Download Holy Blossom Temple Religious School Curriculum Outline 2012

Holy Blossom Temple Religious School
Curriculum Outline 2012-2013
Grade 1
The Religious Education committee of Holy Blossom Temple is committed to the
ongoing Jewish education of our students and families. If at any time you have a
question or comment, please consult with Debbie Spiegel, Director of Education or
Sheryl Brodey, Chair of the Religious Education Committee, [email protected]
The Chai curriculum designed in collaboration with URJ (Union for Reform Judaism),
Hebrew Union College – JIR, the National Association of Temple Educators and URJ
Press provides our core curriculum. The lessons review the three tenets of Judaism,
Torah, Avodah (prayer) and Gemilut Chasadim (Acts of Kindness). Each lesson focuses
on the “big ideas” of Jewish belief and practice.
In learning Torah we hope that the students will understand the following: The Torah is
an ongoing dialogue between the text and the student, the Torah can be real in our daily
lives, developing the skills for studying Torah is a part of integrating Torah into our lives,
and each individual student is a part of the story of the Torah and the Jewish people.
The Torah stream focuses on the following:
An introduction to Torah
Adam and Eve
Noah
Abraham and Sarah
Rebecca
Jacob and Esau
Joseph
In the Avodah section of our curriculum the focus is on the Jewish holidays. How can
my Jewish acts help me discover the beauty and order of sacred time? The intention is
to show the students that through my actions I can show that I am a part of the Jewish
people. The Avodah stream focuses on:
For Rosh Hashana:
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recognize the shofar
say L’Shanah Tova and understand its meaning
describe Rosh Hashanah as the time when we look for ways to be better people
repeat the Shehechayanu and connect it to a new beginning
For Yom Kippur
• recognize Yom Kippur as a fast day
• state that Yom Kippur is the day of saying special prayers asking for forgiveness for the
things we have done wrong
For Sukkot
• identify Sukkot as a harvest holiday
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state that Sukkot is a festival of Thanksgiving
state that a Sukkah is a temporary home
recognize the lulav and etrog
demonstrate how to use the lulav and etrog
repeat the blessings over the lulav and etrog and upon dwelling in the Sukkah
For Simchat Torah
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identify Simchat Torah as the completion and new beginning of the yearly cycle of Torah
reading
connect Consecration as a new beginning with Simchat Torah as the beginning of the
yearly cycle of Torah reading
identify Simchat Torah as a time of joy and dancing
For Chanukah
Associate the concept of bravery with the festival of Chanukah.
The students will be able to:
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tell the story of Chanukah in their own words
recognize the main characters in the Chanukah story
associate Chanukah with being free to be Jewish
repeat the blessings over the Chanukah lights
For Tu B’shevat
Associate Tu B’Shevat with the environment.
The students will be able to:
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state that Tu B’Shevat is the New Year for the trees in Israel
suggest ways in which students will take care of God’s gift of trees
recognize planting and growth as a way God and people work together
recite the blessing for the fruits
For Purim
Associate Jewish identity with the story of Purim.
The students will be able to:
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tell the story of Purim in their own words
demonstrate the joy of giving by sending Mishloach Manot to friends and Tzedakah to
the poor
identify Megillah, Hamentashen, Graggar (Ra’ashan), and explain how they are used
For Pesach
Associate the concept of freedom with the festival of Pesach.
The students will be able to:
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identify the symbols of the seder - seder plate, afikomen, Elijah’s cup, Matzah cover
explain the meanings of the symbols on the Seder plate
tell in their own words the story of the Exodus from Egypt
repeat the blessing over Matzah
sing the 4 questions
For YOM HA’ATZMAUT
Identify Yom Ha’Atzmaut with the founding of the State of Israel.
The students will be able to:
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identify Israel as a country and homeland for all Jews
identify similarities and differences between aspects of daily life in Israel and Canada
celebrate the birthday of Israel
For SHAVUOT
Associate Shavuot with the giving of the Torah and with the wheat harvest.
The students will be able to:
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explain that Shavuot is celebrated by a special service in the Synagogue
explain that Shavuot gives thanks to God for the summer harvest in Israel
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state that Mount Sinai is the place where we believe the Torah was given to the Jewish
people
The Gemilut Chasadim strand of the Chai curriculum allows the students to understand
that we have a responsibility to perform acts of gemilut chasadim in order to make the
world a better place, and each student is a part of the ongoing story of the Jewish
people when we perform acts of gemilut chasadim. The lessons focus on the following:
Repentance: Is saying sorry enough?
Who is a Jewish hero?
Tzedakah – a different way to help
Being kind with Derech Eretz
Do not do unto othersB.
Welcoming guests: Hachnassat Orchim
Taking care of the Earth
Other aspects of the curriculum include:
OUR SYNAGOGUE
Students will be able to differentiate the Synagogue from other places in terms of
structure and function. The students will be able to:
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list the activities that take place in the Synagogue and not elsewhere i.e:
Services, Religious School, Jewish learning for adults, Weddings, Funerals.
Identify the following found in the Synagogue/Temple: Aron HaKodesh, Ner Tamid,
Menorah and Bimah, Rabbi and Cantor, kippa, tallit
AARON HAKODESH
- state that Aron HaKodesh means Holy Ark
- describe the Aron HaKodesh and understand that it is a special place
where the
Torah is kept
- locate where the Aron HaKodesh is found
- recognize that we stand when the Aron HaKodesh is opened and usually sit after it is
closed
NER TAMID
- identify and define the Ner Tamid as the eternal light
- locate where the Ner Tamid is found
- state that the Ner Tamid reminds us that God is always with us
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MENORAH AND BIMAH
- identify and describe a menorah and tell where in the synagogue it is found
- distinguish between a Chanukah menorah (Chanukiah) and a menorah found in the
synagogue
- relate that the seven branches may stand for the seven days of creation
- identify and describe the Bimah as the raised platform from where service is led
- recognize that the Menorah is the official symbol of the land of Israel
RABBI AND CANTOR
-state that Rabbi means teacher
-list the work that a Rabbi does
-list duties of the Cantor
KIPPA AND TALLIT
-identify a kippa and tallit
-define a kippa as a head covering and a tallit as a prayer shawl
-discuss the options of wearing a kippa and a tallit in a Reform synagogue.
ISRAEL
Let’s Discover Israel
These lessons introduce students to the land, state, people and culture of Israel.
Through lessons focused on Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Northern and Southern regions of
the country, students will learn about Israel’s history, language, populations, and food.
FAMILY EDUCATION PROGRAMS
There are two Family Education programs for the Grade 1 class. The first is on
September 23 – looking at Torah, the second is on April 7th on the topic of Havdalah.