Curriculum

Family Education curriculum

	Holidays	Israel	Jewish History	Jewish Ethics (G’milut chasadim)
Pre-Kindergarten	Enduring Understanding Jewish identity comes from celebrating Shabbat and the holidays, as well as recognizing that we are Jewish every day. Essential Questions What are Jewish symbols and how do I identify with them (i.e. why are they special to me)?	Enduring Understanding Israel exists as a Jewish homeland, though others live there, and it is special to me as a Jew. Essential Questions Why do I have a connection to Israel? How can I have a relationship with Israel?		Enduring Understanding Because I am Jewish, I have to behave a certain way. Essential Questions What behaviors must I exhibit because I am a Jew?
Kindergarten	Enduring Understanding: Judaism is a way of life: it has to be lived and practiced. Essential Question: What are the purposes of and observances associated with the major holidays of the Jewish year?	Enduring Understanding: Israel is relevant to American Jews. Essential Questions: Where is Israel? What is it? What does it mean to me?		Enduring Understanding: Jews are obligated to help wherever possible: Tzedakah is both monetary and action-oriented. Essential Questions How can I perform tzedakah?
First Grade	Enduring Understanding: Judaism is a way of life Essential Question: What are the important symbols of each holiday and how are the holidays observed in the home?			Enduring Understanding: Jews are obligated to help whenever and wherever possible. Tzedakah is both monetary and action-oriented Essential Question What does the word "mitzvah" mean? How do we fulfill the mitzvah of Tzedakah?
Second Grade	Enduring Understanding: Judaism is a way of life Essential Question How do we create sacred time and sacred space? What is the significance of Tu B’shvat, Yom HaAtzma-ut and Yom HaZikaron, specifically?	Enduring Understanding: Israel is both a modern and ancient country at the same time. Essential Question What are the various geographic regions of Israel and their significances?		Enduring Understanding: We have an obligation to perform acts of g’milut chasadim to make the world a better, holier place. Essential Question Why do I/should I do G’milut chasadim?
Third Grade	Enduring Understanding: We must be thankful to God for all that we have and do. Essential Question What are the brachot associated with each holiday and food? Why do we say brachot?			Enduring Understanding: Each individual act of g’milut chasadim can make the world more kadosh (holy). Essential Question How does G’milut chasadim help make the world a better place?
Fourth Grade	Enduring Understanding: Judaism is a way of life. Essential Question How are the following holidays observed in the home: Shabbat, Sukkot, Chanukah, Pesach, Shavuot?	Enduring Understanding: Israel is the Jewish homeland. Essential Question What are the various geographic regions of Israel and their significances? What are her important cities?		Enduring Understanding: We have a responsibility to perform acts of g’milut chasadim for the people we encounter in our daily lives. Essential Question How and why does G’milut chasadim help the people around me?
Fifth Grade	Enduring Understanding: Judaism is a way of life Essential Question How do we celebrate each of the major holidays as it occurs in the Jewish year, especially Tu b’Shvat, Yom HaAtzma-ut, Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron?	Enduring Understanding: Israel is in a precarious situation and it is a mitzvah to support her. Essential Question What are difficult political, spiritual, and topographical issues facing Israel?		Enduring Understanding: We are all part of K'lal Yisrael and have a responsibility to actively support and sustain the Jewish community. Essential Question Why do I have a special obligation toward my fellow Jews?
Sixth Grade	Enduring Understanding: Jewish holidays help us to lead a life of meaning by creating and recognizing sacred time. Essential Question What are the purposes of and observances associated with Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Tu B’Shevat, Purim, Pesach, and Shavuot?	Enduring Understanding: The State of Israel is a result of world-wide anti-Semitism and the Jews’ will to survive it. Essential Question What led to the birth and development of the Land and State of Israel?	Enduring Understanding: Jews must constantly battle the tension between keeping traditional Jewish customs and adapting to modern civilization. Essential Questions How did the rabbis revolutionize Judaism after the destruction of the Second Temple? How did Diaspora Judaism develop?	Enduring Understanding: We can experience God in our world, in others and within ourselves by engaging in acts of g’milut chasadim. Essential Questions How does performing g’milut chasadim help me to become more holy?
Seventh Grade	Enduring Understanding: A meaningful life consists of sacred time that should be marked by rituals at home and in the synagogue. Essential Questions: How does holiday and home holiday celebration help us to connect with God? What do the holidays mean to each student personally?	Enduring Understanding: Israel is in a battle for its very survival both physically and spiritually. Essential Questions: What are the political issues viz. the Palestinians and Arab world? How ought a Jewish state to behave?	Enduring Understanding: The Holocaust has shaped 21^st century Judaism in a profound way: religiously, politically, and socially. Essential Questions: What were the economic roots of German anti-Semitism and the Nazi rise to power? How did Jews resist in the ghettos and concentration camps? What was the reaction of the outside world and what was the Jewish response in America?	Enduring Understanding: Judaism teaches us how to respond to moral dilemmas. Essential Question: Where do I find lessons on ethical behavior?
Eighth Grade	Enduring Understanding: Holidays provide rituals for living out the ethical principles and religious values important in Judaism Essential Questions: What values and principles serve as the foundation for our holidays and how do the traditional rituals represent these values/principles?	Enduring Understanding: It is a mitzvah to stay informed about events in Israel and the Jewish community around the world Essential Questions: How do I find out about what is happening in Israel and to Jews around the world? Why is this information relevant to me now and in the future?		Enduring Understanding: Jewish ethics are the product of an on-going conversation between Jews living today, our ancestors, and God. It is a mitzvah for Jews to engage in this dialogue Essential Questions: How are Jewish ethics determined? How do Jewish ethics evolve?

	Sacred Scripture	Prayer	Hebrew
Pre-Kindergarten	Enduring Understanding Torah is important to me because I am a Jew. Essential Questions: What is in the Torah? Why do I have a relationship with the Torah?	Enduring Understanding Prayer is the process through which we talk to God, and helps to make us Jewish. Essential Questions: In what ways do we talk to God? Where can we talk to God?	Enduring Understanding Hebrew is the language of Jewish people. Essential Questions: Why do I have a special language?
Kindergarten	Enduring Understanding: The Torah contains lessons on how to live ethically. Essential Questions: Who are the main characters in the Bible? Do they make good choices?	Enduring Understanding: Through prayer we communicate with God. Essential Questions: Why do we pray? What kinds of prayers are there? How does prayer help us? What are the brachot over Shabbat candles, wine, challah?	Enduring Understanding: Hebrew is the language of Jewish prayer and of the people of Israel. Essential Questions: What are the letters of the alef-bet?
First Grade	Enduring Understanding: The Torah contains lessons about how to live ethically. Essential Questions: Who are the main characters in the Bible? Do they make good choices?	Enduring Understanding: God is One; God is not a person, is never seen, is everywhere, and is the Creator of the world — of nature, of animals, and of people. Essential Questions: What is the Shema and what does it mean? How do we talk to God and where can we find God?	Enduring Understanding: Hebrew is the language of Jewish prayer and of the people of Israel. The Jewish people have been praying in Hebrew for thousands of years. Essential Questions: What are the letters of the alef-bet and how do we make words out of them? What are some key words to our culture that I can read?
Second Grade	Enduring Understanding: Torah is an ongoing dialogue between the text and its students. Torah is real in our daily lives; it is with us wherever we are. Developing the skills to study Torah is essential to integrating Torah into our lives. Essential Questions: Why is the Torah significant? What does it have to teach me?	Enduring Understanding: Avodah is the work we do to find sacred connections to God, community, and self. Engaging in the work of avodah can bring order, beauty, meaning and insight to our lives. Essential Questions: How can I connect to God? Why is prayer important to me?	Enduring Understanding: Hebrew is the language of Jewish prayer and of the people of Israel. The Jewish people have been praying in Hebrew for thousands of years. Essential Questions: What are the letters of the alef-bet and how do we make words out of them? What are some key words to our culture that I can read?
Third Grade	Enduring Understanding: The laws and rules found in the Torah can help us to live a life filled with holy moments. Essential Questions: How is the Torah different from other books? What rules and laws in the Torah make my life holier?	Enduring Understanding: Through avodah we can make our lives and the world more kadosh (holy). Essential Questions: How can I experience moments of connection to God? How can prayer affect the world?	Mitkadem: We Must Be Thankful Ramah 3: Mechinah/Preparation -------------- Ramah 10: Mi Chamocha (optional)
Fourth Grade	Enduring Understanding: The laws and rules found in the Torah can help us to live a life filled with holy moments. Essential Questions: How can Torah study help me in everyday life? Why should I maintain the brit?	Enduring Understanding: Keva and kavanah, the fixed order of worship and the personal intention we bring to prayer, are complementary aspects of Jewish worship, combining to help us make sacred connections. Essential Questions: What is the wisdom behind the fixed set of prayers and rituals? How can I experience kavannah in the midst of fixed prayer and on my own?	Mitkadem: Keva, Kavannah—the Shema and Her Blessings Ramah 3: Mechinah/Preparation Ramah 4: Short Blessings Ramah 6: Torah Blessings Ramah 9: Sh’ma V’ahavta --------- Ramah 5: Shabbat Kiddush (optional) Ramah 21: Hatikvah (optional)
Fifth Grade	Enduring Understanding: The words and messages of the prophets are at the heart of Reform Judaism. Essential Questions: What is prophecy? How can I as a Reform Jew understand how God wants me to live through the writings of the prophets?	Enduring Understanding: The practice of prayer can help me grow through personal reflection, can increase my connection to the Jewish people, and can strengthen my relationship with God. Essential Questions: How do I develop a personal practice of prayer? How does the practice of prayer keep my relationships with myself, with God, and with the Jewish people in good shape?	Mitkadem: The Amidah and Personal Reflection Ramah 7: Barchu, Yotzer Or, Ma’ariv Aravim Ramah 11: Avot V’Imahot Ramah 12: G’vurot Ramah 15: Amidah overview (led by R. Aaron?) --------------------- Ramah 5: Shabbat Kiddush (optional) Ramah 13: Shalom Rav, Sim Shalom, Oseh Shalom (optional) Ramah 14: Shabbat K’dushah, V’shamru (optional) Ramah 8: Ahavat Olam, Ahavah Rabbah (optional)
Sixth Grade	Enduring Understanding: Studying Jewish texts allows us to explore our relationship with God and reflect on the ways God is continuously revealed to others and to ourselves. Essential Questions: How do Jews study the Torah? What tools exist to help me? How does the Torah connect me to God?	Enduring Understanding: Avodah is the work we do, by exploring our personal and communal roles in revelation, to find sacred connections to God, community and self. Essential Questions: How can I connect to God? Why is prayer important to me? Why is a bar/bat mitzvah important?	Enduring Understanding All graduates of the Shir Tikvah Family Education program should be able to read and lead the basic prayers contained in the B’nei Mitzvah Handbook Essential Questions: Why are these prayers the basic prayers? What do the prayers mean? How do we lead them? Mitkadem: Sacred Texts, Sacred Connections Ramah 18: Torah Service Ramah 19: Haftarah Blessings Ramah 17: Kaddish, Chatzi Kaddish Ramah 16: Aleinu

Seventh Grade	Enduring Understanding: Torah is an ongoing dialogue between the text and its students. My life is reflected in and reflects the Torah. Essential Questions: How do Jews study the Torah? What does the Book of Genesis say to me? How does the Torah connect me to God?	Enduring Understanding: Avodah is the work we do to find sacred connections to God, community and self. Essential Questions? What can I learn about what it means to be a Jew through the practice of prayer? What are the prayers, ceremonies, and practices that define us as Jews?	Enduring Understanding All graduates of the Shir Tikvah Family Education program are expected to chant Torah and Haftarah; lead a Shir Tikvah prayer service; and engage in a G’milut Chasadim Act of Humanity project.
Eighth Grade	Enduring Understanding: Torah results from the relationship between God and the Jewish people. Elaborating on this tradition, rabbis gave us sacred literature whose study is a religious imperative and whose practice is our chief means to holiness. For millennia, the creation of Torah has not ceased and Jewish creativity in our time is adding to the chain of tradition. Essential Questions: What are the Mishnah and Talmud? Why are they important to Jews today? What does it mean to me to be “commanded”?	Enduring Understanding Jews are obligated to wrestle with Judaism’s perception of God and with their own. Essential Questions: How does Judaism conceive of God? As we grow up how do our own perceptions of God change? How does our belief in God impact our behavior on Earth and our understanding of Redemption?
Ninth/Tenth Grade Year 1	Enduring Understanding The stories and teachings found within the Hebrew Bible are relevant to all Jews at all stages of their lives. Essential Questions: What are the Bible stories that were not taught in Sunday school? Why? What do these stories have to teach high school students? How do Jews read and interpret the Bible?	Enduring Understanding The traditional Jewish concepts of God are very much relevant to our own daily lives in the 21st century. Essential Questions: How was the universe created? Do I have a soul? What happens after I die? Why do bad things happen to good people? What is prayer?
Ninth/Tenth Grade Year 2	Enduring Understanding Students will make connections between Jewish texts and their lives and help them learn Jewish perspectives on sexuality, love, and marriage, as well as topics like deception, abortion, adultery, and rape. Essential Questions: What are the Jewish perspectives on love, sex, marriage, deception, abortion, adultery, and rape?