Our Core Curriculum
Several years ago we adopted the URJ’s CHAI CURRICULUM as the core of our educational programs. Each CHAI lessons follows a curriculum model known as "backward design", as outlined in the book Understanding by Design (UbD) by Wiggins and McTighe and published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). This approach ensures that student learning will go beyond the specific classroom activities and will reach a deeper enduring understanding, which will establish the basis for later Jewish learning and living.

This Judaics curriculum also follows a “spiral” formula.  Each grade level contains 27 classroom lessons in Torah (ethics), Avodah (prayer), and G'milut Chasdadim (act of loving kindness).  All lessons are developed to be age appropriate and help guide our students as they develop their own sense of Judaism. Each year our students receive a workbook which includes projects and reflective writing where they demonstrate their understanding of each lesson.

The goal of our Hebrew program is to develop an understanding and familiarity with the siddur (Hebrew prayer book). Our students learn more than the words in our siddur, they learn the meaning of our prayers and how to lead our community in worship.

For information on specific grades please see the descriptions below. Please follow the links to learn more about the individual family program, overnights, and retreats.

HaMakom Eight, Ninth, and Ten^th Grades

Our post B’nai Mitzvah program currently includes a program for our Eighth and Ninth Grade along with our Tenth Grade Confirmation classes.

Eight and Ninth Grade

The eight and ninth grade program meets on Tuesday nights 7:00-9:00 PM. The evening is divided into two 50 minutes sections with a 20 minute social break in between. The first session is the Kitah (core class) and during the second session the students choose elective classes.

This year we are starting a new interactive program for our eight grade program. The Kitah classes are based on the morning Elu D’varim (ten Mitzvot) prayer. This prayer comes from the Talmud and includes the Mitzvot of honoring parents, celebrating with a bride and groom, and consoling the bereaved. Each section includes Hebrew text, a site visit or guest speaker, and reflective journal writing.

The ninth grade program includes lively topics from the Talmud. Each week our students review and discuss a Jewish perspective on issues of social justice. Some topics include: What is the Jewish perspective on Civil Rights? What is a point of view on Jewish Religious Liberty?  And do I always have to agree with what Israel is doing?

The second session of the HaMakom evening is elective classes. In the past these have included: Jewish Art, The Ethics of Disney, and Modern Israeli music.