Religious School

2021-2022

REGISTRATION

Goals for 2021-2022:

  1. To create a learning community in which all students, faculty, staff and families feel a sense of belonging. 

  2. To ignite joy in living on Jewish time for our students through meaningful social and educational programming. 

  3. To create shared values and language in our Hevreh Religious School community through music, Hebrew and T’filah during “Boker Tov, Hevreh!” community time, Yachad programming, and Community Shabbats. 

  4. To retain the best of our covid-innovations while returning safely to in-person learning. 

Program Overview

 

Religious School:

Weekly on Sundays from 10am-12pm 

 

Confirmation Class:

Bi-monthly on Sundays from 9am-10:30am 

 

Madrikhim Program:

by application for 8th-12th grade students able to make a consistent weekly commitment on Sundays and/or Wednesdays. 

 

Hebrew Skills:

Weekly on Wednesdays from 4-5:30pm, or by individual arrangement for 1:1 small group online lessons on Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays. 

Key Dates for Opening:

Sun. Sept. 12th:

Faculty & Madrikhim Breakfast and Orientation

 

Sun. Sept. 19th:

First Day of Religious School & Yachad Sukkot
 

Wed. Sept. 22nd:

First Day of In-Person Hebrew Skills
 

Sun. Sept. 26th:

First Day of Pre-Conf, Confirmation, and Tiny Talmidim + regular K-7 Religious School


Mon. Sept. 27th:

Consecration & B'nai Mitzvah Class Blessing @ Simchat Torah

Religious School runs through May 22, 2022.

Curriculum Highlights for Religious School:

Kindergarten/1st

  • Jewish values of celebration and sharing.

  • Shabbat and Jewish holidays through crafts, stories, and music.

  • Introduction to Alef- Bet

2nd/3rd

  • Blessings for Shabbat and Jewish rituals for holidays.

  • Thinking about God

  • Key Figures in the Books of Genesis & Exodus 

  • Alef-Bet

  • Shema and Prayer

4th and 5th

  • Mensch Program

  • Weekly Torah Portion through the lens of tzedakah and justice

  • Jewish Life Cycle 

  • Blessings

6th and 7th

  • Jewish history & important Jewish figures in history

  • Israel

  • Holocaust history

  • B’nai Mitzvah

  • Israel & Current Events

Curriculum Outline for Hebrew Skills

Kitah Aleph (~3rd/4th grade)

  • Review/reinforcing the Alef Bet

  • Learning the vowels

  • Intro to reading and decoding Hebrew

  • Decoding and reading skills

  • The “Blessing” formula
    (comprehension)

Kitah Bet
(~5th/6th grade)

  • Advanced reading skills

  • Reading & comprehension for Shabbat liturgy

  • Introduction to Trope (Torah, then Haftarah)

Kitah Gimel (~6th/7th grade)

  • Shabbat morning liturgy

  • Torah & Haftarah trope

Teen Programming Overview

Pre-Confirmation

Pre-Confirmation’s curriculum will focus on autobiographical theology and spirituality. Rabbi Hirsch will teach Pre-Confirmation in the Fall. 

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  • Special programming will include a  New York City Shabbaton trip in December 2021 and running the Purim Carnival.

Confirmation

Confirmation’s two part curriculum will focus on practical Jewish living through the voices of Pirke Avot and an “Ask Big Questions”

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  • Special programing will include a Ski Shabbaton in VT in February 2022 and writing and performing the Purimshpeil. Rabbi Hirsch and Dan are coordinating the Ski Shabbaton.

Madrikhim

Madrikhim is a leadership development opportunity available to all 8th-12th graders by application. This program will feature 2 special leadership training events designed and implemented by Dan Reichenbach. Madrikhim will make a weekly commitment to be here on Sundays and/or Wednesdays.

HOTY

HOTY is Hevreh’s youth group, open to all 8th-12th grade students. Throughout the year, HOTY’s advisor, Dan Reichenbach will work with teen leaders to create and implement social and Jewish educational programming.

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Yachad Programming

Yachad is Hevreh’s signature family education program. Since 2014, with funding from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, families with children in grades K-7 have had 5-7 opportunities each year to come together around Jewish holidays for hands-on experiential learning and celebration. This year, Yachad will be one of the key projects for our rabbinic intern, Dan Reichenbach, with guidance and support from the Hevreh Education team.  

 

Dates for Yachad 2021-2022 include: 

Yachad Sukkot: Sunday, September 19

Yachad Chanukah: Sunday, December 5

Yachad Day of Service: Sunday, January 16 

Yachad Passover: Sunday, April 10 

Yachad Yom Ha’atzmaut: Sunday, May 1

 

This year, Yachad Shabbat will look a little bit different. Rather than having one large Yachad Shabbat, we will have four Shabbatot over the course of the school year that will be led (or feature participation by, as appropriate) by each class. 

 

Yachad Shabbat K/1: Friday, November 19, 2021 

Yachad Shabbat 2/3: Friday, January 7, 2022

Yachad Shabbat 4 /5: Saturday, February 5, 2022

Yachad Shabbat 6/7: Saturday, December 11, 2021

music

REGISTRATION

Roles and Team:

Rabbi Gordon:
Director of Education

 

Joan Goldberg Munch:
Youth and Family Programs & B’nai Mitzvah Coordinator

 

Daniel Reichenbach:
Rabbinic Intern (Music & T’fillah Specialist, HoTY/Madrikhim advisor) 

 

Terri Sash:
Tiny Talmidim teacher

 

Pat Fire:

Kindergarten/1st Grade teacher

 

Dave Halley:
2nd/3rd grade teacher

 

Avi Dresner:

4th/5th grade teacher

 

Rob Fire:

6th/7th grade teacher