Tefillah: Prayer In the 'busy-ness' of everyday life, prayer gives us the opportunity for introspection. Our goal is for our students to attain a familiarity with both the mechanics and deeper messages of the prayers.
Kriah: Hebrew Reading Attaining the skill of Hebrew reading allows our students to connect to their Jewish identity through the Torah's original language (see below for Aleph champ hebrew reading program).
Chagim: Holidays Each holiday celebrates a unique story, a distinct message, along with special practices and rituals that bring the holiday alive. Our holiday curriculum synthesizes these three elements (story, deeper message, rituals/practices), bringing a relevance and joy to the Holiday.
Our Story: History The history of the Jewish nation is really the story of every individual Jew. Beginning from the Six Days of Creation and moving through time, the children explore the incredible journey of the Jewish people, and in effect, of themselves. Lessons are interactive, fascinating and relevant; children meet biblical and historical personalities and learn their stories —their challenges, their triumphs and their contributions. Children are inspired to add their link to the chain of Jewish history. Our students will attain an affection for our heritage and the uniqueness of our homeland Israel.
Mitzvot: Jewish Practice The Torah is filled with rituals and values that guide us toward living meaningful and productive lives, even, and perhaps especially, in contemporary times. At the heart of Jewish education is the understanding that our tradition is built on a G‑d given system of values and ethics. Through learning the Mitzvot, our students gain a deep appreciation for their relevance and meaning in the 21st century.
The Aleph Champion Program is an innovative, cutting edge reading system. Based on the martial arts motivational philosophy of color coded levels and testing, the program provides motivation and inspiration to Hebrew School students around the world.
Easily attainable levels and professional materials make Aleph Champ an incredible success. The Hebrew Alphabet as well as the vowels and word formations are divided into ten colored levels. The students start out as “White Aleph Champs”, working their way up the colors of the rainbow to become a “Black Aleph Champ”.
Games, flashcards, exciting workbooks and other materials are used to engage the students in Hebrew Reading Practice. When a new level is reached, students are rewarded with an Aleph Champ Medallion which they wear proudly.
One of the strongest elements of this program is that reading groups are organized by level rather than age, allowing motivated students to advance at their own pace. Students only move forward once they have fully mastered each level, ensuring a strong foundation in letters, vowels, and reading concepts. This approach allows every child to progress confidently, whether that means moving quickly through multiple levels or taking additional time to master each one.
All classes begin their day with Tefilla, adding more prayers each year. Classes will also take a break from their general curriculum around the time of the holidays to delve into the meaning of the holidays and appreciate their beauty.