by: Raanan Mallek, M.J.Ed.
EDUCATIONAL THEORY BEHIND THE CURRICULUM
In March 2009, Jack Wertheimer published on behalf of AVI CHAI an important study called, Schools that Work: What We Can Learn from Good Jewish Supplementary Schools. Wertheimer recognized the challenges faced by supplementary schools: lack of focus, mediocre programs, and failure to educate and positively engage the large number of students enrolled in its schools. Meeting this challenge is a holy endeavor since supplementary schools are a major bridge for reaching Jewish families whose contact with synagogues and other Jewish institutions may be rare. It is logical to understand that the next generation of Jews are the future of our synagogue. The investment that we make now will allow us to reap great reward when we know a generation down the road that our Jewish traditions will live on.
Wertheimer identifies some great goals for our school to gain an effective reputation:
1. Quality of formal study
2. Positive Jewish experiences
3. Clarity and thoughtfulness of school objectives
4. Development of a community of practice to translate learning into Jewish living
5. Coordination of key personnel in the pursuit of the above goals
The factors that go into the making of these successful programs are:
1. Excellent professional and lay leadership
2. Dedicated teaching staff
3. Valued curriculum
4. Experiential programs
5. Offerings for parents and family education
The noteworthy characteristics of successful supplementary schools are that they intentionally work to develop a community among their students, staff and parents. Beginning with the assumption that learning cannot be separated from context, and that to a large extent the school’s most important message is embedded in the culture and relationships it fosters, these schools devote much time to building a community that attends to the needs of individual children. My mentor, Dr. Bruce Powell, would use his motto, “building community one mind at a time” to explain the ideology behind the process. By attaining this lofty goal, the children will feel embraced and able to organically become best friends with their classmates. The parents of the children then become better acquainted and community is built.
Also important is the emphasis on taking Jewish study seriously. Students must be engaged in discussions about Jewish values and holidays in the context of intensive study of texts. Building a Hevruta culture is the first step in building a learning community. A Hevruta is where two students sit and discuss the importance of the text before them that is accompanied by essential questions and a creative lesson by the teacher. I have seen first graders sitting with each other discussing how they listen to God being One while looking at the Shma. This is the type of Jewish content that “sticks”. The Hevruta process engages the minds of the students challenging them to evaluate and compare texts, ideas and ethical dilemmas. It encourages them to build a personal relationship to religious questions while building reflective practice and nuance, lessons they will need throughout their Jewish and secular lives.
On the Importance of Experiential Jewish Education We must create opportunities for students to engage in experiential Jewish education. By participating in actual prayer, leading religious services, attending Shabbat retreats, engaging in activities to help the poor and needy (Tikkun Olam), participating in programs celebrating and engaging Israel students are exposed to authentic Jewish experiences that they will remember throughout their lives as being impactful and meaningful. This experiential component combined with formal learning is vital as it provides students with the opportunity to live their Judaism and not only to learn about it.
Tikkun Olam—Connection between Study and Action
Connecting study and action is a foundational belief of Jewish practice. The Rabbis ask the question what is more important, study or action?
Babylonian Talmud 40b Rabbi Tarfon and some elders were reclining in an upper chamber in the house of Nitza in Lod when this question came up: Which is greater, study or action? Rabbi Tarfon spoke up and said: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva spoke up and said: Study is greater. The others then spoke up and said: Study is greater because it leads to action.
Although study is greater because it leads to action, that means that our tradition teaches that study is meaningful only if it leads to action.
Our students will be able to translate their study of Judaism into action through Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world. Whether a kindergartener is bringing in some coins from home to give to the Jewish National Fund or our Kadima youth group (sixth and seventh graders) is helping feed the poor here in Vancouver, action needs to be part and parcel of the educational process. “The phrase, ’belief in action’ has a double meaning: first, that Judaism believes in the high value of an active religious and ethical life; and second, that Jewish belief must find its expression in deeds.” (Jacobs, Book of Jewish Practice). Action will reinforce belief in turn influencing the character of our children so that they can better answer the question what it means to be Jewish.
How this translates into Pedagogical Theory
One of the most successful pedagogical models used today is called Understanding by Design (or UbD). It is based on the principle of “backward design” where deep enduring understandings are used to create the lesson. Students will thus be able to go beyond the specific classroom activities and will be able to more successfully establish a basis for later Jewish learning and living. By integrating study, action and enduring understandings, we will have a clear model for success.
MAIN MOTIFS OF THE JUDAICS CURRICULUM
Abbreviations: P = Pre-School, K=Kindergarten, 1-6= grade level, BBM= Bnai Mitzvah Class i.e. 7th grade
Note: Much of this material is taken from the Chai Curriculum: Learning for Jewish Life
Ethics of the Fathers 1:2
Shimon the righteous was one of the last survivors of the Great Assembly. He used to say: The world stands on three things– on the Torah, on the [sacred] work and on the practice of loving kindness.
Torah (תורה)
Overall Enduring Understandings for Torah: Torah is the foundation for character, community and a spiritual life. Torah is an ongoing dialogue between the text and its students, Torah is real in our daily lives; it goes with us wherever we are, developing the skills to study Torah is essential to integrating Torah into our lives.
Specific for P/K/1/2: I am part of the ongoing story of Torah, the Torah teaches me how to be part of the Jewish people.
Specific for 3-BBM: The laws and rules found in the Torah can help us to live a life filled with holy moments; with the promise of a holy land (Eretz Yisrael), we as a holy people (Am Yisrael) have a responsibility to work towards becoming holy by observing the brit (covenant)
Specific for 6 & BBM: the prophets were focused on reminding the Jewish people how the Eternal wants us to live, and their messages are at the heart of Tikkun Olam; studying Jewish texts allows us to explore our relationship with the Eternal and reflect on the ways the Eternal is continuously revealed to others and to ourselves; I can show in my drisha how my life reflects Torah.
[Sacred] Work-עבודה) _Avodah)
This is understood by most commentators as liturgical prayer. The prayer component of our curriculum is not only preparing our students for becoming Bnai Mitzvah, but is also preparing them to be reflective about life and the meaning behind being part of the Jewish synagogue community.
Overall Enduring Understandings for Torah: Avodah is the work we do to find sacred connections to the Eternal, community, and self. Engaging in the work of avodah can bring order, beauty, meaning and insight to our lives and our community.
Specific for P/K/1/2: My Jewish acts help me discover the beauty and order of sacred time and my place in the Jewish story; Jewish stories, celebrations and rituals help me understand and express my relationship with the Eternal.
Specific for 3-BBM: Through avodah we can make our lives and the world more kadosh (holy); Keva (repetition) and kavanah (conscious direction) are the fixed order of worship and the personal intention we bring to prayer, they are complementary aspects of Jewish worship, combining to help us make sacred connections; the practice of prayer can help me grow through personal reflection, can increase my connection to the Jewish people, and can strengthen my relationship with the Eternal; Avodah is the work we do, by exploring our personal and communal role in Revelation, to find sacred connections to God, community and self; the message and power of Jewish prayer can help me understand and define myself as an individual and as an authentic member of the Jewish community.
Practice of Loving Kindness - (גמילות חסדים Gemilut Hasadim)
This should be the natural climax of one’s true relationship with the Eternal. Once it is recognized that Torah is an ultimate form of sharing, in which the person has been given the means by which to be Godly (בצלם אלהים or imatio Dei), the desire to share with other people in loving kindness should automatically ensue.
Overall Enduring Understandings for Torah: We have a responsibility to perform personal acts of loving kindness to make the world a better and holier place.
Specific for P/K/1/2: I am a part of the ongoing story of the Jewish people when I perform acts of gemilut hasadim; We make the world a better place by performing acts of gemilut hasadim in our everyday lives.
Specific for 3-BBM: Each individual act of gemilut hasadim can make the world more kadosh (holy); We have a responsibility (אחריות) to perform acts of gemilut hasadim for the people we encounter in our daily lives; We are all part of K'lal Yisrael and have a responsibility to actively support and sustain the Jewish community through acts of gemilut hasadim; We can experience the Eternal in our world, in others and within ourselves by engaging in acts of gemilut hasadim;
Specific for 6 & BBM: Our development as emerging Jewish adults and authentic members of the Jewish community is closely linked to our ethical behavior (middot) and the performance of acts of gemilut hasadim.
Multi-Year Bnai Mitzvah Training Program
An excellent supplementary school is one where the students are able to confidently stand before the congregation and lead a prayer or even the whole service. This goal relies upon five years of practice that culminates in class led services. By giving this ability to our children, we are enabling them to become leaders of the Jewish people in our ritual. How valuable it is that our children can be in any Conservative Jewish setting and feel comfortable leading prayers.
To help the students prepare for these services, each class will have professionally recorded prayers that they can use to study with. Rabbi Mark Zimmerman’s sidduraudio.com is the standard for helping children learn Conservative prayer ritual.
INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO THE CONGREGATIONAL CLASSROOM
Introduction
Over the past ten years Jewish Education has picked up on how integrating technology into the classroom will be able to turn the tide of decline in attendance and interest in congregational education. The reason is simple, technology speaks the language of this generation. Ray Kurzweil, who invented the scanner and has given the blind the ability to read any non-brail book in the world, talks about a technological singularity. The sociological implications of the technological singularity have been dreamed about by science fiction authors for the past hundred years. Now, the scientific community is reaching out and saying that we live in the times of exponential development towards this singularity and that we need to be prepared. How can we do that when we don’t know what it will entail? Kurzweil responds by asking a question all parents can relate to, “How is it that our children can figure out how to use any technology they put there hands on?” I have fond memories of my two year old niece showing me how to use an iPad and my daughter getting better scores than I can with Angry Birds the first time she ever played it. Children have a wonderful ability to grasp onto emerging concepts in ways that we need to encourage and empower instead of diminish.
How Technology will be Used in this Curriculum
Let’s begin by taking a look at the following website:
http://teachercenter-jecc.wikispaces.com/High+Holidays
Some of the best thinkers in Jewish Education have come together to create some of the best resources for an active classroom that encourages learning. How much more exciting is it to see a video of how Matza is made than just talking about the process as being abstract and foreign. Technology today allows us to Skype in our sister community in Israel and learn about life in Israel from a real friend thousands of miles away.
On a practical level within the classroom, every part of the curriculum has online components that add immense value to the lesson. When it comes to current events, news reports can be broadcasted right before the students. One of the most useful tools in teaching Israel is Google Maps. Being able to “fly” across the world from Vancouver to Israel is possible with this amazing free online program. Exploring the streets of Jerusalem and Tiberius is a recently added feature.
On an interactive level, students can be taught how to blog and become online Israel advocates. So much of mainstream media is anti-Israel and giving the tools to our students for how to properly advocate can get our voice out there. Students can prepare Powerpoint presentations at home and present them on topics that interest them whether it be Jewish athletes, musicians or even pirates.
Tikkun Olam is transformed with the internet since a relationship can be established with the community that is being helped. One of the best examples is the Red Heifer Project where money is raised to purchase a goat, sheep or even a cow for a poor community. We can then check back and actively see how that animal is benefiting the people.
There is always so much more that can be done with online classrooms and interactive personal timelines. This is the future and it is timely for us to take the steps to help make congregational education innovative. The benchmark for measuring success is how much more interest can be generated in the classroom by speaking the language of the child, that like it or not, has become technical. Note that in the back of the curriculum is a comprehensive list of helpful websites for the teachers.
INTERNET RESOURCES For all Ages
1. http://www.pjlibrary.org/ - We will be working extensively with PJ Library this year. Their website is a great collection of books and lesson plan ideas.
2. http://urj.org/learning/teacheducate/ - The Union for RJ center for educators has numerous sources and ideas for lesson plans for all ages. It is necessary to sign into their website.
3. http://urj.org/learning/teacheducate/?syspage=article&item_id=26720—Great resource about teaching Israel.
4. http://curriculumjecc.wikispaces.com/ - Jewish Education Center of Cleveland’s Wikispace with links to wonderful curricula and programming.
5. http://www.tedallas.org/education/religiousschool/practiceresources.html—A great Hebrew practice resource guide.
6. http://timeglider.com/ - great website for creating online timelines.
7. http://www.chabad.org/ - a wonderful resource for all things Jewish, especially age appropriate weekly portion ideas
8. http://fc.gannacademy.org/gannopedia/genremap/rlgenremap.html - We will utilize this interactive Genre Map throughout all the grades.
9. http://www.usy.org/progbank/pinat/ - a compilation of Conservative learning resources
10. http://www.hebrewthroughmovement.org/ - great website to get the kids up and moving to Hebrew!
11. http://teachercenter-jecc.wikispaces.com/ - full of lesson plans for the holidays and more...
Multi-Year Bnai Mitzvah Training Program
1. http://www.bb.torahaura.com— This is the website that accompanies the Journeys Through the Siddur curriculum that we will be using for the Grade 3/4 to the BBM class.
2. http://www.siduraudio.com— This is the audio component used before and during this program.
For 5th-BBM Class
1. http://on1foot.org—On One Foot: a compilation of Jewish sources and worksheets that is perfect for Hevruta learning. Categories include: advocacy, civil/human rights, conflict & emergency, discrimination & diversity, education, environment, ethical consumption, food & ethics, governance & leadership, health, hunger, labor rights, law & business ethics, migration, poverty, service / volunteerism, sexual orientation & gender identity, sustainable development, tikkun olam, trade, aid & debt, tzedakah, women’s empowerment.
2. http://www.morim-madrichim.org/ - A great website for older grades
3. http://fc.gannacademy.org/gannopedia/ganntools/index.html - an incredible resource of interactive Judaica information.
4. http://jewishpartisans.org/ - this website will be used to show the strength that the Jewish people had during the Shoah.
Multimedia Resources on CD
· Imperial History of the Middle East, Siddur Audio compilation and much more....
In March 2009, Jack Wertheimer published on behalf of AVI CHAI an important study called, Schools that Work: What We Can Learn from Good Jewish Supplementary Schools. Wertheimer recognized the challenges faced by supplementary schools: lack of focus, mediocre programs, and failure to educate and positively engage the large number of students enrolled in its schools. Meeting this challenge is a holy endeavor since supplementary schools are a major bridge for reaching Jewish families whose contact with synagogues and other Jewish institutions may be rare. It is logical to understand that the next generation of Jews are the future of our synagogue. The investment that we make now will allow us to reap great reward when we know a generation down the road that our Jewish traditions will live on.
Wertheimer identifies some great goals for our school to gain an effective reputation:
1. Quality of formal study
2. Positive Jewish experiences
3. Clarity and thoughtfulness of school objectives
4. Development of a community of practice to translate learning into Jewish living
5. Coordination of key personnel in the pursuit of the above goals
The factors that go into the making of these successful programs are:
1. Excellent professional and lay leadership
2. Dedicated teaching staff
3. Valued curriculum
4. Experiential programs
5. Offerings for parents and family education
The noteworthy characteristics of successful supplementary schools are that they intentionally work to develop a community among their students, staff and parents. Beginning with the assumption that learning cannot be separated from context, and that to a large extent the school’s most important message is embedded in the culture and relationships it fosters, these schools devote much time to building a community that attends to the needs of individual children. My mentor, Dr. Bruce Powell, would use his motto, “building community one mind at a time” to explain the ideology behind the process. By attaining this lofty goal, the children will feel embraced and able to organically become best friends with their classmates. The parents of the children then become better acquainted and community is built.
Also important is the emphasis on taking Jewish study seriously. Students must be engaged in discussions about Jewish values and holidays in the context of intensive study of texts. Building a Hevruta culture is the first step in building a learning community. A Hevruta is where two students sit and discuss the importance of the text before them that is accompanied by essential questions and a creative lesson by the teacher. I have seen first graders sitting with each other discussing how they listen to God being One while looking at the Shma. This is the type of Jewish content that “sticks”. The Hevruta process engages the minds of the students challenging them to evaluate and compare texts, ideas and ethical dilemmas. It encourages them to build a personal relationship to religious questions while building reflective practice and nuance, lessons they will need throughout their Jewish and secular lives.
On the Importance of Experiential Jewish Education We must create opportunities for students to engage in experiential Jewish education. By participating in actual prayer, leading religious services, attending Shabbat retreats, engaging in activities to help the poor and needy (Tikkun Olam), participating in programs celebrating and engaging Israel students are exposed to authentic Jewish experiences that they will remember throughout their lives as being impactful and meaningful. This experiential component combined with formal learning is vital as it provides students with the opportunity to live their Judaism and not only to learn about it.
Tikkun Olam—Connection between Study and Action
Connecting study and action is a foundational belief of Jewish practice. The Rabbis ask the question what is more important, study or action?
Babylonian Talmud 40b Rabbi Tarfon and some elders were reclining in an upper chamber in the house of Nitza in Lod when this question came up: Which is greater, study or action? Rabbi Tarfon spoke up and said: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva spoke up and said: Study is greater. The others then spoke up and said: Study is greater because it leads to action.
Although study is greater because it leads to action, that means that our tradition teaches that study is meaningful only if it leads to action.
Our students will be able to translate their study of Judaism into action through Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world. Whether a kindergartener is bringing in some coins from home to give to the Jewish National Fund or our Kadima youth group (sixth and seventh graders) is helping feed the poor here in Vancouver, action needs to be part and parcel of the educational process. “The phrase, ’belief in action’ has a double meaning: first, that Judaism believes in the high value of an active religious and ethical life; and second, that Jewish belief must find its expression in deeds.” (Jacobs, Book of Jewish Practice). Action will reinforce belief in turn influencing the character of our children so that they can better answer the question what it means to be Jewish.
How this translates into Pedagogical Theory
One of the most successful pedagogical models used today is called Understanding by Design (or UbD). It is based on the principle of “backward design” where deep enduring understandings are used to create the lesson. Students will thus be able to go beyond the specific classroom activities and will be able to more successfully establish a basis for later Jewish learning and living. By integrating study, action and enduring understandings, we will have a clear model for success.
MAIN MOTIFS OF THE JUDAICS CURRICULUM
Abbreviations: P = Pre-School, K=Kindergarten, 1-6= grade level, BBM= Bnai Mitzvah Class i.e. 7th grade
Note: Much of this material is taken from the Chai Curriculum: Learning for Jewish Life
Ethics of the Fathers 1:2
Shimon the righteous was one of the last survivors of the Great Assembly. He used to say: The world stands on three things– on the Torah, on the [sacred] work and on the practice of loving kindness.
Torah (תורה)
Overall Enduring Understandings for Torah: Torah is the foundation for character, community and a spiritual life. Torah is an ongoing dialogue between the text and its students, Torah is real in our daily lives; it goes with us wherever we are, developing the skills to study Torah is essential to integrating Torah into our lives.
Specific for P/K/1/2: I am part of the ongoing story of Torah, the Torah teaches me how to be part of the Jewish people.
Specific for 3-BBM: The laws and rules found in the Torah can help us to live a life filled with holy moments; with the promise of a holy land (Eretz Yisrael), we as a holy people (Am Yisrael) have a responsibility to work towards becoming holy by observing the brit (covenant)
Specific for 6 & BBM: the prophets were focused on reminding the Jewish people how the Eternal wants us to live, and their messages are at the heart of Tikkun Olam; studying Jewish texts allows us to explore our relationship with the Eternal and reflect on the ways the Eternal is continuously revealed to others and to ourselves; I can show in my drisha how my life reflects Torah.
[Sacred] Work-עבודה) _Avodah)
This is understood by most commentators as liturgical prayer. The prayer component of our curriculum is not only preparing our students for becoming Bnai Mitzvah, but is also preparing them to be reflective about life and the meaning behind being part of the Jewish synagogue community.
Overall Enduring Understandings for Torah: Avodah is the work we do to find sacred connections to the Eternal, community, and self. Engaging in the work of avodah can bring order, beauty, meaning and insight to our lives and our community.
Specific for P/K/1/2: My Jewish acts help me discover the beauty and order of sacred time and my place in the Jewish story; Jewish stories, celebrations and rituals help me understand and express my relationship with the Eternal.
Specific for 3-BBM: Through avodah we can make our lives and the world more kadosh (holy); Keva (repetition) and kavanah (conscious direction) are the fixed order of worship and the personal intention we bring to prayer, they are complementary aspects of Jewish worship, combining to help us make sacred connections; the practice of prayer can help me grow through personal reflection, can increase my connection to the Jewish people, and can strengthen my relationship with the Eternal; Avodah is the work we do, by exploring our personal and communal role in Revelation, to find sacred connections to God, community and self; the message and power of Jewish prayer can help me understand and define myself as an individual and as an authentic member of the Jewish community.
Practice of Loving Kindness - (גמילות חסדים Gemilut Hasadim)
This should be the natural climax of one’s true relationship with the Eternal. Once it is recognized that Torah is an ultimate form of sharing, in which the person has been given the means by which to be Godly (בצלם אלהים or imatio Dei), the desire to share with other people in loving kindness should automatically ensue.
Overall Enduring Understandings for Torah: We have a responsibility to perform personal acts of loving kindness to make the world a better and holier place.
Specific for P/K/1/2: I am a part of the ongoing story of the Jewish people when I perform acts of gemilut hasadim; We make the world a better place by performing acts of gemilut hasadim in our everyday lives.
Specific for 3-BBM: Each individual act of gemilut hasadim can make the world more kadosh (holy); We have a responsibility (אחריות) to perform acts of gemilut hasadim for the people we encounter in our daily lives; We are all part of K'lal Yisrael and have a responsibility to actively support and sustain the Jewish community through acts of gemilut hasadim; We can experience the Eternal in our world, in others and within ourselves by engaging in acts of gemilut hasadim;
Specific for 6 & BBM: Our development as emerging Jewish adults and authentic members of the Jewish community is closely linked to our ethical behavior (middot) and the performance of acts of gemilut hasadim.
Multi-Year Bnai Mitzvah Training Program
An excellent supplementary school is one where the students are able to confidently stand before the congregation and lead a prayer or even the whole service. This goal relies upon five years of practice that culminates in class led services. By giving this ability to our children, we are enabling them to become leaders of the Jewish people in our ritual. How valuable it is that our children can be in any Conservative Jewish setting and feel comfortable leading prayers.
To help the students prepare for these services, each class will have professionally recorded prayers that they can use to study with. Rabbi Mark Zimmerman’s sidduraudio.com is the standard for helping children learn Conservative prayer ritual.
INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO THE CONGREGATIONAL CLASSROOM
Introduction
Over the past ten years Jewish Education has picked up on how integrating technology into the classroom will be able to turn the tide of decline in attendance and interest in congregational education. The reason is simple, technology speaks the language of this generation. Ray Kurzweil, who invented the scanner and has given the blind the ability to read any non-brail book in the world, talks about a technological singularity. The sociological implications of the technological singularity have been dreamed about by science fiction authors for the past hundred years. Now, the scientific community is reaching out and saying that we live in the times of exponential development towards this singularity and that we need to be prepared. How can we do that when we don’t know what it will entail? Kurzweil responds by asking a question all parents can relate to, “How is it that our children can figure out how to use any technology they put there hands on?” I have fond memories of my two year old niece showing me how to use an iPad and my daughter getting better scores than I can with Angry Birds the first time she ever played it. Children have a wonderful ability to grasp onto emerging concepts in ways that we need to encourage and empower instead of diminish.
How Technology will be Used in this Curriculum
Let’s begin by taking a look at the following website:
http://teachercenter-jecc.wikispaces.com/High+Holidays
Some of the best thinkers in Jewish Education have come together to create some of the best resources for an active classroom that encourages learning. How much more exciting is it to see a video of how Matza is made than just talking about the process as being abstract and foreign. Technology today allows us to Skype in our sister community in Israel and learn about life in Israel from a real friend thousands of miles away.
On a practical level within the classroom, every part of the curriculum has online components that add immense value to the lesson. When it comes to current events, news reports can be broadcasted right before the students. One of the most useful tools in teaching Israel is Google Maps. Being able to “fly” across the world from Vancouver to Israel is possible with this amazing free online program. Exploring the streets of Jerusalem and Tiberius is a recently added feature.
On an interactive level, students can be taught how to blog and become online Israel advocates. So much of mainstream media is anti-Israel and giving the tools to our students for how to properly advocate can get our voice out there. Students can prepare Powerpoint presentations at home and present them on topics that interest them whether it be Jewish athletes, musicians or even pirates.
Tikkun Olam is transformed with the internet since a relationship can be established with the community that is being helped. One of the best examples is the Red Heifer Project where money is raised to purchase a goat, sheep or even a cow for a poor community. We can then check back and actively see how that animal is benefiting the people.
There is always so much more that can be done with online classrooms and interactive personal timelines. This is the future and it is timely for us to take the steps to help make congregational education innovative. The benchmark for measuring success is how much more interest can be generated in the classroom by speaking the language of the child, that like it or not, has become technical. Note that in the back of the curriculum is a comprehensive list of helpful websites for the teachers.
INTERNET RESOURCES For all Ages
1. http://www.pjlibrary.org/ - We will be working extensively with PJ Library this year. Their website is a great collection of books and lesson plan ideas.
2. http://urj.org/learning/teacheducate/ - The Union for RJ center for educators has numerous sources and ideas for lesson plans for all ages. It is necessary to sign into their website.
3. http://urj.org/learning/teacheducate/?syspage=article&item_id=26720—Great resource about teaching Israel.
4. http://curriculumjecc.wikispaces.com/ - Jewish Education Center of Cleveland’s Wikispace with links to wonderful curricula and programming.
5. http://www.tedallas.org/education/religiousschool/practiceresources.html—A great Hebrew practice resource guide.
6. http://timeglider.com/ - great website for creating online timelines.
7. http://www.chabad.org/ - a wonderful resource for all things Jewish, especially age appropriate weekly portion ideas
8. http://fc.gannacademy.org/gannopedia/genremap/rlgenremap.html - We will utilize this interactive Genre Map throughout all the grades.
9. http://www.usy.org/progbank/pinat/ - a compilation of Conservative learning resources
10. http://www.hebrewthroughmovement.org/ - great website to get the kids up and moving to Hebrew!
11. http://teachercenter-jecc.wikispaces.com/ - full of lesson plans for the holidays and more...
Multi-Year Bnai Mitzvah Training Program
1. http://www.bb.torahaura.com— This is the website that accompanies the Journeys Through the Siddur curriculum that we will be using for the Grade 3/4 to the BBM class.
2. http://www.siduraudio.com— This is the audio component used before and during this program.
For 5th-BBM Class
1. http://on1foot.org—On One Foot: a compilation of Jewish sources and worksheets that is perfect for Hevruta learning. Categories include: advocacy, civil/human rights, conflict & emergency, discrimination & diversity, education, environment, ethical consumption, food & ethics, governance & leadership, health, hunger, labor rights, law & business ethics, migration, poverty, service / volunteerism, sexual orientation & gender identity, sustainable development, tikkun olam, trade, aid & debt, tzedakah, women’s empowerment.
2. http://www.morim-madrichim.org/ - A great website for older grades
3. http://fc.gannacademy.org/gannopedia/ganntools/index.html - an incredible resource of interactive Judaica information.
4. http://jewishpartisans.org/ - this website will be used to show the strength that the Jewish people had during the Shoah.
Multimedia Resources on CD
· Imperial History of the Middle East, Siddur Audio compilation and much more....
MULTI-YEAR BNAI MITZVAH TRAINING PROGRAM
Introduction
The Multi-Year Bnai Mitzvah Training Program is four years of preparation for a momentous beginning of a Jewish life that takes responsibility for תיקון עולם במלכות שדי (repairing the world in the realm of the Almighty). Such an undertaking begins with having the ability to lead prayer. By being able to lead parts of or all the prayer service, our students will exemplify what it means to be an educated Jew.
For the past two years of my work in congregational education, the best curriculum for prayer is Torah Aura’s Journeys Through the Siddur by Joel L. Grishaver. Not only is it based on Understanding by Design, the pedagogical theory of this curriculum, but it also has one of the most comprehensive programs adaptable to the learning styles of every student in the spirit of One Soul at a Time.
Each level of Torah Aura over the four years is defined by the same enduring understandings so that progression is natural. The three levels are based on the prayer services on Shabbat in a Conservative Synagogue:
1. Friday evening service
2. Saturday morning service
3. Torah Service
These levels are accompanied by class workbooks and home workbooks and one of the best teacher’s guides I have ever seen. When combined with the website: http://www.bb.torahaura.com, we are on solid ground. Teachers will be able to use a wide variety of resources online and discuss with their teachers around North America strategies for success.
Six Enduring Understandings of the Journeys Through the Siddur Curriculum
1. When we study “prayers” it is important that we also work on the “art of prayer”.
2. Stories form a window into the process of prayer.
3. Knowing and recognizing word-parts, roots, and other language elements evolves a strong connection to the liturgy.
4. There is a difference between “reading,” “sounding,” and “performing”. When it comes to learning how to pray, reading and performing are the most important skills.
5. Knowing the structure of the service helps students assemble individual prayers into a complete worship experience.
6. It is important to build patters of study and give students enduring study tools.
Each one of these six enduring understandings are explained in detail at the beginning of each of the Teacher’s Guides. A copy can also be found in the teacher curriculum/lesson plan binder. Carefully reading the enduring understandings and incorporating them into your lesson is vital for the success of this program. Success should be shown via the lesson plans as they develop week after week.
A useful tool in the Journeys Through the Siddur is that all the different components of the prayer service are split up into lesson plans. The teacher should strive to be creative and add to the material that has already been prepared. For an example, a tangent off of a theological idea raised by a specific prayer can lead into an exploration of a Judaic source.
PARDES פרד“ס METHOD FOR STUDYING TORAH
Introduction
The modern manner of interpreting Biblical text is commonly called exegesis. This method concerns itself mostly with the literary and grammatical context of Scripture verses. Pardes goes much deeper and sees that there is many "levels" of interpretation that must be taken into consideration. This was the method used to write and interpret Scripture by the authors themselves as well as the audience of their time and culture.
The four level of interpretation are called: פשט, רמז, דרש, and סוד. The first letter of each word P-R-D-S is taken, and vowels are added for pronunciation, giving the word PARDES (meaning "garden" or "orchard"). Each layer is deeper and more intense than the last, like the layers of an onion.
פשט- P'shat (pronounced peh-shaht' - meaning "simple")
The p'shat is the plain, simple meaning of the text. The understanding of scripture in its natural, normal sense using the customary meanings of the word’s being used, literary style, historical and cultural setting, and context. The p'shat is the keystone of Scripture understanding. If we discard the p'shat we lose any real chance of an accurate understanding and we are no longer objectively deriving meaning from the Scriptures (exegesis), but subjectively reading meaning into the scriptures (eisogesis). The Talmud states that no passage loses its p'shat:
Talmud Shabbat 63a - Rabbi Kahana objected to Mar son of Rabbi Huna: But this refers to the words of the Torah? A verse cannot depart from its plain meaning, he replied.
Note that within the p'shat you can find several types of language, including figurative, symbolic and allegorical. The following generic guidelines can be used to determine if a passage is figurative and therefore figurative even in its p'shat:
When an inanimate object is used to describe a living being, the statement is figurative. Example: Isaiah 5:7 - For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
When an expression is out of character with the thing described, the statement is figurative. Example: Psalm 17:8 - Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of your wings ...
רמז—Remez (pronounced reh-mez' - meaning "hint" or “allegory”)
This is where another (implied) meaning is alluded to in the text, usually revealing a deeper meaning. There may still be a p'shat meaning as well as another meaning as any verse can have multiple levels of meaning. An example of implied remez: Proverbs 20:10 - Different weights, and different measures, both of them are alike an abomination to the Lord. The p'shat would be concerned with a merchant using the same scale to weigh goods for all of his customers. The remez implies that this goes beyond this into aspects of fairness and honesty in anyone's life.
דרש- D’rash (pronounced deh-rahsh' also called "Midrash," meaning "concept" or “interpretation”)
This is a teaching or exposition or application of the P'shat and/or Remez. (In some cases this could be considered comparable to a "sermon.") For instance, Biblical writers may take two or more unrelated verses and combine them to create a verse(s) with a third meaning.
There are three rules to consider when utilizing the d'rash interpretation of a text:
A drash understanding can not be used to strip a passage of its p'shat meaning, nor may any such understanding contradict the p'shat meaning of any other scripture passage. As the Talmud states, "No passage loses its p'shat."
Let scripture interpret scripture. Look for the scriptures themselves to define the components of an allegory.
The primary components of an allegory represent specific realities. We should limit ourselves to these primary components when understanding the text.
סוד - Sod (means "hidden"):
This understanding is the hidden, secret or mystic meaning of a text. Traditionally, the Sod is known as the Kabalistic understanding of the text. It is questionable whether or not this level should be taught to young students. Many different Jewish thinkers have different perspectives. In a world where our youth have access to many different spiritual traditions, keeping these ideas from them may be counter productive.
DESIGNING AGE APPROPRIATE LESSONS TO TEACH THE PARDES METHOD
One of the beautiful parts of teaching Pardes is that it begins with a story. The story is from the Babylonian Talmud Hagigah 14b: “The Rabbis taught: Four entered the Pardes. They were Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva said to them, ‘When you come to the place of pure marble stones, do not say, 'Water! Water!' for it is said, 'He who speaks untruths shall not stand before My eyes' (Psalms 101:7)’. Ben Azzai gazed and died. Regarding him the verse states, 'Precious in the eyes of God is the death of His pious ones' (Psalms 116:15). Ben Zoma gazed and was harmed. Regarding him the verse states, 'Did you find honey? Eat as only much as you need, lest you be overfilled and vomit it' (Proverbs 25:16). Acher cut down the plantings. Rabbi Akiva entered in peace and left in peace.”
It is clear from this story that there is much left to be understood through interpretation. The teacher should let the students try to figure out the best method for his/her class.
HEVRUTA LEARNING STYLE
Introduction
Hevruta (חברותא) is from the Aramaic word for “friendship” or “companionship”. This is the traditional method of Torah study kept alive by our people over the past three thousand years. The ideal Hevruta is where a pair of students independently learn, discuss and debate a shared text. This technique has numerous advantages such as personalized learning and the ability to remain constantly interactive.
The Hevruta has traditionally fulfilled a social as well as an educational need. So often the social component has been left out of the modern academic process which has resulted in students not knowing how to properly interact with their peers when discussing an intellectual idea. Unlike conventional classroom learning, in which a teacher lectures to the students and based upon memory the students have to repeat what was said in assessments, Hevruta learning challenges the student to analyze, synthesize and explain the material, point out the errors in his/her partner’s reasoning, and question and sharpen each other’s ideas, often arriving at entirely new insights in the text. Students learn how to develop thoughts into words and how to organize his/her thoughts into logical arguments.
Hevruta learning is an art that when practiced effectively gives a student the skill to learn at a much higher level. Most who become accustomed to Hevruta learning will find that they learn how to learn. If North Shore Hebrew School can give that one gift to our students, we will have succeeded monumentally. The student will always recall that they learned how to learn in a Jewish school.
Our wise Sages recognized that Hevruta learning would also help a student develop their rhetorical skills as well as their manners. In Ethics of the Fathers 5:7 it says: “The wise man does not… break into the words of another.” This shows that it is proper when having a conversation with someone to wait until the other person has completed all that they want to say and only then to challenge the statement. The student learns to be patient when trying to get their point across and to concede to the truth no matter where it comes from. Having to listen to, analyze and respond to another’s opinion also inculcates respect for others.
Rabbi Hama b. Hanina says,
“Just as a knife can be sharpened only on the side of another, so a student improves only through his חבר (learning partner).”
Genesis Rabbah 69:2
HOW HEVRUTA WILL BE USED IN THE NSHS CLASSROOMS
The Hevruta method takes time and practice. The first couple times students may not be in the right pair and they may need to switch. That is perfectly normal. What is also normal is for the students to not have a firm grasp on what they are supposed to do. That is why the text study and Hevruta questions have to be well prepared by the teacher. The teacher also can not be passive while the students are in Hevruta. S/he must go around the room to the different Hevrutas, asking them the questions, understanding and remembering the points that were raised. Later, the teacher should bring the whole class together for a discussion that revolves around the different points that the Hevrutot made. I recommend that the teacher carry around a small notepad and jot into it the name of the student and the point that was made. Examples for age appropriate Hevruta questions and texts can be found in Handelman’s Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs which will be explained on the next page and is included in every teacher’s curriculum binder.
Introduction
The Multi-Year Bnai Mitzvah Training Program is four years of preparation for a momentous beginning of a Jewish life that takes responsibility for תיקון עולם במלכות שדי (repairing the world in the realm of the Almighty). Such an undertaking begins with having the ability to lead prayer. By being able to lead parts of or all the prayer service, our students will exemplify what it means to be an educated Jew.
For the past two years of my work in congregational education, the best curriculum for prayer is Torah Aura’s Journeys Through the Siddur by Joel L. Grishaver. Not only is it based on Understanding by Design, the pedagogical theory of this curriculum, but it also has one of the most comprehensive programs adaptable to the learning styles of every student in the spirit of One Soul at a Time.
Each level of Torah Aura over the four years is defined by the same enduring understandings so that progression is natural. The three levels are based on the prayer services on Shabbat in a Conservative Synagogue:
1. Friday evening service
2. Saturday morning service
3. Torah Service
These levels are accompanied by class workbooks and home workbooks and one of the best teacher’s guides I have ever seen. When combined with the website: http://www.bb.torahaura.com, we are on solid ground. Teachers will be able to use a wide variety of resources online and discuss with their teachers around North America strategies for success.
Six Enduring Understandings of the Journeys Through the Siddur Curriculum
1. When we study “prayers” it is important that we also work on the “art of prayer”.
2. Stories form a window into the process of prayer.
3. Knowing and recognizing word-parts, roots, and other language elements evolves a strong connection to the liturgy.
4. There is a difference between “reading,” “sounding,” and “performing”. When it comes to learning how to pray, reading and performing are the most important skills.
5. Knowing the structure of the service helps students assemble individual prayers into a complete worship experience.
6. It is important to build patters of study and give students enduring study tools.
Each one of these six enduring understandings are explained in detail at the beginning of each of the Teacher’s Guides. A copy can also be found in the teacher curriculum/lesson plan binder. Carefully reading the enduring understandings and incorporating them into your lesson is vital for the success of this program. Success should be shown via the lesson plans as they develop week after week.
A useful tool in the Journeys Through the Siddur is that all the different components of the prayer service are split up into lesson plans. The teacher should strive to be creative and add to the material that has already been prepared. For an example, a tangent off of a theological idea raised by a specific prayer can lead into an exploration of a Judaic source.
PARDES פרד“ס METHOD FOR STUDYING TORAH
Introduction
The modern manner of interpreting Biblical text is commonly called exegesis. This method concerns itself mostly with the literary and grammatical context of Scripture verses. Pardes goes much deeper and sees that there is many "levels" of interpretation that must be taken into consideration. This was the method used to write and interpret Scripture by the authors themselves as well as the audience of their time and culture.
The four level of interpretation are called: פשט, רמז, דרש, and סוד. The first letter of each word P-R-D-S is taken, and vowels are added for pronunciation, giving the word PARDES (meaning "garden" or "orchard"). Each layer is deeper and more intense than the last, like the layers of an onion.
פשט- P'shat (pronounced peh-shaht' - meaning "simple")
The p'shat is the plain, simple meaning of the text. The understanding of scripture in its natural, normal sense using the customary meanings of the word’s being used, literary style, historical and cultural setting, and context. The p'shat is the keystone of Scripture understanding. If we discard the p'shat we lose any real chance of an accurate understanding and we are no longer objectively deriving meaning from the Scriptures (exegesis), but subjectively reading meaning into the scriptures (eisogesis). The Talmud states that no passage loses its p'shat:
Talmud Shabbat 63a - Rabbi Kahana objected to Mar son of Rabbi Huna: But this refers to the words of the Torah? A verse cannot depart from its plain meaning, he replied.
Note that within the p'shat you can find several types of language, including figurative, symbolic and allegorical. The following generic guidelines can be used to determine if a passage is figurative and therefore figurative even in its p'shat:
When an inanimate object is used to describe a living being, the statement is figurative. Example: Isaiah 5:7 - For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
When an expression is out of character with the thing described, the statement is figurative. Example: Psalm 17:8 - Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of your wings ...
רמז—Remez (pronounced reh-mez' - meaning "hint" or “allegory”)
This is where another (implied) meaning is alluded to in the text, usually revealing a deeper meaning. There may still be a p'shat meaning as well as another meaning as any verse can have multiple levels of meaning. An example of implied remez: Proverbs 20:10 - Different weights, and different measures, both of them are alike an abomination to the Lord. The p'shat would be concerned with a merchant using the same scale to weigh goods for all of his customers. The remez implies that this goes beyond this into aspects of fairness and honesty in anyone's life.
דרש- D’rash (pronounced deh-rahsh' also called "Midrash," meaning "concept" or “interpretation”)
This is a teaching or exposition or application of the P'shat and/or Remez. (In some cases this could be considered comparable to a "sermon.") For instance, Biblical writers may take two or more unrelated verses and combine them to create a verse(s) with a third meaning.
There are three rules to consider when utilizing the d'rash interpretation of a text:
A drash understanding can not be used to strip a passage of its p'shat meaning, nor may any such understanding contradict the p'shat meaning of any other scripture passage. As the Talmud states, "No passage loses its p'shat."
Let scripture interpret scripture. Look for the scriptures themselves to define the components of an allegory.
The primary components of an allegory represent specific realities. We should limit ourselves to these primary components when understanding the text.
סוד - Sod (means "hidden"):
This understanding is the hidden, secret or mystic meaning of a text. Traditionally, the Sod is known as the Kabalistic understanding of the text. It is questionable whether or not this level should be taught to young students. Many different Jewish thinkers have different perspectives. In a world where our youth have access to many different spiritual traditions, keeping these ideas from them may be counter productive.
DESIGNING AGE APPROPRIATE LESSONS TO TEACH THE PARDES METHOD
One of the beautiful parts of teaching Pardes is that it begins with a story. The story is from the Babylonian Talmud Hagigah 14b: “The Rabbis taught: Four entered the Pardes. They were Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva said to them, ‘When you come to the place of pure marble stones, do not say, 'Water! Water!' for it is said, 'He who speaks untruths shall not stand before My eyes' (Psalms 101:7)’. Ben Azzai gazed and died. Regarding him the verse states, 'Precious in the eyes of God is the death of His pious ones' (Psalms 116:15). Ben Zoma gazed and was harmed. Regarding him the verse states, 'Did you find honey? Eat as only much as you need, lest you be overfilled and vomit it' (Proverbs 25:16). Acher cut down the plantings. Rabbi Akiva entered in peace and left in peace.”
It is clear from this story that there is much left to be understood through interpretation. The teacher should let the students try to figure out the best method for his/her class.
HEVRUTA LEARNING STYLE
Introduction
Hevruta (חברותא) is from the Aramaic word for “friendship” or “companionship”. This is the traditional method of Torah study kept alive by our people over the past three thousand years. The ideal Hevruta is where a pair of students independently learn, discuss and debate a shared text. This technique has numerous advantages such as personalized learning and the ability to remain constantly interactive.
The Hevruta has traditionally fulfilled a social as well as an educational need. So often the social component has been left out of the modern academic process which has resulted in students not knowing how to properly interact with their peers when discussing an intellectual idea. Unlike conventional classroom learning, in which a teacher lectures to the students and based upon memory the students have to repeat what was said in assessments, Hevruta learning challenges the student to analyze, synthesize and explain the material, point out the errors in his/her partner’s reasoning, and question and sharpen each other’s ideas, often arriving at entirely new insights in the text. Students learn how to develop thoughts into words and how to organize his/her thoughts into logical arguments.
Hevruta learning is an art that when practiced effectively gives a student the skill to learn at a much higher level. Most who become accustomed to Hevruta learning will find that they learn how to learn. If North Shore Hebrew School can give that one gift to our students, we will have succeeded monumentally. The student will always recall that they learned how to learn in a Jewish school.
Our wise Sages recognized that Hevruta learning would also help a student develop their rhetorical skills as well as their manners. In Ethics of the Fathers 5:7 it says: “The wise man does not… break into the words of another.” This shows that it is proper when having a conversation with someone to wait until the other person has completed all that they want to say and only then to challenge the statement. The student learns to be patient when trying to get their point across and to concede to the truth no matter where it comes from. Having to listen to, analyze and respond to another’s opinion also inculcates respect for others.
Rabbi Hama b. Hanina says,
“Just as a knife can be sharpened only on the side of another, so a student improves only through his חבר (learning partner).”
Genesis Rabbah 69:2
HOW HEVRUTA WILL BE USED IN THE NSHS CLASSROOMS
The Hevruta method takes time and practice. The first couple times students may not be in the right pair and they may need to switch. That is perfectly normal. What is also normal is for the students to not have a firm grasp on what they are supposed to do. That is why the text study and Hevruta questions have to be well prepared by the teacher. The teacher also can not be passive while the students are in Hevruta. S/he must go around the room to the different Hevrutas, asking them the questions, understanding and remembering the points that were raised. Later, the teacher should bring the whole class together for a discussion that revolves around the different points that the Hevrutot made. I recommend that the teacher carry around a small notepad and jot into it the name of the student and the point that was made. Examples for age appropriate Hevruta questions and texts can be found in Handelman’s Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs which will be explained on the next page and is included in every teacher’s curriculum binder.