Kindergarten  Shabbat and holidays, structure and personnel of the synagogue, the concept of tzedakkah (sharing our material goods and ourselves with others in the US and Israel), simple Hebrew vocabulary introduced through prayers, games, songs, and stories.

Grade 1  Continuation of themes begun in Kindergarten, plus the early Torah stories from Creation through Noah. Special reading program for children and parents – S.T.A.R., Sitting Together And Reading.

Grade 2  Torah stories from Abraham through Moses, focusing on themes and principles central to Judaism and how these can play an integral part in the child’s daily life. Hebrew reading readiness with a workbook and classroom activities.

Grade 3  Continuing the Biblical narrative with stories from the Book of Judges and the settling of the land of Israel, stories of the first great kings of Israel – Saul, David, Solomon - and the period of the Prophets. Attendance at the Community Hebrew School begins in this grade; to complement their Hebrew studies, we use a series of booklets each of which uses a Hebrew letter to introduce the Hebrew word for a particular ethical concept. In recognition of their entry into Hebrew School, each 3rd grader receives a copy of Sim Shalom, our siddur (prayerbook) at a special ceremony at a Shabbat service.

Grade 4  Modern Jewish history, beginning in the 1400’s and the Golden Age of Spain. By studying the lives of Jewish heroes, students learn about Jewish life in Eastern and Western Europe, the growth of major movements such as Hasidism, the enlightenment, and Zionism, and the birth of the Modern state of Israel. This grade also studies the Jewish calendar, the luach, checking the Hebrew date, the phase of the moon, and when our holidays occur.

Grade 5  Re-visiting the Torah by studying passages in depth and exploring at a more mature level the history, problems, laws, and ethics from Abraham through Sinai. Through discussions, games, and acting, students build bridges from the ancient text to their own lives. The class demonstrates its Hebrew and prayer proficiency by helping lead a Friday evening service.

Grade 6  Building on the 5th grade’s study of Torah, the development of Jewish law through the Sages (Jewish teachers of the 1st and 2nd centuries of the Common Era) and the Mishnah, the written commentaries transcribed by the Sages from the Oral Law. Studied in English from a creative workbook which brings the Mishnah on Damages (Bavva Kamma) to contemporary preteens in a lively, relevant form. Preparation for Bar/Bat Mitzvah begins with students and parents studying together with the Rabbi the meaning of Bar/Bat Mitzvah, using Melton Windows materials.