Curriculum: Judaic Studies
Jewish Values, Jewish Life
East Valley JCC Day School students study Jewish values and traditions that guide our actions and promote social justice. Judaism is viewed as a way of life and students are encouraged to express their Jewish identity joyously and knowledgeably. Jewish holidays and traditions are celebrated to nurture spiritual life and to connect Jewish history with the cycle of nature.
Hebrew is taught as a living language that unites Jewish experience everywhere and serves as a bridge to the authentic learning of Jewish sources.
Areas of Learning
- Hebrew Language, Chumash (Bible Study), Jewish Identity, Holidays & Holy Days, T'fillah (Prayer) Israel, Jewish History.
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First Grade Learner Outcome
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Second Grade Learner Outcome
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Third Grade Learner Outcome
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*Exposure to weekly Torah portion: Focus on specific stories or concepts within each portion. Connect stories to personal experiences and global events. *Learn historical background and meaning of holidays. *Familiarity with customs, rituals and blessings associated with each holiday. *Learn and sing songs associated with each holiday. *Familiarity with customs, rituals and blessings associated with Erev Shabbat |
*Discover the values embedded in the weekly Torah portion. *Explore the ability we have to learn and grow through discovery of Biblical characters and their actions and lives. *Connect concepts in the Torah to personal experiences and global events. *Participate in discussions about concepts and ideas in the Torah. *Begin to develop tools for critical thinking and the ability to question. *Learn historical background and meaning of holidays. *Gain understanding of customs, rituals, and blessings associated with each holiday. *Learn and sing songs associated with each holiday. *Experience and learn meaning of the customs, rituals and blessings for Shabbat. |
*Find citations in original biblical text and identify "parashah." *Discover values embedded in text. *Connect the text to their own lives on a personal level. *Articulate knowledge of Shabbat and holiday rituals, songs and customs. *Demonstrate knowledge of Jewish calendar. *Prophets *Create students own Torah. |
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Fourth Grade Learner Outcome
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Fifth Grade Learner Outcome
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SixthGrade Learner Outcome
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| *Find citations in original biblical text and identify "pasuk," "perek," and "parashah."
*Discover values embedded in text. *Express their personal connection to text through writing. *Explore meaning in-depth of Shabbat and holiday rituals, songs *Demonstrate knowledge of Jewish calendar. *Lifecycles. |
*Develop an ability to think in abstract ways.
*Read the stories in the text to find meaning to their own personal lives and experiences. *Relate material from text to the holidays of Passover, Shavuot and Tu B'Shevat. *Examine holidays with an eye to their historical development and practical lessons for today. *Looking at the Jewish calendar and it's relationship to the lunar cycles and solar cycles. *Jewish History and the Holocaust |
*Learn to identify various commentators and work to understand different perspectives about the text.
*Relate Torah events and stories to other literature they have read. *Relate the stories in the Torah to everyday situations in their lives and events in the larger world. *Students will try to understand how the Torah applies to ethical situations in science and social studies. *Students will look at the creation of ritual and how ritual continues to develop. *Give Divrei Torah and Divrei Tefillah in group settings as well as develop public prayer skills. *Serve as leaders and skilled practitioners of Jewish ritual to other students. *Israel |