Hebrew

Our Hebrew program, Tal Am, is based on the notion that the best learning environment for children is one in which knowledge is acquired through a variety of activities, using each of the five senses. In addition to studying from textbooks, students use music, games, and visual aids to acquire Hebrew proficiency. By the end of first grade, students should be able to:

Torah

Each week the parashah (Torah portion) is discussed in English, focusing on major themes and making them relevant to first graders. Students are exposed to one verse from each parashah in Biblical Hebrew, and take-home family activities connected to one idea from each parashah. Particular attention is given to learning Parashat Noah in simple Hebrew.

 

Tefilah (Prayers)

Tefilah addresses children’s natural curiosity about God and the world. Through activities and discussions, we strive to communicate the meaning of the prayers on a first grade level. Students are given the opportunity to create their own prayers. They begin the year by following tefillot orally, and by the end of the year they are able to read prayers from the siddur. Prayers learned in first grade include Birchot HaShachar, Barechu, blessings surrounding the Shema, and the beginning of the Amidah. A highlight of first grade is the Kabbalat Siddur/Siddur Ceremony, a milestone event during which students receive their first prayer book.

 

Holidays and Shabbat

Our study of Jewish holidays fosters Jewish identity by allowing children to explore Jewish traditions using stories, dances, creative arts, and songs. Students become familiar with the meaning and observances of each holiday. Teachers introduce specific Hebrew vocabulary related to the symbols and customs of the holidays. The children learn about Shabbat in Hebrew, with vocabulary related to the Friday night rituals and the concepts of work and rest. Classes welcome Shabbat each week with a hachanah l’Shabbat celebration which includes singing, dancing, story-telling, and a special Shabbat treat.

Hebrew

In 2nd grade, students expand their skills in Hebrew reading, comprehension, and oral written expression through songs, games, pantomime, and puzzles. Hebrew language is also learned through the routines of working with the daily calendar and schedule. Grammatical concepts covered include present tense, infinitives, roots, noun-adjective agreement, and subject/verb agreement. Children write on topics such as their families, seasons, and holidays.

 

Writing is supported by a focus on learning language patterns that are reinforced through diagrams, movements, readings, exercises, and colorful and accessible reference charts. Group writing is also employed and is additionally used to support phonics and reading skills. Opportunities for writing Hebrew also emerge out of children’s reading experiences, pictures and photographs that are used as writing prompts, and their work in Torah. The handwriting practice they receive enables them to move toward script writing, and they are increasingly asked to spell high-frequency words correctly.

 

Torah

The goals of our program are to develop a love of Torah study and to relate daily experiences to issues that emerge from the Torah narratives. Second graders learn the first two parashot of Bereshit (Genesis) in Hebrew. Themes discussed include the values of faith in God, generosity, hospitality, justice, compassion, and strong family relationships, as well as the mitzvot of tzedaka. Torah study emphasizes the relationship between God and the Jewish people, as a community and as individuals. Children become increasingly independent in their ability to study the text and use it without having to translate it word-for-word into English. The children learn the new vocabulary lists and engage in comprehension activities that supply necessary information for each verse.

 

In addition to understanding the text, children respond to questions that require inference and sensitivity to the nuances of the text, as well as invitations to place themselves in the shoes of the biblical characters. In class discussion, they inquire into philosophical questions, relate the stories to their own lives, and use art, drama, and movement to enhance their learning.

The grand event of the year is Kabbalat Torah - receiving the bible, which signified the beginning of Torah studies with the actual Hebrew text.

 

Tefillot (Prayers)

We aim to provide students with the language and opportunity to express their spiritual needs and relationship to God. Children learn to recite and understand selected prayers and to develop kavannah–a connection to the spirit of the prayer experience. Second graders assume greater independence as hazzanim - prayer leaders and enrich their repertoire of prayers with additions such as the blessings before and after the Shema as well as the Gevurot blessings of the Amidah.

 

Holidays and Shabbat

Second graders learn history, mitzvot, and customs in order to strengthen their sense of Jewish identity and solidify their understanding that they have a vital place in the chain of Jewish tradition. Preparations for holidays and Shabbat include hands-on activities involving all of the senses, as well as stories, songs, prayers, and blessings. Every Friday we celebrate Kabbalat Shabbat, welcoming Shabbat, closing our week as a classroom community.

Hebrew

Third graders develop increased comfort expressing themselves verbally and in writing. They read and comprehend texts in present and past tense using strategies for figuring out the meaning of new words. They apply grammar concepts learned in class as they write paragraphs, poems, and dialogues. They express ideas and opinions in group discussions and ask questions to clarify content and meaning. Our program includes Haverim B’Ivrit, a series of books oriented to the daily life and concerns of Jewish children of this age, as well as stories from a variety of sources. Our Hebrew language program is an integral part of the curriculum. Hebrew is a key that opens the doors of Jewish learning and connects us with Jews past and present.

 

It is both the language of classical Jewish texts, from the Tanakh (Bible) to the Siddur (prayer book) and the modern, living language that unites us with Israel. We seek to have our students develop proficiency in reading, speaking, and understanding both written and oral Hebrew, as well as some ability in writing. Our Hebrew program is taught through the immersion process (ivrit b'ivrit) wherein the teacher speaks in Hebrew and the goal is for students to do the same. The ability to speak Hebrew with confidence will enable our students and graduates to feel at home in Israel and to communicate with Jews around the world. In third grade, students are introduced to a new Hebrew program called Haverim B’Ivrit. This program uses stories that students can relate to and places an emphasis on everyday conversational Hebrew used in Israel.

 

Torah

Third graders begin to acquire text skills that enable them to study Torah in the original language. We expose students to the original Biblical text to build their familiarity with its structure. Each week we choose themes from the weekly Torah portion – including family relationships, justice, reconciliation, and relationship with God – to explore with the children in depth. The milestone event for this grade is the Tanakh celebration held in the spring. They learn the organization of the Torah, Books, Chapter, and Verses. Beginning with the story of God’s command to Avram to leave his homeland, the children learn about the major episodes of Avraham’s life. The children study Avraham to see the personal and religious qualities he possessed. By learning that he was the first Jew and the beginning of our people, of our people’s relationship with God, and our role as a Chosen People. The focus of the school year is the lives and events of the Avot and Emahot (Forefathers and Foremothers). The children study the travels of the Avot. There is a connection made between the lives of the Avot and our connection to the Land of Israel and to the Jewish people as a whole. As the children study each of the three Avot, they come to appreciate the nature of the religious quest.

 

Tefillot (Prayers)

Our program strives to help students connect their prayers to their day-to-day experiences and feelings, while building fluency and comprehension of the meaning of the prayers. In Grade 3, the focus is on the weekday blessings within the Shema. Students learn to identify and comprehend key words that reveal the central meaning of each blessing and to recite prayers with fluency and accuracy. Appropriate blessings are taught in connection with daily practice and holiday observances. A brief tefillah is incorporated in the morning routine of General Studies classes.

 

Holidays and Shabbat

Students learn about the origins and background of the holidays, and practice skills related to holiday customs and mitzvot. Third graders’ understanding of the lessons of the holidays and the connections between these lessons and their lives deepen as they experience the cycle of the Jewish calendar. As the year progresses, Hebrew becomes the primary language of instruction for the holidays.

Torah

Students in this grade use Torah text and the textbooks produced by the MaToK Program, the joint Torah Curriculum Development Project of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism’s Department of Education and the Jewish Theological Seminary's Melton Research Center. The program aims to instill in children the view that the Bible is a text different in kind, and not only in degree, from every other type of text. It is a sacred text which they are encountering, and, hence, the approach they take to reading it is deeper, more inquiring, and more reverent than the way they read other books. From the beginning of their Biblical studies, students are engaged in the making of meaning through the interpretation of Biblical texts. Students study major narratives in the book of Bereshit (Genesis) in fourth grade.

 

Hebrew

We seek to have our students develop proficiency in reading, speaking, and understanding both written and oral Hebrew, as well as some ability in writing. Our Hebrew program is taught through the immersion process (ivrit b'ivrit) wherein the teacher speaks in Hebrew and the goal is for students to do the same. Students in 4th Grade continue to strengthen their understanding of the Hebrew language through listening, speaking, reading, writing and building vocabulary. Students continue to learn principles of Hebrew grammar, strengthening their grasp of the past tense as they are introduced to the future tense. In the fourth grade, students will also be using Haverim B’Ivrit. Other curricular materials may be used based on student needs. Students will be grouped based on their Hebrew knowledge.

 

Tefillot (Prayers)

Tefillah links Jews from the past to the present. Students participate in prayer services on a daily basis. During this time, students learn both the kevah (fixed words and times) and kavannah (meaning and intention) of the prayers for the weekday and Shabbat service. Every Friday afternoon, students participate in a class Kabbalat Shabbat service to anticipate the arrival of Shabbat.

 

Jewish Holidays

Through the weekly and monthly life of the school, the children see Shabbat and the Jewish holidays as special moments for Jewish celebration. Connections are made between the mitzvot of the Torah, our Jewish life in school, and our lives as Jews at home and in the wider world. Since the holidays are annual celebrations, the classes review and include the learning from previous years.

 

All children in the school learn about the State of Israel, focusing primarily on modern-day Israel Through our annual celebration of Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day), the children learn about the geography of Israel and it major cities. Finally, the children regularly engage in projects fostering their connection to the State of Israel and our responsibility to Israeli Jews. These projects range from letter writing to tzedakah projects.