Religious School Highlights

Gan (Kindergarten):

Looking Back:

  • Tefillah: In tefillah, we sing Modeh Ani, Ma Tovu, Henei Matov U’manyim, and the Shema.  We’ve just begun taking turns as the Chazzan (prayer leader).
  • Classroom community and mitzvot: We spent time this year learning how to be positive community members in our Gan class. We played an ice breaker to get to know each other and created pictures of what our favorite thing is about being Jewish. We also read the book, How Full is Your Bucket? and the children decorated cups to create their own buckets.  Now when they do mitzvot in class (like helping each other, etc.) they get a blue bead (representing a drop of water from the book). They can give each other or themselves beads as they see people doing mitzvot. This helps them to be more aware of opportunities to do mitzvot and letting each other know how they feel about it. We also sing songs for movement and learning, like Hashem Is Here, and “Toot the Horn”.
  • Holidays: We got to learn about all of the fall holidays of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah. We used books, games, making our own shofars, mini sukkot and sukkot decorations, eating snack in the Sukkah, making the bracha (blessing) over the lulav and etrog, and writing like a Sofer (a Torah scribe).
  • Hebrew: We have been learning the alef bet through song (Debbie Friedman’s Hebrew Alphabet song) and do Alef Bet yoga for the letter of the day that has to do with the lesson.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will begin to learn Torah stories like creation, the garden of Eden, and Noah and the flood.
  • We will explore tzedakah, including creating our own tzedakah boxes and contributing weekly

Thought Question: 

What is your favorite Jewish holiday in the Fall and why?

Kitah Alef (1st Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Hebrew Reading: In our Phonetic Hebrew Decoding (PHD) books, we started to get used to reading from right-to-left. We have learned the proper formation and sounds of the Hebrew letter Mem, Hey, and Reish. We love working in our PHD books where we get to practice what we have learned.
  • Torah Stories: We have started talking about our Torah and its lessons. We went to the sanctuary, where Alyssa showed us a Torah and its parts. We each got up close and saw the first letter of each of our names. In Kitah Alef, we will be studying the stories in Bereishit (Genesis). So far, we have read about how Hashem created the world in 6 days and rested on the seventh (Shabbat)!
  • Hebrew Language and Vocabulary: We are getting used to the sound of the Hebrew language and our Hebrew names, and have learned the vocabulary for our routines and for the holidays we celebrated in the month of Tishrei. We are learning tefillot weekly with Cantor Gaby, who will also be teaching us holiday songs.
  • Israel: We see our shinshinim, Nadav and Noya, weekly, and they will be engaging us in many activities to help us connect to the language and culture of Eretz Israel. They help reinforce the Hebrew we are learning and are impressed that we try to respond to them with the Hebrew we already know.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will be studying Bereishit throughout Kitah Alef. Because of time constraints, we will not be reading a different Parashah each week as is customary in shul, but will be moving ahead at our own pace and finishing Bereishit by the end of the school year.
  • We will continue to learn more letters and words, and even try to read the tefillot we are studying (once we have enough letters under our belt). Soon, we will know enough sounds to put together and read, and that is when our homework will start! We will practice decoding our Hebrew to help make us more fluent.
  • We will have many experiences at Beth El to help foster our love for the land of Israel, its people, language, and traditions.

Thought Question:

What have you noticed that Jewish communities have in common, even if they are in different places?

Kitah Bet (2nd Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Hebrew Reading and Writing: We reviewed the Hebrew letters and vowels and have been working in our Phonetic Hebrew Decoding (PHD) books. The learners are doing fantastic!
  • The High Holidays: We learned about Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. This included playing trivia review games, as well as beautifying our Beth El sukkah by creating decorations, and enjoying snack and shaking lulav and etrog as a class.
  • Prayers: We started learning the prayer, Adon Olam. We use many games, such as Around the World, to practice the words and vocabulary.

Looking Ahead:

  • The class will learn the entire prayer of Adon Olam and other prayers.
  • The class will learn about the Five Books of the Torah by reading, discussing, and putting on short skits of stories that we find in the book of Genesis. As we explore our Torah stories, we will also gain a sense of the broad strokes of Jewish history.

Thought Question:

At this time of year, we feel connected to Judaism by celebrating several holidays in a short amount of time. How can we keep up our connection and enthusiasm for Judaism in between holidays?

Kitah Gimel and Kitah Dalet (3rd & 4th Grades):

Looking Back:

  • Building Community: Learners did several community-building activities and became a family, realizing we are all different but still the same. We have also spent the first few weeks adjusting to Religious School expectations, routines, our teachers, and each other.
  • S.E.L. (Social Emotional Learning) basic & Hebrew vocabulary: During our daily class meetings, we discussed our feelings, along with the Hebrew calendar, weather and attendance. We speak in simple Hebrew sentences using Hebrew vocabulary. Of course, on Sundays everyone is ‘tired,’ while during the week on Thursdays there is a mixture of ‘hungry,’ ‘happy,’ ‘super’ and ‘great.’
  • Hebrew Decoding Skills: We continue to work individually and in groups in our Phonetic Hebrew Decoding (PHD) books with Morah Miri, Morah Jessica, and Morah Laurie on our decoding skills.
  • Fall Holidays: We have been busy exploring the Jewish Fall Holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.
  • Jewish Values/Symbols: Kitah Gimel spoke about the various components of a synagogue, and what can be found in a sanctuary. Kitah Dalet spoke about praying with Kavannah (prayer from the heart). We all went over the idea of Teshuvah, namely, stop what you are doing, analyze if what you are doing is right or wrong, admit if you made a mistake, and apologize, promise not to repeat the mistake next time. There is a fun acronym–SMAC: STOP what you are doing, MEASURE if it is right or wrong, ASK for forgiveness (ADMIT the mistake), CHANGE your ways.
  • Kitah Dalet Electives: Click here to see what electives Kitah Dalet is participating in on Sundays!

Looking Ahead:

  • Kitah Gimel and Kitah Dalet are excited to begin their separate class experiences on Thursdays! Kitah Gimel will learn with Morah Jessica, and Kitah Dalet will learn with Morah Laurie.
  • We will continue to work in the classroom with our PHD textbooks. Please remind your child to practice at home for 3-5 minutes, 2-3 times a week, and sign their reading log.
  • Kitah Gimel will be working on Havdalah and begin Adon Olam. Kitah Dalet will be working on Shema U’Virchotacha (blessings that come before and after the Shema)
  • Kitah Gimel will be following the Parshat Hashavua (Portion of the Week), and act it out with Morah Jessica.
  • Kitah Dalet will learn Torah geography, as well as the names and synopses of the Five Books of Moses. We will also make connections to the Torah.
  • In honor of Thanksgiving, we will do an introduction to brachot (blessings).

Thought Questions:

How am I connected to Beth El Synagogue? How am I connected to the Torah?

Kitah Hey (5th Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Rosh Hashanah – A New Year’s Resolution: We discussed the possibility of taking something new upon ourselves – a way to become a better person. An immediate example presented itself: one student, who persistently interrupted class, adhered to the teacher’s suggestion to remain silent for 16 minutes, and to focus on listening. The learner did it and, as was promised, was rewarded with a lollipop. The next time, without the promise of a reward, the learner was able to implement their commitment.
  • Sukkot: While spending time in our Sukkah, we discussed the meaning behind this temporary dwelling. We marveled at an image of a Sukkah that was built on top of a tank at an IDF base in Israel. We recited all the blessings and shook lulav and etrog. Some learners suggested that one of the reasons for our open-air Sukkah roof is to be able to “see the stars and get closer to God.” We also drew similarities between the Sukkah and the Chuppah, which is the canopy under which a bride and groom get married at a Jewish wedding.
  • Torah Stories: We discussed the first two Books of Moses – Genesis and Exodus. In doing so, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of the roots of the Jewish people, namely, the story of the first Jew – Abraham, as well as, the story of Moses redeeming the Jewish people from slavery.
  • Jewish History: We learned about the conquest of Canaan – a story in the Bible that describes the Israelites’ takeover of the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. We learned about the period of Israelite history between the settlement of Canaan and the establishment of a monarchy, as described in The Book of Judges. Finally, we touched on the creation of the Kingdom of Israel.
  • Hebrew and Tefillah: We are jumping back into our Hebrew with both Tefillah (prayer) and Phonetic Hebrew Decoding (PHD) books. As an introduction, we focused on how we can find all of our Hebrew letters within the shape of the Star of David, and learners drew their Hebrew names this way. We are making progress on our Hebrew reading, especially when we work in small groups with Morah Miri.
  • Sunday Electives: Click here to learn about the electives that Kitah Hey is participating in on Sundays!

Looking Ahead:

  • In the coming weeks, we will learn about some of the morning prayers, Modeh Ani and Birkot Hashachar. Learners will choose and write down something they have for which they are grateful.
  • We will continue to explore Jewish history in Biblical times.

Thought Question:

In preparation for these upcoming lessons, where might we find opportunities to do Chesed?

Kitah Vav & Gesher (6th & 7th Grades):

Looking Back:

  • Holidays: This month was full of holiday learning! Through studying Biblical and Rabbinic texts, we focused on the meaning and the customs of each holiday. For Rosh HaShannah, we concentrated on various aspects of the mitzvah of shofar. For Yom Kippur, we noted that the Biblical concept of purification applied to sacred spaces as well as people and saw how the Mishna interpreted self-denial. Specifically for Sukkot, we learned what makes a Sukkah kosher and reviewed the blessings for the Lulav and Etrog. We enjoyed time in the Sukkah where we said all of the blessings together. We also focused on Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret, with an emphasis on joy (simcha), and how they can bring simcha to others.
  • Torah & Tanakh: So far, we have explored Torah moments from various books. We noted that Balaam’s blessings towards the end of Sefer BaMidbar (Numbers) and Moses’s blessing at the end of Sefer Devarim (Deuteronomy) play on the blessing to Abraham at the beginning of the Torah (Genesis 12) and function as a bookend of sorts. This past Sunday we discussed the beginning of the Torah – Bereishet and the stories of creation. We also discussed the new month and the moon phases throughout the month. In addition, we have begun discussing a range of Jewish literature after the Torah/Tanakh. We looked at the Midrash Rabbah Bereishit, about Abraham smashing idols. We looked at a section from The Mishnah which talks about what it means to have “the crown of a Good Name” (Shem Tov). We also studied the Mishnaic explanation of reparation for damages, to see how ancient law could be used to solve modern problems.
  • Holocaust History: We began to talk about the history of antiSemitism and our overall knowledge of the Holocaust. We will continue to focus on this part of history and how it has affected us today.
  • Art: Our amazing middle school students delved into the different interpretations of the Arba Minim (Four Species) in preparation for the holiday of Sukkot. We explored the symbolism of each of the four species, learned both their Hebrew and English names, understood their natural habitat, and examined the laws and rules pertaining to them according to the Mishnah. Each student created their own unique artistic representation of the species using a variety of mixed media collage techniques.
  • Hebrew and Tefillah: Our Vav and Gesher learners have been refining prayers with Cantor Gaby, focussing on the end of the Shabbat morning service. Kitah Vav is also learning the Torah Service, and Gesher is concentrating on fluently reading and understanding some of the themes of prayers at the end of the service. Our learners also alternate meeting with Morah Miri and our shinshinim to continue working on Hebrew reading, script, and fluency.
  • Sunday Electives: Click here to learn about the electives that Kitah Vav and Gesher are participating in on Sundays!

Looking Ahead:

  • We will continue to look at text studies to guide our learning of the weekly Torah portions and the upcoming holidays.
  • We will continue to dive into our learning of the Holocaust and how antiSemitism has affected Jews for thousands of years, as well as exploring Jewish life in pre-War Europe.
  • In Art, we will undertake a Kristallnacht project in which we will look at some of the synagogues that were destroyed on this treacherous day. After that project, we will look at some of the most iconic works of Marc Chagall, and hopefully gain an appreciation for the Jewish artistic life that existed in Europe before the Holocaust.
  • We will continue our Jewish text study by looking at sections of the Mishnah and the Gemara. We will learn to appreciate the relationship between these two seminal books of Jewish law, ethics, and customs. We also hope to look at more contemporary texts.

Thought Question:

Since Jewish texts have always addressed modern problems, what do you think today’s Jewish commentators should be addressing?
Do you feel it is important to study the Holocaust? Why?

Electives: Kitah Dalet, Hey, Vav, Gesher

  • Middot (Jewish Values): We will emphasize the values of chesed (kindness) & tzedakah (generous giving): We will try to emphasize that just one person can have a huge impact on the world. We will strive to understand that charity is not only about donating money, but that it can be given in many different forms. Furthermore, Chesed can be as simple as sharing with, or helping another person. By these lessons, we hope to help the learners understand that they are Hashem’s ambassadors.
  • STEM: As engineers we focused on creating boats out of tinfoil for the story of Jonah and the Whale, Sukkahs out of food, and towers to hold apples out of index cards. We then created rainbows for Parsha Noah using shaving cream and food coloring. We will finish off this cycle of electives learning about circuits for Parsha Bereishet when we discuss dark/light.
  • Drama: We are exploring various Torah stories through fun skits and drama games each week.
  • Ulpan: Morah Miri leads ulpan, or modern Hebrew learning. In this elective, learners explore and practice modern Hebrew vocabulary and conversational skills through dialogues, games, and fun activities.
  • TorahArt: While Morah Danna read the story of Bereishit (from a famous illustrated book from Israel), learners listened to special healing Hebrew music. During story time, learners drew and painted their interpretation of the story. Also, alongside their art, they wrote down words that came to their minds. Some examples of these words are: sky, clouds, green, light, rainbow, sea, water, moon, evening, land, life, stars. During TorahArt class, our brain is connected to our heart and our hands. We absorb the story and express it. Each child has their individual experience. At the end of our four classes, we shall review the art and have a discussion. The power of TorahArt is connecting our brain, our heart, and our hands and immersing ourselves in the biblical story learning experience.