NEVE
SHALOM
HEBREW
SCHOOL
CURRICULAR GOALS
Prepared by
Hazzan Sheldon Levin
Summer 2008
NEVE SHALOM
Hebrew School
Curricular Goals
Contents
Introduction page 3
School Goals page 4
Review of
Special Activities page 5
Review of Gan
K’tan page 9
Review of Ken (1st
grade) page 10
Review of Kita
K’tana (2nd grade) page 11
Kita K’tana Vocabulary page 12
Review of
Aleph page 14
Aleph Vocabulary page 16
Review of Bet page 18
Bet Vocabulary page 19
Review of
Gimel page 21
Gimel
Vocabulary page 23
Review of
Daled page 26
Daled Vocabulary page 28
Review of Hai page 30
Hai Vocabulary page 31
Hebrew High
Possibilities page
34
Overview of
Hebrew page 35
Overview of
Prayer Goals page 36
Holiday & Life Cycle Goals page 39
Bible and History Goals page 41
Textbooks page 43
INTRODUCTION
A good
curriculum is an evolving guide to running a successful school program. The
school strives to reach its goals, however, not every child will excel in every
area of study. One youngster might be very interested in Bible or history and
find language skills difficult or vice versa. Teachers have different styles
and though every teacher will follow this curriculum many will augment the
materials and information listed here with their own experiences and auxiliary
materials.
A good school
quickly adapts to changing needs of the times and of individual students. Neve
Shalom’s Hebrew school plans to be flexible enough to treat each child as an
individual and to develop programs which incorporate new texts and media as
they become available. Some things printed in this booklet may be outdated in a
short time, however, in my thirty plus years of experience as an Educational
Director, I have found that the majority of students have been able to
accomplish these goals.
These goals are realistic and
achievable for the majority of students. We hope that our children gain a great
deal from their years in our school and will
use this information for the rest of their
lives.
Hazzan Sheldon
M. Levin,
Educational
Director
Neve Shalom Hebrew School Goals
The primary mission of Neve Shalom’s Hebrew School is to
develop a positive attitude about being Jewish and to teach a fundamental understanding
of our religion, our people, our Hebrew language, our culture, our history, our
prayers, our holidays, Israel and ourselves as Jews.
The goals of our school are designed to offer each
student the opportunity to:
- Develop the reading and writing skills necessary for understanding
basic Hebrew and synagogue participation
- Gain a sense of spiritual and cultural kinship with Israel and the
Jewish people
- Develop the skills and foster the desire to participate in services,
holiday celebrations and rituals at home with his or her family and in the
synagogue with the larger community
- Encourage a sense of involvement in Jewish community life through
curricular and extra-curricular activities as well as opportunities to
perform “acts of kindness” (G’milut Chasadim), contribute to
“righteous causes” (Tzedakah) and follow “God’s commandments” (Mitzvot)
SPECIAL
ACTIVITIES
CLASS DINNERS, LUNCHEONS AND SERVICES
Each
class, Kita K’tana through Hai, will participate in leading parts of a service
and sharing the rituals of a Shabbat meal with their families. Teens have a
special service and lunch without their parents. Oriented around the Shabbat
service and meal, the children learn the rituals for those celebrations. The
atmosphere of the Shabbat table complete with Zemirot (songs), blessings, stories and appropriate foods is
represented. The Kita K’tana, Aleph & Bet classes participate in a Friday
evening service followed by a dinner or desserts. The Gimel, Daled & Hai
classes participate in Shabbat morning services and have a Shabbat luncheon.
Teens also participate in one Shabbat special service and meal.
The
first Friday night of the month there is a FAMILY SERVICE which is led by our 2nd-7th
grade students.
SIMCHAT
TORAH and PURIM evening services at
Neve Shalom are very child oriented and provide important Mitzvah experiences.
Singing, flags, noisemakers, prizes, candy and other fun activities fill the
service. Teen readers are usually featured. Funny hats on Simchat Torah and
costumes on Purim are worn by many children and adults in our community.
It should be noted that children and their families
are welcome and encouraged to attend services including: Friday evenings,
Shabbat mornings and all Holidays (even weekdays such as Pesach, Sukkot and Shavuot)
Note: Children from our congregation who attend
Solomon Schechter are invited and encouraged to attend the age appropriate
programs and trips at our congregation. Jewish friends who are not members of
our congregation may also attend.
HOLIDAYS
During
the HIGH HOLIDAYS there are children's services augmenting the information
taught in classes. Each year SUKKOT is celebrated with a family dinner or lunch
in the Sukkah which is decorated by members of the congregation with art work
created by our children. (Please speak with the Men’s Club about volunteering
to help build the synagogue Sukkah.) During the holiday the Mitzvah of Lulav and Etrog is
stressed school wide. SIMCHAT TORAH is prepared for with flag making, learning
of songs and discussions of Torah ideas.
CHANUKAH
may be celebrated with a school wide assembly where each class prepares a skit
or song (sometimes entirely in Hebrew). Alternately, there may be a Chanukah
learning fair or special party for the entire family. TU B’SHVAT often includes
a Seder including special foods,
blessings, stories and songs.
PURIM gears the children towards synagogue attendance
and hearing the story of Esther chanted. Hebrew High students are taught the
appropriate chanting melodies.
For PESACH (Passover) some years there are class
Seders where several classes may participate together demonstrating what they
have learned for the home seder. Other years the Hai class may lead a school
wide Seder with each grade doing specific parts. We might some year do an alternative
“walk through” Seder or a school wide Pesach Concert.
For YOM HASHOAH (Holocaust Memorial Day) there is an
annual assembly for grades Aleph and older. This "memorial service"
includes some discussions, prayers, readings, poetry, films or slides and a
speaker. The material helps sensitize the
children, appropriate to their levels, to one of the saddest periods in
Jewish history, the Holocaust.
For
YOM HA‑ATZM‑AUT (Israel's Independence Day) the whole school learns
songs and prepares for a school wide Israel learning day. There may also be
class projects, a song festival or concert participation, movies, speaker or
other special activities to help identify with the State of Israel.
PASSPORT
TO ISRAEL is a grant from the Susy Schwartz Memorial Fund which is matched by
the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County. The money (a total of up to
$2,000 from the two funds) will be sent to a supervised study oriented teen
trip to Israel for any child who goes during their High School or College
years. We truly believe that personal connection to Israel with a quality teen
trip can be a most valuable experience for our youth. Additional scholarships
may be available from the synagogue, community or programs for those with
financial needs.
LAG B'OMER features games (some Hebrew or Bible
oriented) to relate to this "student holiday." A film or simulation
game (playing Torah students hiding from the Romans) may also be used. For
SHAVUOT a Torah Bee or arts projects related to Torah may be featured as well
as the annual CONFIRMATION SERVICE and participation in the synagogue Late
Night Study Program (Leil Tikkun).
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Throughout
the year special foods symbolic of a holiday may be made or brought into the
classroom or activity period. Special decorations for home and/or class are
often created. Occasionally, a unit is prepared for a celebration for a single
class which is curricular based (Kashrut,
Life Cycle, Holocaust, History, etc.) This may involve a trip to a museum,
community program or other special event. We also react to current events (a
problem in Israel, a national event or even something special in our own
community) with caring and sensitivity. We try at the appropriate age level to
help the children understand an issue and then address it through a variety of
means. These might include sending letters, collecting food or money,
discussing the issue, or a special assembly or prayer service.
CONCERTS and CONTESTS
We
will encourage our children to participate in synagogue and community concerts
such as the Susy Schwartz Spring program, and other local and area Jewish
musical events. We may participate in national “contests” such as book reviews,
read-a-thons and essays for important Jewish causes. The synagogue may create
our own “in-school” contests for art work, photography, reading and other media
to inspire our children to participate in Jewish life outside of the classroom.
These might include model Sukkah creations, creative Chanukah menorahs, Israel
oriented projects or Mitzvah activities.
TRIPS
When
possible we try to bring our children’s Jewish experiences outside of the
classrooms. Trips might include: The
Zoo (finding Biblically mentioned animals), the Planetarium and Natural History
Museum (to compare creation stories with the Bible), the Jewish Heritage
Museum, Ellis Island and East Side of NY, the rare book collection of the
Jewish Theological Seminary, a Donut Shop (to make sufganiyot ‑jelly donuts), the Matzah Factory, a supermarket
(to find Kosher markings on foods) and for older grades trips to Boro Park, NY,
Philadelphia and Washington DC.
FILMS, COMPUTERS, INTERNET
We
make extensive use of videos and films including some in Hebrew, holiday films,
films about Israel, a series of films about each Torah portion, a variety of
animated Bible stories, Sesame street characters teaching about Israel, films
about the Holocaust, Jews in other lands, Jewish rituals and trigger films to
stimulate discussion on many subjects for example anti-Semitism or Jews in the
Media.
MACCABIYAH
The
annual color‑war program lasts several weeks in the last months of
school. This activity for grades Kita K’tana‑Daled divides the children
into teams to compete for points through games, quizzes, song contests, art
projects, spirit, knowledge and participation.
YOUTH GROUPS
In addition to our school
programs, Neve Shalom runs exciting informal Jewish activities for students
grades 4-12. Hanoar (4th-5th grades), Kadima (6th-8th
grades) and USY (High School) members participate in synagogue and regional
social, religious, mitzvah, sports and fun programs. Contact Stacey Sern,
732-205-1934, our Youth Committee chair for more information.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
We
look for new and exciting ways to interest the children. In former year we've
participated in running an ISRAELI FAIR, a PRAYER FAIR with multi‑media
participation, workshops on CULTS, AIDS, Anti‑Drug Programs and many
other worthwhile ventures. We may produce our own show or try making our own
videos on holiday or history themes and others. There will be an “Activity” (Chuggim) period for cooking, newspaper,
dancing, singing and other arts projects.
We
encourage classes to run TZEDAKAH PROJECTS to collect funds for important
causes. Students select where our Tzedakah funds will be donated. There have
been many family learning projects with information shared with parents to
further understand the goals of the activities.
FAMILY EDUCATION
We
are planning many intergenerational and family learning experiences. We will
invite parents of specific classes to attend with their children lessons,
activities, workshops and discussions on curricula based information. There
will also be programs when grandparents are invited and special events (such as
a Learning Fair or Torah Tikkun) when multigenerational learning can take
place.
GAN K’TAN (KINDERGARTEN) CURRICULUM
HEBREW
During
this first year in Religious School we begin to introduce this foreign
Ianguage on an oral
basis to the children. They learn mostly through games and pictures
approximately 75 Hebrew vocabulary words. Units include numbers, colors, parts
of the body and people (Aba, Imah, Hazzan, [father, mother, cantor], etc.) Through Israeli songs,
stories, Sesame Street videos and other teaching techniques, the children are
introduced to new words and a new culture. Using coloring books and picture
cards they begin to recognize some Hebrew words and learn the direction of this
language. They may learn to recognize the letters of the aleph‑bet but not to phonetically read during this
introductory year.
PRAYER
The children will be
learning many congregational melodies for prayers including: Sh'ma, Bar'chu, Ein K'Elohenu, Adon 01am,
Kiddush, Oseh Shalom and others. There will be discussion of
personal/communal prayer, G‑d, the use of Tallit, Tefillin, what is the Torah
and prayers for particular holidays and horne celebrations.
HOLIDAYS
Each child will be
doing age appropriate hands‑on activities including arts and crafts,
cooking, stories and songs to learn about the Jewish holidays of the school
year. They will be preparing for and participating in school wide celebrations
of Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Purim, Pesach
and Yom Ha-Atzmaut (Israel Birthday).
Each child will learn to light the Shabbat
and Chanukah candles and their
corresponding blessings. Each child will learn at least the first of the four
questions for Pesach.
BIBLE
Through
stories and some videos as well as coloring and crafts projects, the
students
will learn some of the early stories of the Bible and the Jewish
people.
These include Creation, Shabbat, Adam & Eve, Cain and Abel,
Tower
of Babel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Esau, and Joseph.
KEN (FIRST GRADE) CURRICULUM
HEBREW
The
children will be introduced to the Hebrew Aleph‑Bet
through the
entertaining and
colorful SAM THE DETECTIVE SERIES and/or I Can Read Hebrew which
will expose them to approximately 75 Hebrew classroom and synagogue oriented
vocabulary words.
Since
the primary goal of the Hebrew school is to develop a POSITIVE JEWISH IDENTITY,
we want the children to enjoy this learning. To do this, the teachers will be
using a positive motivational approach (rather than a pressured, oppressive
atmosphere) to teach the material.
PRAYER
The children will be
learning many congregational melodies for prayers
Including:
Sh'ma, Bar'chu, Ein K'Elohenu, Adon 01am, Kiddush, Oseh Shalom. There will
be discussions of several aspects of prayer. When do we do it, how do we feel,
how should we participate, connecting to the Torah and understanding Shabbat
and some holidays.
HOLIDAYS
Each
child will be using age‑appropriate hands‑on activities,
discussions, worksheets, songs, stories, crafts, cooking and other techniques
to explore the celebrations of the Jewish calendar.
They will be
preparing for and celebrating holiday events with the rest of the school
community. They will learn a number of parts of the Pesach Seder, including the
1st and 2nd of the Four Questions. They will learn Kiddush (1st part) and candle lighting for Shabbat at home and the
blessings for Chanukah.
BIBLE
This
class will continue the study of important figures of the bible including:
Moses, Jonah, David, Solomon, Ruth, Samson and others. The children will read,
act out, use puppetry, songs and pictures to learn the beginnings of the Jewish
people and the lives of these leaders.
KITA K’TANA (SECOND GRADE) CURRICULUM
HEBREW
The children will use
the whole word reading approach of the text and workbook series, Yesh Lanu Lama (Behrman).
They will learn all of the letters of the Aleph‑Bet
and the basic vowel sounds. The children this age enjoy copying letters and
will be encouraged to do some writing exercises with print letters. The
children still are in an introductory phase and the classroom atmosphere will
be presented in positive, joyful nature. We will encourage games, coloring,
singing and other active methods of learning.
PRAYER
Each
week the children join in a short prayer service which reviews many
congregational melodies. They also sing Holiday and Israeli songs. There is
time allotted for discussions of Shabbat and the holidays, and for ways of
participating as a member of the congregation. They learn about ritual
garb:
Tallit, Tefillin and Kippa.
Discussions also focus on feelings of prayer
and
ways of connecting personally to G‑d. Modeh
Ani and Sh'ma‑V’ahavta
will
be sung in class each week.
HOLIDAYS
Each
student will do a variety of age‑appropriate hands‑on activities to
learn the vocabulary and rituals of the major holidays. There will be
worksheets as well as songs, stories, discussion, cooking, crafts and other
programs to reinforce what the children are learning.
They
will be preparing for and celebrating with the rest of the school a number of
holiday programs. Each child will be expected to know the blessings for Chanukah and all of the Four Questions
asked at the Pesach Seder.
ISRAEL
The
youngsters will be taking an imaginary trip to ISRAEL. Visiting the
major
religious sites and learning of the different cultures (Kibbutz,
Moshav, etc.).
They will also be learning Israeli songs and dances and
creating
arts and crafts projects as well as viewing slides and films about
Eretz Yisrael.
BIBLE
This
class uses a wonderful text, Explorer Bible Book One (Behrman) to teach
meanings of the Biblical stories of Genesis and the beginning of the Moses sage.
The children will be looking at several interpretations of the text and be
encouraged to add their own ideas.
KITA K’TANA VOCABULARY
KITA K’TANA VOCABULARY
ALEPH CLASS CURRICULUM
HEBREW
Through
the text L'Shonee I (K'tav) the
children will learn to read all of the Hebrew consonants and vowels
phonetically. In addition, the children will learn to write the alphabet in
cursive script. The class will also use prayer texts to improve reading
fluency.
Vocabulary
will be taught from the L'Shonee I
text with approximately 100 word vocabulary introduced in the Aleph year. (see
Aleph vocabulary page] Siddur phrase reading will be exercised using the
prayers the children learn. The L'Shonee
I workbook will be used in class to reinforce writing skills, vocabulary
drills and more reading experiences. Occasionally, work sheets from this text
or flashcards may be sent home for extra review.
Supplementary
materials are encouraged to interest and excite students into learning Hebrew.
Flashcards, letter stencils, overhead transparencies, flannel board materials,
making letters out of cookie dough, pretzel sticks or cake frosting, posters of
the letters or words and gaming ideas will be used to teach and review lessons.
The Aleph class year is a time to begin the students Hebrew education on the
right foot. Using their natural curiosity and interest in learning this new
language skill, the teacher will create a joyful class which will learn a great
deal in one year. Information will be sent home informing the parents of
letters, vowels, skills and vocabulary taught each month.
HOLIDAYS/MITZVOT
The
Holidays program for the Aleph‑Gimel years closely follows the material
in the Melton Holidays, Mitzvot, Prayer
Curriculum. These books give the teachers carefully prepared lesson plans,
information and structure.
The
experienced teacher will augment this material with additional activities while
still presenting the core ideas which are in the "curriculum." The
Aleph year features the introduction of holiday facts and information,
especially relating to observances the child can do at home or in the
synagogue. For the sake of example, the following lessons are taught about the
holiday of
Purim:
Lesson
1: The main goal is to introduce the students to the terms "Pur" and
"Purim"
by playing at casting lots. It is an introductory lesson to the story
itself.
Lesson
2: The main goal of this lesson is to teach the students (the story of
the
scroll of Esther.)
Lesson
3: This lesson is primarily a review of the story itself. It provides
individual and group review of the story with sentence completion exercises
and
a a game to put the story in order.
Lesson
4: This lesson introduces the students to the various Mitzvot (commandments) of Purim which they can observe: i.e., hearing
Megillat Esther, making a grogger to drown out Haman's name,
having a party, giving gifts to friends giving to tzedakah, dressing in costume, having a carnival, eating Hamantaschen.
Lesson
5: This lesson focuses on the Mitzvot of
Mishloach Manot (gifts to friends and
neighbors) and Tzedakah, exploring the traditional way Jews can celebrate their
good fortunes. It also includes a closing activity in which students can make
their own personal Purim celebrations.
PRAYER
Prayer
skills for the Aleph and Bet years emphasize Shabbat evening and
home
celebrations throughout the year. The regular weekly prayer sessions
include
the following: the home welcoming Shabbat ceremonies, a mini-Shabbat evening
service including all of the congregational prayers of the
Friday
evening service
The MELTON materials, in class, focus on the
fundamentals of prayer; basic
ideas about G‑d, prayer, thanks and
appreciation. Also examined are the
prayers: Modeh
Ani, Bar'chu and the opening of the Amidah
and the
Sh'ma. All prayers
and songs in the Aleph year are taught at first by rote and, later in the
year, the children begin reading from a
siddur they are given at the Consecration.
The following prayers and songs are taught in school and are found on
the synagogue website under the Education Section: Musical Examples.
Unit 1: Shabbat
Candle Liqhting, Kiddush (complete for Friday night),
Alenu, L'cha Dodi, Bar'chu, Sh'tna, Mi
ChaMoCha, Oseh Shalom, Alenu
and Adon
01am.
Unit 2: Havdalah
Blessings and Shavua Tov, Chanukah Candle Lighting,
Maoz Tzur ,Mi
Y'mallel. Other prayers: Modeh Ani, Blessings
for Foods,
V'ahavta,
Shalom Aleichem
Unit 3: Pesach
Kiddush, Four Questions. Dayenu, Adir Hu, Chad Gadya,
Echad Mi
Yodea, L'shana Habaah, Hatikvah.
HISTORY-BIBLE
We
try not to repeat the same lessons every year. The moral and historic lessons
of B’reshit
(Genesis) will continue with later biblical books in Aleph class. Using the text
Explorer Bible Book Two (Berhman) studies include Joshua, Deborah,
Samson, Ruth, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Jonah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Esther,
Daniel and Ezra.
ADDITIONAL
Consecration is a ceremony during the Aleph year to formally
welcome the students to Hebrew language study. They will prepare a presentation
in the late fall, around Chanukah, or near Tu B’Shvat in the winter. This might
include a sample lesson, songs and skits based on what they learning in the
class.
Special
events for the ear include a Friday night family dinner and service, a class
family learning event and participation in the activities and other school wide
events [see special activities program page 5].
ALEPH
CLASS VOCABULARY
ALEPH
CLASS VOCABULARY
BET CLASS CURRICULUM
HEBREW
The
Bet class is using the The New Siddur
Program Series Book I Siddur Track
(Behrman House). This
first book is an introduction to language skills such
as
reading and translating, reading with comprehension, understanding instructions in Hebrew, simple grammar
forms (masculine, feminine, singular,
plural and simple sentence structure). Conversation is not stressed; however, there are lessons on
identifying people and items in the classroom,
home and the child's world. Neve Shalom has elected to
emphasize Siddur (prayer) skills and
vocabulary which will be used in the following years.
During this year the
child will learn approximately 100 new vocabulary words [see Bet vocabulary
pages 21-23]. He/she will do a number
of interesting exercises and drills to fine tune writing skills, learn
translating procedures and review old and new vocabulary. The teacher is
encouraged to use the accompanying teacher's guide for ancillary materials,
games and drills. This guide will also give methods for introducing the
vocabulary prior to the story in each lesson.
Prayer
reading will be stressed throughout the year. By the end of the year, the child
should be able to read out loud any vocalized text (with vowels) at an even,
slow pace.
HOLIDAYS/MITZVOT
The focus in the Bet
year of Holidays/Mitzvot is on the symbols of the Holidays and observances in
the synagogue and the world. (The Aleph year concentrated on the individual and
the home). In addition to holiday celebrations the Melton Guide presents
units on Talmud Torah, the Synagogue,
Family History, Tzedakah and Kashrut.
Continuing the Purim
example from the Aleph year, the Bet Class will review the events in tile Megillat Fsther story. They will learn
of the historic context and focus on the moral lessons of the text. They will also have units
showing how the holiday is celebrated in Israel and how those celebrations are
similar to or different from our own. They will discuss what is important about
the celebrations for themselves and learn the appropriate blessings that they
will hear (in the synagogue) when they attend the Megillah reading.
PRAYER
The
Bet class reviews and expands the prayers and skills taught in the Aleph year.
The focus will be on Shabbat evening. The short service performed during school
will include either Shabbat home rituals or Friday night melodies for
synagogue. The children themselves take turns at leading these prayers, which
they will also lead at Family Services. In addition to the many prayers listed
in the Aleph curriculum and that are on the synagogue website, the Melton
Curriculum (for Holidays/Mitzvot) includes some lessons on understanding the
Friday evening prayers. The prayers included are: Shalom Aleichem , L’cha Dodi, Bar'chu, The Sh'ina‑V’ahavta, Mi
ChaMoCha, V'shamru, Vay’chulu, Kiddush and Alenu.
BIBLE/HISTORY
The
children in this year return to the Bible studies of Genesis and Exodus.
Using
the text A Child’s Bible (Berhman) for each lesson they will learn new
ways of analyzing the text: Peshat (what does it mean?), Drash (What does it
teach?), Remez (important lessons). The book also has colorful illustrations and
an accompanying game book.
BET CLASS VOCABULARY
BET CLASS VOCABULARY
GIMEL
CLASS CURRICULUM
HEBREW
The
Gimel class uses the text, S’fatai Tiftach I (Torah Aura). This text
focuses on many prayers with excellent word drills and review games. These give
the students reading, writing and
translating experiences. There are approximately 130 new
words introduced this year and the text also reviews 75 words from the former
year's work.
The grammar that is
taught explains singular and plural rules for regular nouns, adjectives and
verbs in the present tense. Also, many prefixes and suffixes are drilled,
encouraging the pupil to make more complex words. Since the Siddur and Biblical
Hebrew often are of this complex structure, this idea is important for the
students to understand. The lessons relate to themes of Mitzvot.
Kiddush, B'rachot, Siddur, Tzedakah and Torah. In
this class we also review prayer reading (see prayers below).
HOLIDAYS/MITZVOT
In the Gimel Year the Holidays/Mitzvot Melton program
features a more
mature
attitude toward Jewish observance. Themes like Freedom, Renewal, Forgiveness,
Assimilation and Caring for others are stressed. At the end of the year, we do a review of all of the
holidays and for each list other names, the Jewish date, its historic
significance, a food associated with it, the rituals, prayers or observances we celebrate.
As an example of the
Melton approach, Gimel year stresses Jewish identity and Jewish "unity"
during its study of Purim. [ "Kol
Yisrael Areivim Ze BaZeh. All Israel is responsible for
another."]
Lesson
1: The students examine their feelings about their Jewish identity. They
compare these feelings with the changing attitudes toward Jewish identity
expressed in the Megillah.
Lesson 2: Being
Jewish carries with it the responsibility of being identified
as a Jew and of
caring for all other Jews. Exercises include deciding “Federation” allocations,
discussing whom to invite to a party, wearing a Kippah in
public and some role playing games.
Lesson 3: This lesson
organizes the customs of Purim as related to the attitudes listed above. For
example, the children find references of "All Israel is
Responsible..." in the Megillah. They
also study current customs of fasting before Purim, men and women hearing the Megillah, dressing
in
costume, gifts of
food and money to the poor, eating hamantaschen,
having a carnival, a special meal and drinking. We might have the children
use the
theme
"All Israel is responsible..." to create bumper sticker slogans or a
mural.
Lesson 4: This lesson
includes exercises to review the Megillah
story and important Purim phrases. This lesson is often augmented with the Purim
Game, an A.R.E. publication.
PRAYER
In
this year, we begin study of the Shabbat morning service. We feature
several
of the important pravers and also teach the Torah service. The children take
turns in leading this weekly "shortened" service and are encouraged
to attend Jr. Congregation or lead Ashrei
in the Sanctuary.
Also
Holiday prayers, Holiday songs and discussions of prayer‑related issues
fill in the Prayer and Song class time. The following prayers are on the synagogue
website and are taught in the Gimel year.
Unit
IV: (High Holiday) Avinu Malkenu,
Zochrenu, Candle Blessings, N'tilat
Lulav, Leshev BaSukkah, Ana Adonai
Unit
V: (Shabbat Morning) Shacharit blessings,
Ashrei, Shochen Ad,
Bar'chu, Eil Adon, Sh'ma‑
V'ahavta, K 'dusha responses. (Torah Service:)
Ein Kamocha, Sh'ma, Torah
Blessings, Hatzi Kaddish, Ein K'Elohenu
Unit VI: (Pesach) Kiddush Halachma Anya, V'hi
SheAmda, Birchat Hamazon, Eliyahu Hanavi, Hodu, Od'cha, Ani Ma-amin, L'shana
Haba-ah and Hatikvah.
HISTORY/BIBLE
Using the text, Introduction
to Jewish History (Behrman) and several animated videos the children read,
view and discuss stories about the events from the age of the Patriarchs to the
destruction of the Second Temple and the Talmudic period. Excellent artwork and
interesting time-lines help put Jewish history in order and helps the children
compare it to civilizations they study in secular school.
LIFE CYCLE
This
course covers a Jewish life's events from Birth to Death. It looks at the
major rituals and
ceremonies we celebrate.
Using a new textbook The Time Of Our Lives (Behrman), the children are
exposed to a great deal of material and information and are aided by colorful
pictures and lessons. They learn the vocabulary of these many Jewish rituals (Brit Milah,
Ketubah, Mikveh, Taharah, etc.). When possible this course is augmented by
films and videos, guest speakers, (a Mohel, Funeral Director), and actual
attendance at some events or class recreations (a mock wedding, a
"doll" baby naming).
GIMEL
CLASS VOCABULARY
GIMEL
CLASS VOCABULARY
GIMEL
CLASS VOCABULARY
DALED CLASS
CURRICULUM
HEBREW
Using
the text S’fatai Tiftach II (Torah Aura). This text focuses on many
prayers of Shabbat morning with excellent word drills and review games. These
give the students reading, writing and
translating experiences. This book, divided into 10 chapters, introduces 140
new words (not counting related forms of the same words) and includes
approximately 150 words taught in the former years which are reviewed.
The vocabulary is
again Siddur oriented and the stories
relate to study, Bar/t Mitzvah, the Sh'ma and Shabbat. The stories are entertaining, written clearly to help the
children quickly comprehend and master the material presented. [see vocabulary
lists]
The grammar stressed
during this year includes the past tense, the use of the infinitive, finding
the Shoresh (root) and more extensive
use of prefixes and suffixes. The possessive contraction is drilled (Avi‑nu
=our father, rather than Av Shelanu ). We also work on using a
dictionary and translating from English to Hebrew and vice versa.
Reading fluency is
reviewed and tested periodically to make sure the children are still improving.
A second book, Torah Skills Workbook, is designed as a companion for
this course. The students will learn to understand selected Torah words and
phrases, recognize Torah script and use exercises that will help them prepare
for Bar or bat Mitzvah.
PRAYER
We continue to review
and practice the prayers found in the Shabbat morning service. As soon as each
child learns to read the Ashrei fluently,
he or she can lead it on Shabbat mornings in the Adult Service. The students
will participant in the weekly Mincha
(afternoon) and Maariv (evening)
services. The class will participate in a Shabbat morning service and luncheon
as well as learn Torah Trop. The
children will participate in leading the Torah Service and possibly Musaf on a
Shabbat morning. [See the Gimel class prayer paragraph for a list of the goals]
and are urged to attend Jr. Congregation regularly.
HOLOCAUST
The
text of Bea Stadtler’s The Holocaust (Behrrnan) traces the period from
WW I till the end of WW2. The students see how the political developments
unfolded one step at a time to the point where all rights of freedom were lost
including the right to leave Germany. The children learn of life in the ghetto,
the concentration and work camps and activities of the underground. They learn
about resistance fighters and the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
The subject matter is intriguing to the students giving rise
to many questions and concerns. Age appropriate material is presented with a
great deal of time allowed for questions and discussions. The students are
encouraged to do outside reading (Night,
Anne Frank, Maus and
other age appropriate fiction and non fiction) and to discuss this period with
their parents and grandparents.
HISTORY
Journey
Through Jewish History picks up where the Gimel Class
textbook concluded. Contents include: Jewish Life in the Middle Ages,
Ashkenazic Jewry, Sephardic Jewry, Zionism, The Jewish World Today and
more. The continuity of Jewish values
and the survival of the Jewish people are brought to life in this vivid, richly
illustrated text.
CURRENT EVENTS/ISRAEL This course
will vary depending upon the events of the day. It will try to include an
overview of modern Israeli history from the late 19th century until the
present. Names such as Theodore Herzl, Chaim Weisman, Ben Gurion, Moshe Dayan,
Golda Meir and other early pioneers and leaders will become recognizable to the
students. Events such as the Aliyot, the Balfour Declaration and the major wars
will be taught.
The class will spend
a great deal of time looking at current Israeli situations. The political,
social and economic factors, the border tensions and problems with neighbors,
world opinions and religious differences (Jews/Moslems, Conservative/Orthodox
Jews) will be brought to life using maps, role playing, magazine articles,
guest speakers and news videos.
Other
issues facing Jews may be taught including some of the following: Anti‑Semitism today, Hate Groups,
Intermarriage, Missionaries, Prayer
in Public School, "JAP” Stereotyping
and other issues in the headlines.
DALED
CLASS VOCABULARY
DALED
CLASS VOCABULARY
HAI CLASS CURRICULUM
HEBREW
The
Hai class uses the Shabbat morning service S’fatai Tiftach III (Torah
Aura). This text focuses on many prayers of Shabbat morning with excellent word
drills and review games. These give the students reading, writing and
translating experiences. The teacher may augment the understanding of why we
pray with the Sh'ma Is For Real Lab
Book (Torah Aura).
For
each prayer the students learn important words, concepts, background material
about the services, translation skills, grammar skills (finding the root,
dividing the word into parts) in addition to a great deal of reading practice.
By the end of the
year, the children are expected to understand these prayers, many of which they
recognize from former years of study. They should be able to read each prayer
fluently and to sing most of them. It is hoped that they will be able to
connect personally to the meanings and concepts of the service. A major
objective is to enable the children to feel comfortable with Shabbat worship
whenever and wherever they attend Saturday morning services.
PRAYER/ BAR/BAT MITZVAH
Throughout
the Hai year, prayer discussion emphasizes Shabbat morning texts and general
feelings about prayer. The Hai class will lead a Friday evening service in the
Spring and they should attend services regularly for the year prior to their
Bar or Bat Mitzvah on Saturday mornings. The students will learn to lead the
weekly Mincha (afternoon) and Maariv (evening) services. They can
receive credit for going to B’nai Mitzvah
at other synagogues by filling in a simple comparison form to sensitize the
students of the differences between the various services.
Preparation
for Bar or Bat Mitzvah includes understanding the story and ideas found in
their Torah and Haftarah portions. Each child is expected to write a review of the
ideas found in the Torah portion. There is a "Mitzvah Honor Society"
program which encourages B'nai Mitzvah to participate in a number of Mitzvah
projects at home and in the community during this final year before becoming a
Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Many of these Mitzvot
are discussed in the Hai class and opportunities to fulfill them are sought.
The boys (and girls who wish to) learn to put on Tefillin. All learn when
and how and why Tefillin are worn.
BIBLE
The Hai class
studies, in depth, the events, the moral lessons and the values of the part of
the book of B'reshit. Using the
Melton Bible techniques and worksheets, the children will learn to relate to the Biblical events in a personal way and
struggle with some of the same ethical issues faced by the Patriarchs
which still face us today.
Using the J.P.S. translation of The Torah, the
children also learn to analyze a text and to deal with the Biblical language
(in English). Using the inquiry method, the students deal with the text on
three levels:
What does the text say?
What does the text mean?
What do these ideas mean to me?
The
materials present age appropriate questions that help young people understand
the bible and themselves. Also, additional material from Midrashic (Rabbinic stories) sources will augment the text.
ADDITIONAL CHOICES
In
the Spring Semester, the students may have the option of joining with the
Hebrew High students for part of the time. Course selections may include Band,
Art, Israel, Holocaust, Conversational Hebrew, Ethics and other topics.
HAI CLASS VOCABULARY
HAI
CLASS VOCABULARY
HAI
CLASS VOCABULARY
HEBREW
HIGH SCHOOL POSSIBILITIES
COURSES
Our
Hebrew High classes from grades 8‑10 meet for two hours per week, 11-12th
grades meet once month. We offer the teens a variety of choices each year.
Course titles may include: Conversational Hebrew, Intermarriage and other
current issues, Sex In The Texts, Five Megillot.
History of Jerusalem, History of the Jewish Middle Ages, Holocaust Films &
Literature. Introduction to Mysticism, Jewish Philosophy, Overview of Jewish
History Course, Prayer & Spirituality, Sex, Drugs & Jewish Values,
Talmud Text Study, MTV /Video Values and similar possible subjects. The course
selection will depend upon the available teaching staff and the number of
registered pupils who are interested in certain subjects. The courses are rotated
so that over several years students will have the opportunity to study from
various areas of text, history, values and religion.
CONFIRMATION
Confirmation is an
opportunity for a Jewish teen to reaffirm his or her commitment to Judaism. It
is marked with a beautiful ceremony which will include presentations written by
the students at a service during (or near) the holiday of Shavuot. In order to
be confirmed a student needs to continue his or her Jewish education for three
years following Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Participation in our Tuesday evening
program with additional Mitzvah or Torah Reading projects fulfills our
requirements. Attendance at Solomon Schechter High School also fulfills our
goals. Summers in intensive programs like Camp Ramah or USY on Wheels together
with some educational components here or another Hebrew High School are also
acceptable.
Since many of our
teens are already attending the Tuesday evening classes as well as reading
Torah, participating in Kadima and USY activities, and helping with Mitzvah
projects, we hope they will all continue their studies for three years beyond
Bar/Bat Mitzvah to share this wonderful Confirmation experience with the
community.
SPECIAL HEBREW HIGH EVENTS
The School
runs a variety of events for teens either as part of their regular Tuesday
evenings or together with the USY group. In the past, these have included the Gesher Program to learn about Jewish
activities on college campuses, AIDS awareness programs, anti‑drug events
and fun activities like Sukkah Pizza Parties. Guest speakers and films may
teach about Israel, the Holocaust, Jews In Sports and Interfaith programs.
OVERVIEW OF GRADES GAN‑HAI
HEBREW
GAN K’TAN
Reading Readiness
Program, 75 vocabulary words, direction of Hebrew language, recognize Aleph‑Bet
units include: numbers, colors, part of body, names and family members.
SUNDAY
SCHOOL (FIRST GRADE)
Using Sam the Detective
students will learn to recognize the Hebrew alphabet, copy letters,
approximately 100 Hebrew word vocabulary including classroom and synagogue
oriented words. Work on developing positive Hebrew and Judaic identity.
KITA K’TANA (SECOND GRADE)
Using Yesh Lanu
Lama children learn to read using a whole word approach. They learn to
write letters in print. Approximately 75 new Hebrew vocabulary words are
taught.
ALEPH CLASS
Using
L'Shonee and Workbook children learn to read and write the entire
alphabet and vowel sounds. They learn cursive script and 100 new Hebrew words.
They practice phonetic reading skills.
BET CLASS
The text and workbook
for The New Siddur Program Book I introduces language skills in reading,
writing, translating, simple grammar forms (masculine, feminine, singular,
plural and simple sentence structure) and the use of Hebrew as a living
language. Approximately 100 new words are taught and many exercises reinforce
the vocabulary and grammar skills. Phonetic reading skills are reviewed and
practiced.
GIMEL CLASS
Continuing the with The
New Siddur Book II students focus on
prayer oriented vocabulary and stories. 130 new words are taught and 75 old
ones reviewed. Grammar includes: singular and plural rules for nouns,
adjectives and verbs in the present tense. Prefixes and suffixes are drilled.
Themes include Mitzvot, Kiddush,
B’rachot, Siddur, Tzedakah and Torah.
DALED CLASS
The
New Siddur Program Book III continues the prayer vocabulary
foundation. Approximately 140 new words are taught and 150 old ones reviewed.
Grammar includes past tense, use of infinitive, finding the root, use of prefix
and suffix, possessive contractions and use of dictionary. Reading fluency is
stressed through prayers. Units include: Bar
Mitzvah, the Sh’ma and Shabbat.
HAI CLASS
This
class studies The Shabbat Morning Service Series as its text book
and goal.
The
three books teach the concepts, important vocabulary, background material, some
grammar skills and reading practice to enable the child to participate with
understanding in Shabbat services.
PRAYER
|
PRAYER
|
Gan
|
1st
|
2nd
|
Aleph
|
Bet
|
Gimel
|
Daled
|
Hai
|
|
Candle Lighting
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
|
|
|
Motzi
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
|
|
|
"short" Kiddush
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
|
|
|
Complete Friday night
Kiddush
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
v
|
|
"very short"
Birchat Hamazon
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Standard short Birchat
Hamazon
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
|
|
Complete Birchat Hamazon
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Yom Tov Candles
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
|
|
Yom Tov Complete Kiddush
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
Shalom Aleichem
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
v
|
|
L'cha Dodi (1st few verses)
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
v
|
|
Tzadik Katamar
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
v
|
|
Chatimot for Kabbalat
Shabbat
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
Barchu (Friday Night)
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
v
|
|
Sh'ma
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
V'ahavta
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Mi Chamocha
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
V'shamru
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Hatzi Kaddish
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Oseh Shalom
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vay'chulu
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
Kaddish Shaleim
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
Aleinu
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Adon Olam
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
PRAYER
|
Gan
|
1st
|
2nd
|
Aleph
|
Bet
|
Gimel
|
Daled
|
Hai
|
|
Modeh Ani
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
Ashrei (Shabbat & Wkday)
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Psalm 150
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
Shochen Ad
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
Yishtabach (Shabbat morning)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
Hatzi Kaddish (Shabbat
morning)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
Barchu (Shabbat morning)
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Eil Adon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
Kadosh Kadosh & Baruch
K'vod
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Or Chadash
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
Ahavah Rabbah
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
V'haeir Einenu
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
Sh'ma-V'ahavta (see Friday
night)
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
"Tzitzit"
paragraph
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
Mi Chamocha Shabbat morning
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
Tzur Yisrael
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
Avot
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M'chalkel Chayim
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Kedusha Shacharit responses
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
complete Shacharit Kedusha
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
L'dor Vador
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
Kaddish Shaleim
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
Weekday Nusach for Mincha
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
Weekday Nusach for Maariv
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
Ein Kamocha
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Av Harachamim
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Vay'hi Binsoa
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
"Bei Ana Rachetz"
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Sh'ma-Echad-Gadlu
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
L'cha HaShem
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Blessing before Torah
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Torah TROP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
Blessing after Torah
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Blessing before Haftarah
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
v
|
|
Haftarah TROP
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
v
|
|
Blessings after Haftarah
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
v
|
|
PRAYER
|
Gan
|
1st
|
2nd
|
Aleph
|
Bet
|
Gimel
|
Daled
|
Hai
|
|
Eitz Chayim Hee
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Kedusha Musaf responses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
complete Musaf Kedusha
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
Yism'chu
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
KadsHainu…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
R'tsei
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Modim
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
V'al Kulam
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Birchat Cohanim
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Sim Shalom
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
Ein Kelohenu
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
|
|
Aleinu
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Havdalah Blessings
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
|
|
|
Shavua Tov
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
|
|
|
Eliyahu Hanavi
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
|
|
|
|
Avinu Malkeinu
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Zochreinu
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
|
High Holiday Evening Nusach
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
|
|
N'tilat Lulav
|
|
|
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
v
|
|
Leishev BaSukkah
|
|