LIFE”

The fifth grade year picks up the Jewish people’s story with Moses receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. During this year, students probe the stories of the Judges and Prophets. They confront the religious and ethical dilemmas that these episodes in our people’s history raise. Issues of oppression, greed, idolatry, violence, injustice, and power are all confronted directly and related to our lives today. Special emphasis is placed on the social justice message of the prophets.

Cycles will be a running theme throughout the year. The students will be introduced to the idea of a cycle, in relation to one’s life, in relation to the calendar year, and in relation to the week. There will be special emphasis on Jewish life cycle events such as: birth, brit, and naming, (2) Bar and Bat Mitzvah, (3) marriage, (4) building Jewish family traditions like tzedakah and Shabbat, and (5) aging and death.

SIXTH GRADE: “JEWISH VALUES”

We are a people of the book. Every Jew should have a certain sense of cultural literacy. What is Torah? What is a mezuzah? What is the Talmud? Questions like these will be explored through, study, art, drama and movement. By the end of the year the students will have a stronger knowledgebase regarding fundamental Jewish principals and guiding texts.

SEVENTH GRADE: “TIKKUN OLAM, REPAIRING THE WORLD”

This year we will include a focus Social Action and current events. Student input will be influential in the construction of this curriculum. In this newly designed curriculum students will explore the Jewish mandate for social justice and examine issues facing our society in the interest of Jewish values and will leave the classroom to take action.

EIGHTH GRADE: “THE VIRTUES OF BEING A JEWISH TEENAGER”

From where can a Jewish teen find help in making the right decision? From the question of what do I wear to the dance? to What do I do when I disagree with my best friend?, Jewish tradition has the answers. This class will spend time looking at modern and relevant challenges that teenagers face every day and tackle them from the Jewish perspective.

NINTH GRADE: “KEEPING IT REAL, PRAYER AS A USEFUL TOOL”

This class with be taught by Avram Mandell, the Director of Education. Through drumming, music, poetry, meditation and text study, the students will figure out ways to incorporate prayer into their lives. “If you don’t like praying, you’re not doing it right
. . . for you.” Everyone can connect to prayer, but they need to personalize their prayer experience for it to be a successful one.

TENTH GRADE: “CONFIRMATION”

Confirmation is a special program taught by Rabbi Chasen and Rabbi Lewis. Through a series of dynamic in-class and out-of-class experiences, it leads to a culminating service during Shavuot. This entire year is an experience that will shape its participants’ views of the role that Judaism plays in their lives.



CHUGIM (Clubs)

4 - SESSION MINI COURSE PROGRAM


We will begin a new program for grades Six and Seven. Every 4 weeks the students get to choose a class that they would like to take for the last 30 minutes of school. There are several options for them to choose, including; guitar, art, drama, conversational Hebrew, etc. On the fifth week there may be a performing arts presentation, which includes some of the work of the students from the different chugim. All parents are invited to attend this program.


SPECIALTY SUBJECTS

Aside from the core curriculum described above, students in Kindergarten through Grade Seven participate in the following special classes:

SHIRA (MUSIC)

Music is an integral part of Jewish life. The music program concentrates on Shabbat liturgical responses, holiday songs as well as children's music.


MANUT (ART)

Classes participate in an arts and crafts program designed by their teacher and the art teacher in are well stocked and creative art room. The projects will focus on the topics they are studying and upcoming holidays.

RIKUDEY AM (Folk Dance)

Classes will participate with our highly trained Israeli Dance specialist to learn folk dances from Israel. This will give the students an opportunity to move around and connect to Judaism and Israel on a new level.

MISCHAKIM (Games)

We will be experimenting with a new program involving sports and low ropes course games to build community, teach Hebrew vocabulary and Jewish values. This program will include games with balls, hoops, and other trust games.

HEBREW

Students enrolled in Leo Baeck Temple’s twice-weekly Hebrew program are introduced to the Hebrew language, its alphabet, basic grammar, prayers and blessings and are taught to read and write. The grade level entry for a child into the Hebrew program is Grade Four. For those who wish to become Bar/Bat Mitzvah, four years of Hebrew studies are required. The Hebrew studies program includes Alef, Bet, Gimmel, and Dalet classes.

Every week, having prepared with the Cantor, the students lead and participate in a service, held at the end of the Religious School day on Wednesdays. All parents are invited and encouraged to attend this service. Towards the end of each year, the Director of Education conducts personal Hebrew reading evaluations with all students. It is expected that students will achieve the goals of each class.

Unless otherwise noted in the calendar or by the teacher, Hebrew classes are held every Sunday morning during Religious School hours and Wednesday afternoons from 4:00 – 6:15 p.m.

Alef -Level 1

This is the first year of formal Hebrew education, and it begins in Grade Four. Alef is a year of exposure to the Hebrew language, alphabet recognition and reading development. Students are introduced to, and gradually develop a familiarity with, the language. The emphasis of the class is the development of fluent Hebrew reading skills. The goals of the Alef year are:

• to recognize the sound of the letters and vowels.
• to combine the sounds in order to read words.
• to build a vocabulary of Hebrew words.
• to master reading the following Hebrew prayers and blessings:
Sh’ma, Kiddush, Shabbat Candles, Yom Tov Candles, Hamotzi, Bar’chu, and all four questions.

Books used in Level Alef: Ot La Ba’ot is not a revolutionary or innovative Hebrew Primer. It is just the opposite. It is an act of conservation, the return of old wisdom and well tried truth to the process of teaching Hebrew reading.


Bet Level 2

The Bet class is a year of Hebrew language development. Students are introduced to, and gradually develop a familiarity with, the language. The emphasis of the class is learning to read and comprehend. Students will study the alphabet, prayers, learn their meaning and study some basic Hebrew grammar. The goals of the Bet year are:

• to recognize the sound of the letters and vowels.
• to combine the sounds in order to read words.
• to master reading the following Hebrew prayers and blessings: Mi Chamocha, V’Shamru, Avot, V’Ahavta, Ma’ariv, Four Questions.
• to analyze basic grammar principles: identify syllables, prefixes/suffixes, root letters, vowel rules, the definite article, masculine/feminine forms, singular/plural forms.
• to comprehend and explain the concept of each prayer and blessing (what it’s about, why we say it)
• to identify key words found in each of the prayers and blessings.

Books used in level Bet: S’fatai Tiftah (Open My Lips) is a brand new Siddur curriculum from Torah Aura Productions. It is designed to follow Ot la-Ba’ot (A Better Hebrew Primer).


Gimmel Level 3

The Gimmel class is the third year of the Hebrew program. The emphasis on Hebrew reading proficiency continues. Studies are centered on specific prayers of the Shabbat morning service. The students will develop a prayer vocabulary. The goals of the Gimmel year are:

• to review their knowledge of the alphabet and grammar learned in Bet year.
• to learn the sequence of the Shabbat evening and morning service, with particular attention paid to the Sh’ma and her Blessings, the first segment of the service.
• to read the following prayers: G’vurot, Kedusha, Torah Blessings, and Haftarah Blessings.
• to explain the concepts of Creation, Revelation and Redemption, the central themes of the shima and its blessings.
• to explain the concepts of each prayer.
• to identify the key words and root forms found in each prayer.
• to translate key words of the prayers.
• to develop a dictionary of prayer words.
• to learn modern conversational Hebrew

Books used in Level Gimmel: S’fatai Tiftah, Volume 2 is the second volume of our newest curriculum to teach the Siddur. It is designed to follow a student’s completion of S’fatai Tiftah, Volume 1. S’fatai Tiftah, Volume 2 includes an overview of the Amidah with a focus on major prayers, as well as pieces of Kabbalat Shabbat.Boker: A Prayerbook & Textbook for the Morning Service.


Dalet Class

The Dalet class is the final year of the formal Hebrew program. Any student completing this class will be able to read and lead the entire Shabbat evening and morning service. In addition, students will practice reading texts from Torah without vowels. Sections of Torah will be studied both with vowels and without to enable proficiency in reading the unvowelled text.

The goals of the Dalet year are:

• to review the basic vocabulary, grammar, prayers and blessings of previous years.
• to continue to learn the sequence of the Shabbat evening and morning service, with particular attention paid to the Amidah through the concluding prayers, the second segment of the service.
• to read the following prayers: Shalom Rav, Aleynu, Kaddish.
• to explain the concepts of each prayer.
• to identify the key words and root forms found in each prayer.
• to translate key words of the prayers.
• to develop a dictionary of prayer words.
• to decode specific Torah texts.
• to learn to translate short passages from the Torah
• to learn modern conversational Hebrew.

Books used in Level Dalet: S’fatai Tiftah, Volume 3 is the second volume of our newest curriculum to teach the siddur. It is designed to follow a student’s completion of S’fatai Tiftah, Volume 2. S’fatai Tiftah, Volume 3 teaches the Torah service, concluding prayers and havdalah.
Parashat Hashavua Book 1: Reading Genesis Students not only practice Hebrew reading, they also become familiar with the 12 parshiyot in Genesis In addition, students learn the practices and prayers associated with reading Torah in synagogue.