Across each year, learners engage with the cycle of Jewish holidays, building understanding of their stories, symbols, and rituals. Through this integrated approach, learners of all ages develop a clearer sense of the cyclical nature of the Jewish calendar year.
Lower School: Kindergarten – 2nd Grade
Kindergarten learners begin their Jewish journey through the foundational stories of Bereshit (Genesis), brought to life through storytelling, play, and creative projects. As they explore the days of creation, students build early text familiarity and narrative sequencing skills by retelling the story in their own words and artwork. These experiences lay the groundwork for understanding Torah as a source of meaning and shared story.
At the same time, students are introduced to Shabbat as a lived weekly practice. They develop core Jewish life skills such as recognizing Shabbat rituals, naming and using ritual objects, and participating in brachot (blessings). By connecting classroom learning to home practice, students begin to understand how Jewish life is experienced both in community and in their own families.
Alongside this learning, students build measurable Jewish life skills: reciting important blessings, identifying and using ritual objects, and actively participating in Shabbat and holiday experiences, including Havdalah. With increasing confidence, students begin to take on leadership roles in communal moments, practicing how to show up, contribute, and care for others in a Jewish setting.
Second graders explore how Jewish life is lived across different communities, with a focus on prayer, food, and global Jewish culture. Students develop concrete skills in synagogue life, including understanding the structure of a service, participating in communal prayer, and using ritual objects with intention and familiarity.
They also build practical Jewish life skills connected to daily living: saying food blessings, practicing handwashing rituals, and understanding the basics of kashrut. Through learning about Jewish communities around the world, students gain a clearer sense of Jewish diversity and shared identity. Torah study continues through specific stories found in Bereshit (the book of Genesis), helping students connect themes of belonging, migration, and community-building to their own lives.
Upper Elementary: 3rd – 5th Grade
Third graders explore how Jewish tradition helps us navigate life’s biggest moments. Through the study of lifecycle events, from birth through mourning, students are introduced to the concepts of halacha (Jewish law) and minhag (custom), and begin to understand how ritual creates meaning at different stages of life.
Students build practical Jewish life skills such as identifying lifecycle rituals, understanding their purpose, and participating appropriately in communal moments. In the second half of the year, learners expand their text study beyond Torah into Nevi’im and Ketuvim, developing skills in text navigation, character analysis, and connecting Jewish texts to holidays and lived experience. By year’s end, students can both explain and meaningfully engage with the rituals and texts that shape Jewish life.
Fourth graders step into the full cycle of the Jewish calendar, building a deeper understanding of how Jewish time is structured and lived. Students develop core Jewish life skills such as tracking the calendar, understanding erev (the start of holidays), and participating more independently in holiday rituals and blessings.
Through the study of the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) and its destruction, students explore how Jewish practice evolved over time, strengthening their ability to connect historical events to modern observance. Their learning culminates in a deep dive into Passover, where students gain fluency in the structure of the seder, the symbols of the holiday, and the storytelling of the Exodus, equipping them to actively and confidently participate in home and communal celebrations.
Fifth graders engage in a deep study of the book of Shemot (Exodus), exploring the foundational story of the Jewish people and the emergence of Jewish law, identity, and responsibility. Students analyze important figures like Moses, Miriam, and Nachshon, developing skills in interpretation, critical thinking, and ethical reflection.
Alongside text study, students build Jewish life skills related to leadership and participation: summarizing Torah narratives, engaging in group discussion, and drawing connections between ancient texts and contemporary values. Through hands-on projects and collaborative learning, students practice what it means to take initiative, wrestle with big ideas, and see themselves as part of an ongoing Jewish story.
Middle School: 6th – 8th Grade
Our sixth graders journey through the annals of Jewish world history. With a focus on both individual experiences and collective narratives, our curriculum unravels the tapestry of challenges, triumphs, and resilience that have defined the Jewish people across time. Through captivating stories, interactive discussions, and engaging projects, our young learners explore the dynamic interplay between history, culture, and identity. From ancient roots to modern-day complexities, our curriculum illuminates pivotal moments and the luminaries who shaped them. By encouraging critical thinking and empathy, we empower sixth graders to grasp the historical context that informs contemporary Jewish life, from Biblical times to the Holocaust to today, fostering a sense of responsibility to honor the past while forging a meaningful path forward.
Seventh graders engage deeply with Jewish thought and ethics as they prepare for b’nei mitzvah. Through the study of thinkers like Maimonides and frameworks like the eight levels of tzedakah, students develop the skills to think critically about responsibility, justice, and their role in community.
A central component of the year is the mitzvah project, where students apply their learning in real-world contexts. Our 7th graders build skills in project design, leadership, and reflective practice. Through both classical and modern texts, as well as creative expression, students learn to articulate their own Jewish identity and values, stepping into Jewish adulthood with both knowledge and agency.
Our eighth-graders will explore, wrestle with, and come to form their own understanding of the modern state of Israel and its meaning, significance, and place in our Jewish diasporic lives today. Students will explore the beginnings of Zionism, the history of the land, the birth of the modern state, and its complexities in our contemporary moment. Mid-year, our learners travel as a community to Israel to see and experience the actual state. They will walk in the footsteps of our ancestors, engage with the current geo-political situation, examine Israeli civil society, explore what it means to be Jewish in a Jewish state, take an up close look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, learn more of the Palestinian narrative, and immerse in the rich food and culture of the land.
