Temple Isaiah is committed to providing engaging and profound educational opportunities for our lifelong learners. Te m p l e I s a i a h ’ s Religious School (TIRS) will be a center for innovative, experiential, and student-centered learning. A meaningful and enduring partnership between TIRS and our families will lay the foundation for a rich tradition of lifelong Jewish learning. Through our wide array of
relevant
and substantive learning opportunities, both inside and outside our synagogue’s walls, TIRS will foster and fortify Jewish Identity, Jewish life, and Jewish relationships at Temple Isaiah and throughout the Jewish Community.
GPS
A ROAD MAP THROUGH RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Our mission is to support your family’s development of a sense of menschlichkeit (humanity) towards the world and a love and appreciation for Judaism and all of the lessons it may hold. Over time, we have learned that more than any textbook, our greatest resource for deepening Jewish learning within our students is YOU. To ensure our partnership with you as your child’s Jewish educators, we have provided you with JOURNEYS THROUGH JUDAISM: A ROAD MAP THROUGH RELIGIOUS SCHOOL. This handbook will show you how each grade in Religious School provides a foundation for the next grade, and will give you the tools to ask your child about his or her learning and how it applies to his or her world.
God
Torah
History
Israel
Liturgical Hebrew
Holidays
Ethics
Culture
HOW TO READ THE ROAD MAP
?
For each grade of Religious School, we have provided you with a road map, a structure
for how our administration and teachers will approach your child’s curriculum through three different lenses:
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“Bein adam l’atzmo”
How a person relates to him/herself
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“Bein adam l’chavero”
How a person relates to his/her community
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“Bein adam l’Makom”
How a person relates to God
For each lens we have listed a few essential questions that will serve as building blocks for a lifetime of Jewish experiences, conversations, and relationships. They are not meant to be easily answerable and our hope is that together, you and your child will engage in meaningful discussions about these questions and come up with many possible answers.
EXAMPLE OF AN ESSENTIAL QUESTION How can I make Temple Isaiah feel like my home?
We recognize that, before you engage your child in these discussions, you may start to explore and answer each essential question for yourself. Should YOU have questions, we encourage you to come visit Temple Isaiah’s clergy and staff. We would love to have these conversations with you!
QUESTIONS FOLLOW THE GUIDED PATH
HOW TO USE THE ROAD MAP
Questions & Actions
Over the course of the year, the Temple Isaiah Religious School community will be implementing and evaluating the road map in the following ways:
TEACHERS will use the road map and the curriculum to create engaging and relevant lessons each week. ADMINISTRATORS will use the road map and the curriculum of each grade to ensure that all goals are being met in the classroom. PARENTS will use the road map to ask children about the learning they are doing in their classrooms. JOURNEYS THROUGH JUDAISM: A ROAD MAP THROUGH RELIGIOUS SCHOOL is dynamic in nature. We are constantly reflecting on our program to grow, change, and improve our school. We encourage and welcome your feedback as part of this process.
Rabbi Aimee Gerace Director of Educational Engagement rabbiaimee@templeisaiah.com
Carla Kopf Director of Religious School carla@templeisaiah.com
Stephanie Schwartz Assistant Director of Educational Engagement stephanie@templeisaiah.com
WHERE TO FIND YOUR ROAD MAP
CONTENTS
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TSBY Tiyul: Shabbat B’yachad
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KINDERGARTEN Jewish Ritual Objects in the Home and the Synagogue
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FIRST GRADE The Synagogue as a Home and Israel as a Homeland
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SECOND GRADE Values in the Torah
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THIRD GRADE Experience Jewish Holidays
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FOURTH GRADE Ethics in the Torah
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FIFTH GRADE Jewish Life-Cycle Events
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SIXTH GRADE Jewish Values, Jewish Heroes
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SEVENTH GRADE The Obligation of Tzedakah
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EIGHTH GRADE Who Am I?
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NINTH GRADE Philanthropy Board
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TENTH GRADE Confirmation: Leadership and Responsibility
ROAD MAP FOR TSBY Tiyul: Shabbat B’yachad
TSBY is an innovative approach to Jewish education that engages our students in experiential learning and our adults in intellectually stimulating discussion. TSBY meets 2-3 times a month on Saturdays.
What To Expect: • • • •
Our sessions begin with a celebration of Shabbat or Havdalah Following services the group divides for student-centered and adult-centered learning The group reconvenes after class, to share a meal Students are taught by teachers who use a range of instructional methods to engage our children in Jewish Education • Adults are taught by our clergy and education team who challenge participants to think about big Jewish questions and generate answers that are relevant and meaningful for 21st century Reform Jews • TSBY’s curriculum changes from year to year, allowing students and parents to learn while becoming a part of a tightly-knit community
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“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self Question:
• How does learning in TSBY allow me to look at Judaism and incorporate it into my everyday life? • How does celebrating Shabbat with my TSBY community shape my at-home Shabbat experience?
2
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question: • What does it mean to celebrate Jewish life-cycle events, Shabbat, and holidays with my community?
3
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question: • How do the conversations we have in TSBY, as well as our shared, public celebrations of Shabbat and holidays, influence my relationship with God?
*Due to the dynamic nature of the TSBY curriculum, the ACTIONS will vary from grade to grade and year to year. Please talk to a member of our Education Team for more information. 6
ROAD MAP FOR KINDERGARTEN Jewish Ritual Objects in the Home and the Synagogue
1
“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self Question:
• What ritual objects do I have in my home? • How does my family use these ritual objects?
Action:
• Sharing Jewish objects from home that have special meaning to students • Describing objects that make our homes different/Jewish and how these objects are used in our homes • Creating a Museum of Jewishness with ritual objects
2
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question:
• How does the Temple Isaiah community celebrate holidays? • What are ways that I act in kindness toward my family and at Temple Isaiah? • Where do other Jews live outside of my community?
Action: • • • • •
Learning Jewish holiday basics Beginning to celebrate the holidays with the Temple Isaiah community Applying prayer as a way to connect with community Understanding the obligation of tzedakah in terms of money and actions Performing and sharing acts of g’milut chasadim (loving kindness) and learning this value through the book King Solomon and the Bee • Recognizing Israel as a place where other Jews live, the language, the culture, and the relationship between the Israel of today and the Israel in the Torah
3
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question:
• What role does God play in creating the world?
Action:
• Attending tefillah prayer services for the first time • Understanding that prayer is a marked time to talk to God and a way to communicate awe and thanks • Recognizing feelings while praying, especially while reciting the Shema • Learning the creation story and Noah’s ark
HEBREW: • • • • •
Shehecheyanu - a prayer to celebrate special occasions Shabbat blessings Learning the Shema Begin learning the Passover four questions Begin learning the Hebrew alphabet 7
ROAD MAP FOR FIRST GRADE
The Synagogue as a Home and Israel as a Homeland
1
“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self Question:
• How can I make Temple Isaiah feel like my home? • How can I make my home feel like Temple Isaiah?
Action:
• Becoming familiar with ritual objects and participating in services, engaging in Temple Isaiah’s minhagim (traditions) • Making candlestick holders for Shabbat, decorating a Kiddush cup, making a challah cover, hanukiah, seder plate or matzah cover.
2
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question:
• How does Israel feel like my homeland? • Who makes Israel their home now?
Action:
• Ce l e b ra t i n g Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) • Learning about Israel as both an ancient and modern country by exploring Israel’s culture
3
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question:
• What role does God play in the synagogue? • Where can I find God?
Action: • • • • •
Examining the differences between communal and private prayer Learning about people being created B’tzelem Elohim (in the image of God) Orienting students to the blessing structure Making a book/mobile of the seven days of creation Analyzing the meaning of Shehecheyanu (a prayer to celebrate special occasions) and learning when it is recited • Summarizing the story of the 10 Commandments
HEBREW: • • • • •
Continue learning the Hebrew alphabet Hebrew words used in the classroom Shabbat blessings Hanukkah blessings The Passover four questions 8
ROAD MAP FOR SECOND GRADE Values in the Torah
1
“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self Question:
• How do the Jewish values of honoring one’s parents, welcoming guests, and honesty play out in my everyday life?
Action:
• Defining a value by bringing in examples of Jewish values enacted in the home • Connecting the values to the Torah stories of Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rebecca, Lot, and Laban
2
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question:
• How are the relationships in the Torah stories like and unlike the relationships I have in my life?
Action:
• Examining relationships with family members and friends • Comparing personal relationships illustrated in Torah stories as found in the books of Genesis, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
3
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question:
• How is God in the Torah similar to or different from the God with whom I have a relationship?
Action:
• Engaging in role playing to explore the Torah stories of the characters mentioned above • Discussing God’s role in stories and relating it to the role God plays in our lives today • Continuing to learn the basic prayers as a way to communicate with God
HEBREW: • • • •
Naming Hebrew letters and recognizing them by sound Sounding out Hebrew vowels Havdalah blessings Shabbat and holiday blessings 9
ROAD MAP FOR THIRD GRADE Experience Jewish Holidays
1
“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self Question:
• How does my family celebrate the Jewish holidays?
Action:
• Chanting blessings for Shabbat, Hanukkah candles, Shehecheyanu, and the Passover four questions in Hebrew • Investigating family rituals at home
2
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question:
• How does my community celebrate the Jewish holidays?
Action:
• Experiencing the High Holy Days, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Hanukkah, Tu B’Shevat, Purim, Passover, and Shabbat with Temple Isaiah • Tasting the foods of the holidays: challah, apples and honey, jelly donuts, dried fruits, and matzah • Creating a connection with the community by learning and practicing Hebrew
3
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question:
• How do I connect to God when I celebrate the Jewish holidays?
Action:
• Understanding that holiday prayers and blessings are ways of speaking to God • Learning that Hebrew, as the common language of the Jews, can help students feel a connection to Jews around the world
HEBREW: • • • •
Recognizing by sight and sound all of the Hebrew letters and vowels Decoding simple Hebrew words Closer examination of tefillah prayer services Holiday blessings including Sukkot and Tu B’Shevat 10
ROAD MAP FOR FOURTH GRADE Ethics in the Torah
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“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self Question:
• How are the stories of the Torah and their lessons relevant to me?
Action:
• Using bibliodrama, art, games, and different writing experiences to better understand and relate to the stories of Cain and Abel, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob’s early life, Jacob’s wrestling the angel, Joseph the Dreamer, Moses and the Burning Bush, Moses in the Desert, the Laws of the Holiness Code, sending the spies into Israel, Balaam and Balak, and Moses’ death
2
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question:
• What can the Jewish values from the Torah stories teach me about ethics and what can I bring to my community?
Action:
• Examining the biblical adage “Am I my brother’s keeper?” • Judging Rebecca and Jacob’s actions towards his brother and father in stealing Esau’s birthright and blessing, and exploring the issues of favoritism and treatment of siblings • Analyzing the ethics of a leader; identifying how we apply the Holiness Code in society today and comprehending the value of telling the truth
3
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question:
• What is the connection between God and ethics?
Action:
• Understanding God’s role in the creation of ethics and pikuach nefesh (saving a life) • Identifying the origins of tzedakah • Analyzing the difference between when something is lashon hara (gossip) and when you have to share things in order to help someone
HEBREW: IN DEPTH • Blessing Pattern: Baruch atah Adonai... • Decoding words from the tefillah prayer services • Hebrew Through Movement
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ROAD MAP FOR FIFTH GRADE Jewish Life-Cycle Events
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“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self Question:
• How does my family commemorate Jewish life-cycle events? • Why are Jewish life-cycle events significant to me and my family?
Action:
• Role playing Jewish life-cycle events such as a baby naming, wedding, funeral • Exploring students’ family traditions • Discovering the origins of the students’ Hebrew names
2
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question:
• Why is it important to celebrate Jewish life-cycle events as a community?
Action:
• Creating ritual objects such as a wimple, ketubah, and tallit • Listening to and sharing anecdotes about life-cycle events and learning about different traditions • Exploring the rituals associated with life-cycle events at Temple Isaiah and in Reform Judaism, such as reading from the Torah at a Bar/Bat Mitzvah • Understanding how celebrating with community is intergenerational
3
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question:
• What role does God play in Jewish life-cycle events?
Action:
• Exploring the Torah stories surrounding some of the Jewish life-cycle events, like Abraham’s circumcision in Genesis or the roots of Confirmation and conversion in the Book of Ruth • Understanding that saying prayers and performing rituals during life-cycle events brings holiness into people’s lives
HEBREW: IN DEPTH • Proficiency in tefillah prayer services • Barchu • Ma’ariv and Yotzer • Shema and V’ahavta • Mi Chamocha 12
ROAD MAP FOR SIXTH GRADE Jewish Values, Jewish Heroes
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“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self Question:
• How do Jewish values apply to my everyday life?
Action:
• Discussing and applying values in the students’ daily lives, especially secular activities • Sharing examples of acts of tzedakah as a class and individually
2
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question:
• How does enacting Jewish values make me part of the community? • Why is it important to enact these Jewish values in order to be part of the community?
Action:
• Learning narratives of famous Jewish heroes and how they have embodied Jewish values • Learning how the actions of certain people represent Jewish values and how these values are specifically Jewish and not universal • Attending the Jewish World Watch Walk
3
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question:
• How does emphasis on “Godliness” and those qualities which are “Godlike” or “Divine” fit in with the way I think about God? • How does Israel being a land of many faiths complicate it?
Action:
• Analyzing values and how these values relate to God: tikkun olam (repairing the world), shmirat haguf (guarding the body), rodef shalom (pursuing peace), kol yisrael aravim zeh bah zeh (all of Israel being responsible for one another), tzedek tzedek tirdof (pursuing justice), tzedakah (righteous giving), and t’shuvah (repentance)
HEBREW: IN DEPTH • Proficiency in tefillah prayer services • Avot • G’vurot • Torah blessings • Haftarah blessings 13
ROAD MAP FOR SEVENTH GRADE The Obligation of Tzedakah
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“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self Question:
• What Jewish values lead me to engage in the act of tzedakah?
Action: • • • • •
2
Discussing stigmas and assumptions about money Creating plans for students’ families to engage in tzedakah Choosing an LA organization to assist for the school year as a mitzvah project Participating with organizations beyond a financial contribution Understanding the value of being part of a kehillah kedoshah (a holy community)
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question:
• How does engaging in tzedakah connect me to my ancestors and to my presentday community?
Action: • • • •
3
Role playing the impact of tzedakah on the giver, receiver, and the community Discussing factors that make tzedakah unique to Judaism Interpreting and analyzing what our Jewish texts say about tzedakah Comparing and contrasting Maimonides’ Ladder of Tzedakah with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question:
• How does the obligation to perform tzedakah create a connection with God?
Action:
• Reflecting as a class on the holiness of engaging in tzedakah • Discussing the origins of the moral imperative to do acts of tzedakah
MOVING TRADITIONS: Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing! Shevet Achim: The Brotherhood Students will participate once a month in programs designated to create meaningful teen experiences by encouraging self-discovery, promoting self-confidence, and strengthening connections with the Jewish community. 14
ROAD MAP FOR EIGHTH GRADE Who am I?
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“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self Question:
• How does discovering my Jewish identity help me figure out my place within my family and the larger community?
Action: • • • •
Sharing personal narratives Looking at video and text examples of struggles with identity Questioning ourselves about factors that contribute to who we are Looking at identity of communities we feel a part of to understand our roles within them • Looking at how our identities inform how we treat people around us
2
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question:
How does discovering my Jewish identity affect my relationships with other people, the past, the present, and the future?
Action:
• Examining choices of people who came before and seeing what comes next • Discussing how individuals like ourselves make choices every day that affect history • Internalizing how the choices we make have great power
3
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question:
• How does discovering my Jewish identity affect my personal theology?
Action:
• Articulating a personal theology or meaning of Judaism
DIASPORA-ISRAEL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM: A group of our 8th graders will visit Tel Aviv in December and we will host our partner students from Tel Aviv in April or May.
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ROAD MAP FOR NINTH GRADE Philanthropy Board
“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self
1
Question:
• How does pursuing justice affect me and my Jewish identity? • How do the events in my community affect me?
Action:
• Acting on my responsibility to repair the world • Identifying the problems that are present in the world • Choosing the issues that affect me and require my attention
2
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question:
• What are the different ways to pursue justice in our world?
Action: • • • • •
3
Relating Jewish texts to our actions Maimonides’ Levels of Tzedakah Researching and interviewing LA non-profit organizations Comparing and contrasting giving time and giving money Debating as a class where to donate the philanthropy board’s money
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question:
• What is holy about pursuing justice?
Action:
• Understanding that all people are created B’tzelem Elohim (in God’s image) • Engaging in text study to discover roots of tikkun olam (Repairing the World)
PAST RECIPIENTS OF NINTH GRADE GRANTS: 2014-2015 (Total Grants $3,500) Topic: Teen Issues
2012-2013 (Total Grants $4,750) Topic: Health Care
2013-2014 (Total Grants $4,500) Topic: Abuse
2011-2012 (Total Grants $3,000) Topic: Equality
• • • •
• • • •
American Jewish World Service Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles Jewish World Watch Ocean Park Community Center’s Sojourn Services
American Jewish World Service Saban Community Clinic The Trevor Project United Friends of the Children
• • • •
• • • •
The Trevor Project Jewish World Watch Planned Parenthood Wounded Warrior Project
Jewish Big Brother Big Sister of Los Angeles Mar Vista Family Center Rabbis for Human Rights – North America Upward Bound House
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ROAD MAP FOR TENTH GRADE Confirmation: Leadership and Responsibility
1
“Bein adam l’atzmo” - Self Question:
• How do my actions affect my community?
Action:
• Discussing different aspects of Jewish and American identity, how the two fit together, and when they diverge
2
“Bein adam l’chavero” - Community Question:
• What is my role within my community?
Action:
• Learning about significant ways to give time and other resources to our community • Understanding the country’s lobbying process and attending the Religious Action Center’s “L’Taken Social Justice Seminar” to lobby Congress • Acting as a leader within the Temple Isaiah community through social action and leading tefillah prayer services
3
“Bein adam l’Makom” - God Question:
• How does God play a role in my life? • Will/Can God play a role in the future?
Action:
• Exploring different avenues of spirituality within prayer and other ways of communicating with God
God
Torah
History
Israel
Liturgical Hebrew
Ethics
Culture
Holidays 17