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One
of the primary goals of the Judaic Studies Program is to have students
internalize the teaching of the Torah. All teachers utilize their daily
lessons to facilitate, in students, the skills necessary to live as a
Torah Jew.
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The teaching of Chumash (The Five Books of Moses) begins in our Early Childhood Department with the study of Parshas Hashavua (the
“Portion of the Week”). Students in all grades review the weekly
portion through animated discussions, question sets, and arts and
crafts.
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Beginning in the middle of first grade, Chumash is taught using the actual biblical text and in third grade, Rashi (the respected commentator of the Chumash ) script is introduced. In grades three and four, Rashi
is a significant component of instruction and, while involved in Hebrew
language instruction, we simultaneously focus on developing students’
critical thinking skills through focus on Rashi ’s questions.
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With Naviim
(Prophets), we focus mostly on the story line and stress understanding.
The goal is to finish one book of Prophets each year. The study of Navi begins in grade four.
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The teaching of Dinim (Laws) and Chagim
(Holidays) offer our students a very special way to appreciate our
Jewish holidays. The units of study are repeated in all grade levels
with new units being added in every grade. Every chag (holiday) is usually accompanied by a project, assembly, or other supporting activities and programs.
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Mishna (explanations and commentaries related to the Oral Law) is introduced to our students in grade five as an elective, and the Talmud (the
Oral Law) in grades five and six as an elective, in grades seven and
eight as an elective for girls and a requirement for boys. The focus in
our Mishna and Talmud classes is to bring the students
to a level of application by using modern day examples. We also focus
on reading fluency and comprehension. With these goals in mind,
students use Talmudic reasoning and Machlokes (arguments) to
discuss the laws as they were argued by the rabbis. Modern research has
verified that this age-old practice of developing critical thinking
skills further enhances students’ learning.
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In all Torah Studies activities, there is a good deal of emphasis on the
integration of learning with components of the General Studies curriculum,
particularly in grades one through four.
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