Beth El Religious School Curricular Goals

Please note the following: 1. Where a curricular goal includes a concrete skill, assessment of a student’s acquisition of a particular skill will be by observation. 2. Intense and focused learning about a particular holiday will take place in specific grades; all and other dates of significance to our people will be recognized in a variety of ways throughout the school year as they occur. 3. A glossary of the various Hebrew terms referred to in these curricular goals immediately follows the curricular goals. 4. A listing of brachot used frequently in our school is located immediately after the glossary of Hebrew terms.

Kindergarten: Introduction to Doing Jewish Laying the Foundation Symbols, People Culture (Music, Art, Literature, Dance, Food)

Kindergarten By the completion of the school year, a kindergartener with regular attendance can be expected to:

1. Identify the following Jewish symbols and ritual items: magen david; menorah (and how it is distinguished from a chanukiyah); ner tamid; aron kodesh; sifrei ; megilat esther; keter; rimonim; varieties of candles and their use (Shabbat, Chanukah, havdalah, yahrtzeit, ); ; kittle; talit; ; case; hamsa 2. Identify the following synagogue people and their role(s): ; rabbi emeritus; cantor/chazzan; gabbai; educator 3. Explain the difference between a and text 4. Participate actively in tefillah through the singing of modeh/modah ani, mah tovu, sh’ma, oseh shalom, aleynu 5. Participate in a hora 6. Sing the alef-bet and be able to recognize at least half of the consonants by name and the sound they make 7. Understand simple Hebrew words or terms (b’vakasha, cain, lo, hinei, yeled, yaldah, yeladim, tov, tov m’od, yafeh) 8. Comply with simple Hebrew commands (lisgor et ha-delet; na lahshevet; na lakoom

First Grade: Skills for Living Jewish, Part One Why and How Home-based Holiday Observances Shabbat, Sukkot, Chanukah, and Pesach

First Grade By the completion of the school year, a first grader with regular attendance can be expected to:

1. Articulate the why and how of four home-based holiday observances: Shabbat, Sukkot, Chanukah, and Pesach 2. Recite the basic brachot for each of the four home-based holidays 3. Identify the commonly used ritual items associated with each of the four home-based holidays 4. Identify which of the holidays has a basis in Torah and which are commemoration of an historical event 5. Sing the alef-bet and identify each of the 22 consonants (both name and sound), 6 final letters and the sound of at least three vowels (kamatz, patach, segol, tzaray, holom, shuruk) 6. Understand the following Hebrew words and phrases: shemesh, yarayach, cochavim, boker tov, erev tov, lilah tov, yom, ha-shem sheli; ani b’seder; po/lo po

Second Grade: Skills for Living Jewish, Part Two Being a Part of a Community Outside-the-home Holiday Observances High Holy Days, Rosh Chodesh, Tu B’shevat, Purim, Shavuot, Tisha B’Av

Second Grade By the completion of the school year, a second grader with regular attendance can be expected to:

1. Articulate the why and how of four holidays that are generally observed as a community outside of the home setting: The High Holy Days, Rosh Chodesh, Tu B’Shevat, Purim, Shavuot, and Tisha B’Av 2. Recite the basic brachot associated with each of these special days. For example, the shofar blessings, layshev ba-sukkah, netilat lulav, etc. 3. Identify the commonly used ritual items associated with each of these celebrations 4. Identify which of these holidays has a basis in torah and which are a commemoration of an historical event 5. Decode simple Hebrew words 6. Understand the following Hebrew words and phrases: marak oaf, marak yarukim, salat, yerakot, payrote, basar, dag, baytzim, gevina, glidah, chalav, matok, misada, s’chin, kapit, mazleg, mapit, mayim, meetz, lechem

Third Grade: Values and Ethics We are Created B’tzelem Elohim. What Does it Mean to be Holy? The Holiness Code (parshat Kedoshim)

Third Grade By the completion of the school year, a third grader with regular attendance can be expected to:

1. Explain the concept of “B’tzelem Elohim” in an age-appropriate manner 2. Explain the concept of holy in an age-appropriate manner 3. Explain what the Holiness Code is and where it can be found 4. Explain how the Jewish calendar works and provide the date of their birthday on the Jewish calendar 5. Sound out a complete sentence in Hebrew (either with or without regard to understanding the word being read). Facility and speed of reading will depend upon the amount of oral practice of each student. 6. Understand a Hebrew vocabulary of up to 100 words. This will include both conversational Hebrew and commonly-found-in-a- words such as barukh, elohaynu, v’nomar, amen, asher, kidshanu, b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu 7. Read single-line brachot, the sh’ma v’ahavtah, and other tefillot found in their Hebrew text

Fourth Grade: Peoplehood Timeless Stories of the Jewish People Are We Jewish Americans or American ? What Makes us Conservative Jews? Conservative Jewish Practices , Jewish Birth Rituals

Fourth Grade By the completion of the school year, a fourth grader with regular attendance can be expected to:

1. Explain basic laws of kashrut (no mixture of meat and milk; kosher mammals have both cloven hooves and chew their cud; kosher fish have both scales and fins; kosher fowl is domesticated and not a bird of prey) 2. Describe the following three basic Jewish birth rituals: ; simchat bat; pidyon ha-ben 3. Distinguish between Torah text and midrash 4. Retell one of the timeless stories of the Jewish people and what that story teaches us. These stories might include Adam and Eve, Creation, Noah and the Flood, the Tower of Babel, the Akeidah, the Exodus of the , the Receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, The Golden Calf, etc. 5. Describe a minimum of three aspects of practice or belief that indicate someone is a Conservative 6. Explain “egalitarian” words and actions as they apply to Conservative and practice 7. Read with fluency the basic tefillot found in the Shabbat morning Amidah. The level of fluency in the reading of Hebrew is affected by oral practice or lack thereof.

Fifth Grade: Jewish Texts How do Jews Decide What to do and How to do it? Conservative Jewish Practice—the Process of Deciding CLS (Conservative Committee on Law and Standards) Jewish Marriage and Divorce (including Mikvah tour) Questions and Issues of Intermarriage and Conversion for Marriage Trope

Fifth Grade By the completion of the school year, a fifth grader with regular attendance can be expected to:

1. Explain the process of making halacha out of 2. Explain what the CJLS is and does and why it exists 3. Describe what is involved in the Jewish rituals connected with marriage and divorce 4. Describe a and its use 5. Articulate the halachic issues in intermarriage and conversion 6. Read with fluency the basic tefillot found in the Shabbat Torah service. The level of fluency in the reading of the Hebrew is affected by oral practice or lack thereof. 7. Understand those rituals associated with a Torah service including, but not limited to, hagbah (the lifting of the Torah), gelilah (the dressing of the Torah), having an to the Torah (the privilege of blessing the Torah), the Kohane and Levi-reserved aliyot. 8. Demonstrate an initial level of skill with Torah trope

Sixth Grade: Becoming a Jewish Adult Eem ayn ani li, mee li? Avodah participation skills (talit, tefillin, aliyot, hagbah, gelilah) Ethics and Mitzvot Trope

Sixth Grade By the completion of the school year, a sixth grader with regular attendance can be expected to:

1. List major Sifrei Kodesh (Jewish texts) and what each contains. These texts may include but not be limited to Torah, , , Gemora, , Midrash, and Megillot 2. Articulate the major components of kashrut 3. Articulate the textual basis for kashrut 4. Articulate the Jewish approach to bikkur cholim (visiting the sick) 5. Articulate the Jewish approach to friendship 6. Explain the privileges and responsibilities of becoming a Jewish adult 7. Demonstrate the skills of putting on a talit, tying , and putting on tefillin 8. Demonstrate an increased comfort with the skills of hagbah, gelilah, and having an aliyah to the Torah 9. Describe and differentiate those elements of the bar/bat mitzvah rituals which are long- standing and which are congregational or movement 10. Express in simple, conversational Hebrew their name, where they are from, their age and grade in school, the date, basic weather (sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowing, etc) 11. Elicit the following information using simple conversational Hebrew: the nearest restroom, how much something costs, where there is a restaurant nearby 12. Express the following using simple conversational Hebrew: I am hurt and need a doctor; I am fine; I am lost; I am hungry, I am thirsty

Seventh Grade: Being a Jewish Adult Tzedek tzedek tirdof Ethical Dilemmas Mishnah and Responsa (situational ethics and ‘sh-aylot’) Jewish end-of-life customs and rituals

Seventh Grade By the completion of the school year, a seventh grader with regular attendance can be expected to:

1. Demonstrate a clear understanding that and becoming an educated Jew is a life-long process 2. Demonstrate a clear understanding of both the rights and responsibilities in obtaining the status of adult Jew 3. Demonstrate complete comfort with the following skills: tying tzitzit, putting on talit, putting on tefillin, doing hagbah (when physically possible), doing gelilah, having an aliyah to the Torah 4. Define or explain the following terms which are all related to Jewish end-of-life rituals using age-appropriate language: anninut, avel, chevra kaddisha, yatom, kosher casket, kriah, matzeyvah, onen, sheloshim, shiva, shomer/shomrim, shrouds, yahrtzeit, yizkor 5. Describe in some detail how one goes about making a shiva call 6. Define or explain various minhagim (customs) related to Jewish end-of-life rituals. These minhagim may include: lighting the shiva candle, covering mirrors, meal of consolation, not shaving, and sitting on low chairs 7. Recite as well as respond to the kaddish yatom

8. Read yizkor prayers 9. Read ‘El Mole Rachamim’ 10. Explain how one observes the anniversary of the passing of a loved one for whom one is obligated to recite kaddish

Eighth & Ninth Grades: Anti-Semitism Holocaust Individual Choices during the Holocaust Social activism History of the Modern state of Israel Israel Advocacy

Eighth and Ninth Grades

There is a two year curriculum in which students learn the history of the modern state of Israel and the history of the Holocaust alternating years. A student with regular attendance over a two year period can be expected to:

Israel Curriculum Goals

1. Define and give examples of anti-Semitism 2. Define and express its significance to you. 3. Articulate the connection of the Jewish people to the . 4. Analyze primary historical documents 5. Express the legal, international, and pioneering rights of the Jewish people to create a state in the land of Israel 6. Understand the rise of Arab nationalism and how modern Arab nation states were created 7. Describe the problems between Arabs and Jews during the British Mandate period. 8. Understand the impact that the British white papers had on Jews trying to flee Europe during the Holocaust 9. Articulate the significance of the UN Partition of Palestine 10. Understand the roots of the Palestinian and Jewish refugee problems. 11. List the key provisions in the Israel’s Declaration of Independence 12. Have a general understanding of Israel’s wars for survival 13. Have the enduring understanding that Israel has the right to defend itself. 14. Explain that Arab terrorism began before the Six Day War and before Israel occupied the disputed territories. 15. Describe the significance of the Six Day war 16. List key provisions in the UN Resolution 242 17. List Israel’s efforts to trade land for peace with her Arab neighbors. 18. List the major concessions Israel offered the Palestinians at the Camp David Accords 19. Analyze anti-Israel media 20. Respond to anti-Israel messages 21. List some of Israel’s accomplishments 22. Use historical context to explain issues in the Middle East today 23. Appreciate Israeli culture 24. Participate in the new Jewish holidays of Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaout

Holocaust Curriculum Goals

1. Identify the roots of anti-Semitism 2. Describe classic anti-Semitic myths 3. Create an identity chart and define what means to you 4. Define the following terms: racism, prejudice discrimination, and persecution 5. Describe the origin of the words genocide, Holocaust, and Shoah 6. Identify the key provisions of the Versaille Treaty and its impact in Germany 7. Describe the economic conditions in Germany during the 1920’s that led to the rise of Nazi party 8. Examine the Nazi party platform and the key provisions of the constitution of the Weimar Republic 9. List the steps that led Germany from a democracy to a dictatorship in thirteen years 10. Identify groups of people who are outside a nation’s universe of obligation and explain how this makes these groups vulnerable 11. List anti-Jewish laws enacted when Hitler came to power and the impact of these laws on Jews 12. Acquire the enduring understanding that the Holocaust began with a series of small steps that went unchallenged that at first separated Jews psychologically and then physically from the rest of society and laid the groundwork for genocide 13. Analyze propaganda by thinking critically about who created the message, its purpose, and its intended audience 14. Analyze the choices individuals made during the Holocaust and determine if they were perpetrators, bystanders, or upstanders 15. Describe what happened during Kristallnacht, and its impact on the lives of Jews, and the lack of world reaction 16. Describe the failed efforts to solve the Jewish refugee problems. (ie Evian Conference, The St. Louis, and the British White papers) 17. Retell the stories of local survivors 18. Describe how Nazi policies were implemented in other European countries during German occupation 19. Describe the difficulties of going into hiding for Jews and for the righteous gentiles that hid them 20. Describe the conditions in a ghetto 21. Explain what the Final Solution was 22. Describe the process of the deportation of Jews to concentration camps 23. Describe what happened to Jews when they arrived in the concentration camps 24. List examples of spiritual and physical resistance to the Nazis 25. Identify individuals and groups that rescued Jews 26. Participate in Yom HaShoah events 27. Acquire the enduring understanding of the need to confront anti-Semitism and genocide whenever it occurs 28. Acquire the enduring understanding that what you do as individual matters