Religious School Program

Introduction

Our youngest grades don’t just learn about Judaism – they live it, with the classroom as a laboratory of Jewish experimentation and discovery. Every session incorporates singing, storytelling, and hands-on activities, inspiring our children with the wisdom of our ancestors and building a community of friends and families. Students come to see Emanu-El as a second home, feeling comfortable in our sanctuaries, library, and museum, and they develop relationships with our clergy and Temple staff along the way.  

The students join together each week for a 30-minute music session filled with dancing and joy, where they learn catchy songs in Hebrew and English and participate in a short prayer service. Throughout the year, our students will be invited to perform songs they have learned at synagogue services at Temple Emanu-El.

Through class visits to the synagogue’s Stettenheim library, students study (and take home books about) Jewish holidays, Israel, Bible heroes, folktales and Jewish values. The library maintains a collection of more than 15,000 items, including an extensive media collection of recorded books, movies, and music. The children’s book collection serves children from toddlers through teens, as well as their parents.

Parents are invited to explore the library while their children are in Religious School.

Pre-K and Kindergarten 

Our Pre-K and kindergarten curriculum is a combined classroom with multiple teachers, so that children in public and private schools can stay together with friends from preschool. The curriculum is cyclical, rotating among topics each year so that returning students will continue to be challenged and exposed to new layers of exploration.

• We celebrate the Jewish holidays and Shabbat, creating ritual objects filled with personal meaning.
• We learn a few useful words in Hebrew, our people’s language, and that Israel is our people’s special home.
• We study Torah, our people’s stories, through drama, games, and art projects, learning the classic stories of the creation of the world, Noah’s ark, the Tower of Babel and the 10 Commandments.
• We explore how we are all partners with God in tikkun olam (repairing the world).
• We create a community of friends, as we learn the importance of being kind to one another.

1st and 2nd Grade

Our 1st and 2nd grade students learn in their own classroom, as they expand upon their repertoire of stories and holidays that they have studied in the younger grades. This class serves as a transitional year for the students which prepares them to embark on their formal introduction to prayers and Hebrew.

• We learn about Jewish holidays and rituals, focusing on blessings, key words and vocabulary, and the symbolism found within our customs.
• We learn the Biblical stories of our ancestors in the Book of Genesis and of the Exodus from Egypt.
• We document our journey of learning through yearbooks, serving as a reminder of the different holidays that we celebrate and the stories that we read throughout the year.
• We begin to identify and decode Hebrew letters while also learning fundamental vocabulary.

“The Story of our People”

The third- and fourth-grade curriculum is a two-year bible focused curriculum that explores stories from the Hebrew Bible through the values of our text. Through video, drama, and storytelling, students explore ancient stories of our people and examine how challenges faced by our Biblical ancestors mirror those in our own lives today. Students ask themselves if the characters in those stories made the right decisions and if they would do the same had they been in their positions. These texts hold timeless questions, values, and wisdom, and the curriculum gives students the tools they need to be upstanding people within both our Jewish and secular communities. Throughout the third and fourth grade, students learn to challenge one another in a respectful discourse, being open to new ideas while having important discussions

• Third grade focuses specifically on Torah stories (the five books of Moses).

• Fourth grade focuses specifically on stories from the books of the Prophets and Writings.

3^rd Grade

• We learn that the Torah is the Jewish people’s guidebook for living positive values.
• We explore how the challenges faced by characters in the Torah mirror those in our lives today. We put ourselves in the shoes of the biblical characters through role playing, helping us to understand that everyone makes mistakes but we must nevertheless always strive to do the right thing.
• We learn the concepts of Tzedakah (righteous giving) and mitzvah (adult Jewish responsibility), giving examples from our own lives throughout the year.
• We celebrate Jewish holidays as they occur throughout the year, reviewing their stories, characters, rituals, and the values that are associated with each holiday.

4^th Grade

• We explore how the triumphs, mistakes, and missed opportunities made by characters in the books of the Prophets and Writings serve as models for us today.
• We discuss the values and beliefs that shaped Biblical characters’ actions and think about whether or not we would make similar decisions ourselves when faced with ethical dilemmas.
• We learn how to translate our own daily actions into Jewish values, emphasizing the ways in which we have a responsibility to make value driven decisions.

“The hiSTORY of our People”

The fifth and sixth grade curricula teach inspirational and challenging stories from the rich history and adventures of the Jewish people. Exploring Jewish history allows students to discover their sense of identity and encourages them to take pride in the heritage of our people through stories of courage, creativity, and leadership. They are inspired by the great achievements of our people, and the resilience needed to overcome challenges in difficult times. Through their study, they develop a sense of connection to the Jewish people across time and around the world.

Our students learn how Judaism evolved over time by responding to ever changing circumstances, and how the decisions made by individuals in pivotal moments in Jewish history has influenced who we are as Reform Jews today. They learn to take personal responsibility to write the next chapter in the history of the Jewish people.

Fifth Grade has four main units of study:

• Origins and Exile
• Diaspora and Diversity
• Enlightenment and Emancipation
• Immigration to America

Sixth Grade has two main units of study:

• Holocaust
• Modern Israel

5^th Grade

• We learn the amazing journey of the Jewish people from life in ancient Israel to modern times and we see our own individual stories as part of this narrative.
• We identify key turning points in Jewish history, explaining how the Jewish people and Judaism adapted in response to changing circumstances.
• We explore the topic of perseverance, asking how it was possible for the Jewish people to continue to thrive even in dark times such as the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition.

6^th Grade

• We learn how key events of the 20^th Century- the Holocaust in Europe and the foundation of the State of Israel- shaped the contemporary Jewish experience.
• We explore the rise of Nazism in Europe, acknowledging with honesty not merely the terrible crimes committed against humanity, but more importantly, the stories of courage and resistance that enabled the Jewish people to triumph in the face of evil.
• We discover how the modern state of Israel came into being and explore what it means for both a diverse population and for Jews around the world to call it home.

Our 7th & 8th grade learner-centered curriculum dives deep into Mussar (values based learning) by zooming in on our students! Taking into account our whole student’s selves, we use different modalities to teach values across the spectrum (from love to honor, to confidence and wisdom). Following our Mussar class, we explore life through a Jewish lens with chugim! These electives range from Shabbat dinners to Jewish influencers our students are learning from. These chugim rotate on a monthly basis to keep things engaging and joyful.

Hebrew (Grades 3 and above):

Hebrew decoding for 3rd grade and above now takes place outside of the classroom via virtual one-on-one tutoring sessions. This model allows students to progress at their own pace, removing the stress of the classroom. Tutors then have the ability to personalize lessons and tailor sessions to the needs of the individual student.

Students are paired up with tutors in a time slot that works best for the family. Many of our tutors can accommodate the special learning needs of our students. Please be sure to share with the Department of Lifelong Learning if your student requires any accommodations.

Our Hebrew curriculum begins with a focus on decoding Hebrew letters for fluency/speed and accuracy. Once students have a grasp on decoding, the curriculum moves into prayer. The program is designed to set our students up for success and can be used in conjunction with B’nei Mitzvah tutoring. There are also opportunities for advanced students to take part in learning modern Hebrew.

One of these opportunities is through participation in our optional Hebrew Chug. Each session, the small group of students participate in a fun approach to speaking Hebrew. The club meets on Sunday mornings from 9-9:30am or on Mondays from 3:30-4pm.

Our Hebrew faculty includes both native speakers and those, like our students themselves, who are products of a Hebrew school education.

An integral part of the Religious School curriculum is Tefilah (Worship). Our goal is for our students to become familiar with the Reform liturgy, to understand the prayers and meanings, and to be able to pray in a variety of Jewish communal settings. Each Religious School session for grades 3-7 includes Tefilah. Students in Kindergarten through Second Grade begin to learn the prayers through their music curriculum. Parents and other adult members of a student’s family always are welcome to join us for Tefilah.

Our added dose of community-building and joy: Tribes! Students in 3rd through 5th grade are divided into three Tribes based on interests and characteristics shared with each Tribe’s biblical namesake: Sarah, Noah, Ruth, and more! Each of The Tribes curriculum is on a three-year rotation; each year is based on a quote from Pirkei Avot, a book of 2,000-year-old Jewish wisdom. Tribes includes Tribal Chiefs and Juniors (teen leaders) and Tribal Elders (Religious School teachers).  Empowering our teens as Tribal Leaders of tradition not only sets them as role models for their students and also serves as a deeper connection to their Jewish identity. The best part? Tribes are happening on both Sundays and Mondays!