Our added dose of community building and joy: Tribes! Students in grades 3-5 are divided into three Tribes based on interests and characteristics shared with each Tribe’s biblical namesake: Sarah, Noah, Ruth, and more! After our incoming 3rd graders have shared their characteristics with us, we sort them into their Tribe that they will spend time learning with for the next three years!
Each 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.
5784:
שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק הָיָה מִשְּׁיָרֵי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד, עַל הַתּוֹרָה וְעַל הָעֲבוֹדָה וְעַל גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים:
Simon the Righteous used to say:
“On three things the world depends:
On the Torah, On the Avodah, and on the Gimilut Chasadim”
Pirkei Avot 1:2
5785:
בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט) מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי. אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז) טוֹב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר. אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכח) יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אַשְׁרֶיךָ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְטוֹב לָךְ, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אֵיזֶהוּ מְכֻבָּד, הַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א ב) כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ:
Ben Zoma asked: .
Who is wise?
Those who learn
from all people.
And who is strong?
Those who have self-control.
And who is rich?
Those who are satisfied with what they have.
Pirkei Avot 4:1
Tribe includes A-TEEMers, our religious school madrichim (Tribal Chiefs and Juniors), and Religious School teachers (Tribal Elders). Empowering our teens as Tribal Leaders of tradition not only sets them as role models for their students, it also serves as a thread for deeper connection to their Jewish identity.
Our Tribal Chiefs and Juniors work weekly with our Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning to write and carry out lesson plans. The best part? Tribes are happening on both Sundays and Mondays!
