Our Hebrew Curriculum
OnwardHebrew is a grassroots initiative spearheaded by Jewish education directors motivated to address the challenges of Hebrew learning in their part-time/congregational programs. Based on the research and best practices promoted by Onward Hebrew, we at Yavneh are adapting our Hebrew program for better alignment with the four elements rooted in the sound-to-print philosophy.
Hebrew Through Movement - Hebrew Through Movement (HTM) is a language acquisition strategy in which students learn Hebrew by hearing and responding to Hebrew commands. HTM introduces Hebrew in a playful and meaningful way, creating a positive first link between children and Hebrew. HTM is supported by the latest brain research on learning, providing an aural foundation for Hebrew that opens the door to more facile Hebrew decoding and reading. There is a defined structure to each session - a warm-up, introduction of three new words, and integration of new words with previously learned vocabulary. We have recently expanded HTM so that every student in PreK 3-6th grade will participate in the program 15-20 minutes each week in small class groups.
Jewish Life Vocabulary - Jewish Life Vocabulary are Hebrew words or phrases that increase one’s connections to Jewish people, traditions, culture and life. JLV includes concepts (tikkun olam), objects (huppah) and greetings (shavu-a tov), woven quite naturally into English sentences. Much like at a summer camp or in a family, these words create a community vocabulary that tightens bonds within the community through language. Additionally, these vocabulary words and used to reinforce Hebrew letters in every age group through the "Hebrew Letter of the Week."
T'fillah - Regular T’fillah, prayer, in Hebrew is one of the most powerful components for developing sound-to-print proficiency. Those familiar with the songs/chants of prayers are able to match what is in their heads with the print on the page. You can imagine a preschooler who can “read” their favorite storybook because they have memorized the story. As that child learns letters, they then connect the letters to the sounds of words they already know that contain those letters. Even the fastest decoder can’t sound out words fast enough to participate in services, students have to already know the words and then use the letters as cues for precision. Through Mini Minyan, students will have opportunities for prayer with Rabbi Hannah, Miss Ariel, our musician in residence, and Lev DePaolo, our Rabbinic Intern. Additionally, 3rd-6th graders will engage in T'fillah Workshop. These lessons, embedded in their classroom experience, will offer students the opportunity to delve into the meaning of prayers, learn history and rituals surrounding different prayers, and ask questions to make their own meaning of our tradition and explore their own spirituality. If T’fillah gives students the opportunity to practice praying, T’fillah Workshop, gives students the opportunity to become pray-ers.
Hebrew Heroes - Children learn to read their native language fluently because they have spent years learning thousands of words, can match letters with their sounds and have what is called “phonemic awareness” - the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. For typically developing children, at around age seven, words in their native tongue no longer have to be decoded syllable-by-syllable; “magically” they become mapped in the brain for immediate retrieval. In part-time synagogue settings, we cannot bring our learners to that level, but we can honor the sound-to-print principles that support greater fluency. Each student in fifth and sixth grade will learn with a one-on-one Hebrew tutor. We suspect that with this individualized instruction, students will spend less time relearning due to missed sessions or waiting for classmates to be caught up and thus learning will go much faster. So even though we are introducing decoding a year later, students will pick up Hebrew much faster, allowing them to make more progress in less time. Families will have the option to sign up for in-person or Zoom tutoring at a time that is convenient for their family.
Our Jewish Life and Living Curriculum
The Yavneh program is focused on creating opportunities for kids to explore Jewish traditions to understand the role Judaism can play in their lives today and in the future. Every class will spend time connecting to Jewish holidays as they occur. Our program has a strong community-building element with intentional bonding moments built in throughout the day. Each grade has a theme they follow over the course of the school year:
PreK 3 - Our youngest students will engage in play-based learning activities that allow them to explore themes of Jewish holidays, symbols and values. Teachers will focus on creating a loving environment where children will form a classroom community with each other as part of a larger whole school community.
PreK 4 - The overarching value for our PreK 4 classes is Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh BaZeh - All Israel is responsible for each other. They will touch on each Jewish holiday through the lens of this value as well as the Jewish values of Hakarat Hatov, recognizing the good, Shmirat HaNefesh, caring for ourselves and Hachnasat Orchim, welcoming guests.
Kindergarten - Students will delve into the Jewish value V'Ahavta l'reicha c'mocha, Love Your Neighbor As Yourself. They will touch on each Jewish holiday through the lens of this value. They'll also apply the value to Bikur Cholim, visiting the sick, Tzedaka, righteous giving, gratitude and love for Jewish books.
First Grade - Our class will use the stories of Genesis and Exodus to explore how families treat each other. Through dramatic retelling and exploration of these stories, students will learn more about how to build healthy relationships. Holidays will be encountered through the Biblical text that are connected to them.
Second Grade - Pack your suitcases! Second grade is taking an imaginary trip to Israel. They will "visit" important sights, learn about Israel's unique geography, meet Israelis from all walks of life and immerse in Israeli culture. Students will explore Israeli holiday traditions that may be similar to or different from how they celebrate at home.
Third Grade - In popular culture, all Jews are Yiddish speaking, white people from New York but our third graders will be introduced to Jewish communities around the world and right here at home. Students will explore their own family's Jewish story and think about what it means to them to be a link in the chain of Jewish history.
Fourth Grade - Judaism is a tradition grounded in values. During this year, fourth grade students will explore biblical stories that exemplify the values of Talmud Torah - Learning the Text of our Tradition, Ometz Lev - Courage, Tzedek - Justice, Emet - Truth and Emunah - Faith. For each value, students will create an artifact that will serve as a reminder of that value and how they can express it in their own lives.
Fifth Grade - Judaism uses ritual to mark the major transitions an individual will face in their lifetime. Throughout this year of learning students will study the patterns and commonalities built into each lifecycle moment - action, food, words, objects. In coming to learn about each transition, students will gain the ability to craft their own lifecycle moments that may not be traditionally recognized in Judaism but for which they want to create a ceremony.
Sixth Grade - Our sixth grade program has several distinct units. Students will begin by learning about the Holocaust. Using the Facing History and Ourselves curriculum, students will focus on inspiring stories of survival, understanding the roots of hatred and devoting themselves to being upstanders. This unit will culminate in a trip to the US Holocaust Museum and Memorial for students and parents. In the middle of the year, will also explore Tikkun Olam, social justice both as an element in their B Mitzvah ceremonies and as a group project in Yavneh, learning how to choose causes and identify our unique abilities to impact issues we care about. Then students will delve into theology using multiple modalities such as art, music and poetry to examine Jewish conceptions of God. Through the unit, students will weave their personal narrative about God. Finally, our students will participate in the Moving Traditions B Mitzvah program, which will continue in seventh grade. This program prepares kids for the transition to adulthood that begins with their B Mitzvah ceremony. A key component of this program are three sessions that bring parents and kids together to foster some great conversations as you begin this journey.
Seventh Grade - Our seventh graders are on the cusp of celebrating their B Mitzvah and will meet for two hours about twice a month. The class features the second half of the Moving Traditions curriculum, which focuses on using the B Mitzvah ceremony as a lens for exploring what it means to be a teenager and introduces students to the Jewish perspectives on the transition to adulthood. Once again, parents and children will join together three times throughout the year to explore the move from childhood to adolescence and how the B Mitzvah process might open up dialogue around that transition.