The
curriculum of the shule emphasizes secular thought and discussion.
The curriculum is spread out over an "eight year plan", from
ages five through 13. After the eighth year, the classes are
held within a teen program of travel and discussion.
During the first eight years of Shule, the student progresses
with his/her peers through four classes, Alef, Beyz, Giml and
Daled. Each class has a two year component, an "a" and a "b"
year. Alef has kindergarten and 1st graders; Beyz, second and
third graders; Giml has fourth and fifth graders; Daled, sixth
and seventh graders. At the end of the "b" year in Daled, the
student commences and may go on to the teen program.
Sunday
morning classes begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at noon. This year
we are introducing a subject-based teaching structure, with
each teacher specializing in a single subject.The classes are
split between 1) History, 2) Literature and Culture and 3) Yiddish.
The students are presented with age and grade appropriate content,
with the sensitivities of the children being taken into account.
The goal is to make learning and being Jewish fun and exciting;
to make the child WANT to learn Jewish things.
History
and Culture and Literature for the younger student is focused
on the early history of the Jews and is holiday oriented. The
famous historical figures of Jewish History are introduced as
well as tales of morality and Jewish values. As the child grows
older and matures, the content is again explored but through
different lenses. A more mature, secular, progressive approach
is involved and the child is challenged to think; the child
is not told what to think. This is where the fun comes in -
the students start "peeling the layers of the onion". Yiddish
is taught through play and songs to the younger students and
through a more didactic, grammatical approach to the older students.
Textbooks
are used and lessons are given. The holidays are discussed and
celebrated. Plays, skits, songs, shtick, eating, laughing, listening,
learning are all part of the curriculum. A goal of the shule
is to instill in the child a sense of Mentschlikeit and Yiddishkeit.
Although the students will not necessarily be Yiddish linguists
when they get out of shule, they will have tasted the flavor
of and will have been exposed to the mamaloshen, Yiddish literature
and history associated with the Jewish People (who knows, maybe
they will be Yiddishists after all!!)
Sunday
morning classes begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at noon. This year
we are introducing a subject-based teaching structure, with
each teacher specializing in a single subject.The classes are
split between 1) History, 2) Literature and Culture and 3) Yiddish.
The students are presented with age and grade appropriate content,
with the sensitivities of the children being taken into account.
The goal is to make learning and being Jewish fun and exciting;
to make the child WANT to learn Jewish things.
History
and Culture and Literature for the younger student is focused
on the early history of the Jews and is holiday oriented. The
famous historical figures of Jewish History are introduced as
well as tales of morality and Jewish values. As the child grows
older and matures, the content is again explored but through
different lenses. A more mature, secular, progressive approach
is involved and the child is challenged to think; the child
is not told what to think. This is where the fun comes in -
the students start "peeling the layers of the onion". Yiddish
is taught through play and songs to the younger students and
through a more didactic, grammatical approach to the older students.