A PROCESS TO ACQUIRE ENDURING KNOWLEDGE
Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day.
Impress them upon your children.
Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away,
when you lie down and when you get up.
Jewish Education Connection Framework of Learning
Seeing the World Through Jewish Eyes
The Goal—Connecting to a Universe of Jewish Dialogue
Year’s Theme–RESPECT-KAVOD
“To humiliate a person is tantamount to shedding blood” (Bava Metzia 58b-59a)
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” (Rabbi Hillel, Pirkei Avot 1:14).
“That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.” (Rabbi Hillel, Babylonian Talmud, tractate Shabbat 31a
. “Who is wise? One who learns from every man… Who is strong? One who overpowers his inclinations… Who is rich? One who is satisfied with his lot… Who is honorable? One who honors his fellows.” – Ben Zoma, Ethics of the Fathers, 4:1
“If you are not a better person tomorrow than you are today, what need have you for a tomorrow?” – Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
It is a mitzvah for every human to love each and everyone from Israel as he loves his own body. As it is written, “be-loving to your neighbor (as one) like yourself”, therefore one must sing his praises, and show concern for his financial well-being, as he would for his own well-being and as he would for his own honor. Anyone who aggrandizes himself at the expense of another person has no portion in the world to come. Maimonides
Jewish Education Connection
A Connection to Claim Our Sacred Heritage
A Connection to Excite, Encounter, Empower
Connecting the Major Concepts of Judaism’s Belief System:
(Riff on ROSENZWEIG’S STAR)
God– (From Monotheism to Maimonides)
Revelation– (From Creation to Conception)
Torah- (From Denotative to Connotative)
Covenant- (From Practice to Relationship)
(Riff on Buber)
Israel– (From Peoplehood to Land)
(Riff on Beck, Collective Jewish People)
Redemption-(From A Better World to Social Action)
In the context of Judaism as a Civilization
(riff on Kaplan)
Primary Grades
Goal: Being Jewish is Fun
Middle Grades
Goal: Being Jewish is Challenging
High School-Confirmation
Goal: Being Jewish is Responsibility
APPLYING CLASSIC SPIRAL AND LINEAR APPROACHES
Meeting time Sundays 9 am -12 noon
A Quadripartite One Day Towards Life’s Divine Journey
Prayer as a Connection to Spirituality—Mystery, Wonderment, Joy
9:00 A.M.—9:20 A.M.
The Rudiments of Prayer-A Teaching Service- Prayer Goals as a Liturgical Guide
Music as A Tapestry of Learning
Lead by Susan Sacks with Confirmation Class when possible
Resources:
Handouts, Screen
9:20 A.M.—10:00 A.M.
Hebrew as a Connection to Past/Present/Future
Decoding Our Heritage
K/1/2 – Connecting the Alphabet
Resources:
Shalom Alef Bet
Let’s Discover the Alef Bet
4/5 – Connecting the Alphabet to Prayers- Formal Intro to Prayer Goals
Resources:
Prayer Goal Packet
The New Siddur Program – Primer
Companion Siddur – Reform
6 – Connecting Prayer Goals as a Passport to the World Jewish Community.
Reinforcing Basic Reading
Prayer as Path to Spirituality beginning with Appreciation/Gratitude
Resources:
The New Siddur Program – Primer
10:00 A.M.—10:40 A.M.
Ritual as a Connection to Evoke Our Better Selves
The Jewish Experiences in Sacred Time that evokes Meaning in our Lives
Holidays, Life Cycle
Questions answered: When? Why? What?
K/1/2 – Simple Understanding through Experiential Learning
Resources:
Let’s Discover the Bible Set
Multi-Media
4/5 – Simple Meaning of the Experimental Learning
Resources:
Pass The Torah, Please
Explorer’s Bible, Vol 2: From Sinai to the Nation of Israel
Make, Create, Celebrate: Jewish Holidays Through Art
The Great Israel Scavenger Hunt
6 – Experiential Learning as a Path to Change
Resources:
Make, Create, Celebrate: Jewish Holidays Through Art
The Prophets: Speaking Out for Justice
Multi-Media
7/8/9/10 – The Inner Dynamics of Ritual as Pathway to Meaning
Resources:
Did Moses Really Have Horns? And Other Myths About Jews and Judaism
Taste of Text, A: An Introduction to Talmud and Midrash
Original and primary sources
10:40 A.M.—11:20 A.M.
Jewish Geography/History as a Connection to Identity
K/1/2 – Geography of our Houses, Geography of the Synagogue, Geography of our Neighborhoods
Resources:
Let’s Explore Being Jewish
What is a: Menorah, Ark, Torah, Mezuzah (our homes as sacred places), Sacred Space
4/5 – Jewish Geography of our Country, Geography of the Jewish world
Resources:
The Great Israel Scavenger Hunt
6 – Geography of the Geo-Political World (Israel in Context)
11:20 A.M.—12:00 P.M.
Music – A Connection to our Culture/Civilization
ENHANCEMENTS
Once per Month Shabbat Learning
PACT—Parents and Children Together: Parents, Students, Engagement
