MAY 2018 | IYAR - SIVAN 5778
בס"ד
LION'S SHARE Juda and Maria Diener Lower School | Samuel and Henrietta Scheck Middle School | Ben Lipson Upper School
Welcome to Lion’s Share: Scheck Hillel Community School’s Grade 6-12 bulletin covering news about curriculum, college and community. Connect with the names, faces and initiatives that make Scheck Hillel a college preparatory school that develops global citizens with enduring Jewish identity and values. For more school information, please visit eHillel.org.
Torah Shines Light on Contemporary Issues Students engage with content that is relevant to their lives and interests. Through a dual curriculum of general and Judaic Studies, Scheck Hillel Community School students learn to think critically and analyze issues from various perspectives and sources, establishing their own positions as they grow intellectually and spiritually. Two examples follow.
Two Courtrooms, Three Millenia Apart Grade 8 Tanach students visited the courtroom of Judge Spencer Eig at the Dade County Courthouse, inspired by Shlomo Hamelech’s (King Solomon) ruling in the case of two women who both claimed to be the mother of a child. After hearing 10 motions on topics such as eviction, credit card debt and workplace accidents, Gabriella Shiro described it as “an eye-opening experience.” Gil Dichy reflected that the American courtroom and King Solomon’s court share a key similarity: “In both places, you’re seeking justice.” A key difference? “Shlomo Hamelech was rewarded with wisdom by Hashem. Today, it is more complicated. You have to study...pass the bar exam.” This experience was arranged by Judaic Studies teachers Yael Sprung and Rabbi Yossi Kahan to add dimension to the study of Judaic approaches to justice and fairness. Grade 8 visits the Dade County Courthouse.
DNA Under the Microscope
To best understand the implications of genetic testing and engineering, Grade 7 students explored this topical subject through several lenses. In science lab, they learned to extract DNA from fruit. In Rabbinic literature class, they delved into Halachic perspectives on human cloning, genetically modified livestock and in-vitro fertilization. To synthesize the learning, students wrote persuasive essays in English class, answering questions such as: Should we grow genetically modified crops? Should we clone endangered species? Real-life scenarios cause students to reflect on their learning, values, and the future, an essential skill for intellectual and personal growth. This cross-disciplinary unit was a collaboration among science teachers Nikki Gutierrez and Angela Williams, English teacher Jason Touvi, Judaic Studies teacher Rabbi Yossi Kahan, and Scheck Hillel’s Director of Jewish Life and Community Learning, Rabbi Shlomo Sprung.