My Connection to the Jewish World
Goals – Students will:
- become aware of the core vocabulary and practices associated with the major Jewish holidays.
- begin to recite appropriate Hebrew blessings associated with food and holidays.
- have the opportunity to explore their questions about God by discovering God’s presence in their everyday experiences.
- begin to understand the importance of Jerusalem for the Jewish people.
- be able to identify special sites and symbols of Jerusalem.
- begin to develop Hebrew reading readiness skills by learning to recognize the aleph-bet (the Hebrew alphabet).
- become familiar with selected Bible stories: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Esau
Topics:
- Celebrations, symbols, rituals, and customs surrounding the holidays.
- Finding God through our everyday experiences.
- Jerusalem as a special place for the Jewish people.
- Introduction to the letters of the alef-bet and expanded Hebrew holiday and classroom vocabulary.
- The Parent Connection reading program (a family/home component in first grade).
- Selected Bible stories: Joseph and His Brothers, Moses
Consecration
First grade (and second/third graders who are new to our school) are consecrated in the fall. The ceremony celebrates the child's entry into Jewish education. Each child receives a miniature Torah that has been specially decorated by his/her parents.
