THIRD - FIFTH GRADE
The Youth Learning and Engagement Department offers a Lifnei: Homework Club Program for our midweek 4:00 PM 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 to 4:00pm. Lifnei participants will be able to complete homework assignments and socialize with peers. Participants will be supervised by a faculty member.
You may send in a snack with your student. Please note that we have students with severe airborne food allergies, please send in NUT FREE snacks.
As a reminder, this program is for students attending 4:00 PM Hebrew groups on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
There is a one time charge of $130.00 per student. Payments are non-refundable.
B’nai Mitzvah Preparation Update:
At Temple Emanu-El, parents receive a B'nai Mitzvah Questionnaire to complete allowing us to gather some information before assigning dates. This online questionnaire is emailed to you in May or June of the year your child turns 10. Our goal is to send out all b'nai mitzvah dates by the end of the summer of that same year.
THIRD GRADE
Our 3rd Grade meets on Sunday mornings from 8:45-10:45 am plus a 45 minute Hebrew small-group intensive one day during the week.
Their Sunday curriculum spirals around to stories and holidays to which they were exposed as 2nd Graders, but taking one step deeper, asking them to interact with the major themes and ethical issues for the first time. We ask them to consider how the stories have meaning and relevance to where they are right now. Finally, they begin to consider prayers as an act of meaning – when we say Shema, what are we affirming, and why are we affirming it? Our 3rd Grade question is “How can I own my Jewish learning?”
In 3rd Grade, our learners begin to decode Hebrew for the first time. Using letters and prayers with which they are already familiar, our intimate small group learning empowers them to be joyful, self-motivated readers.
Mid-week Class options are:
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
45 minutes at 4:00 or 5:00 PM
FOURTH GRADE
All of our 4th and 5th Graders will attend on Sundays AND a 45 minute Hebrew session on Tues, Wed OR Thurs. Students are placed by Hebrew level. 4th & 5th Grade students will be placed TOGETHER for Midweek Hebrew groups.
Our 4th and 5th Grade Midweek learners begin the year with reviewing a Hebrew practice packet, then they move on to using the Mishkan T’filah prayer packet we created here at Temple Emanu-El. This packet mirrors a typical B’nai Mitzvah service and prepares our students to navigate the service experience.
In 4th Grade in Judaics on Sundays, students see a direct relationship between being a member of a community and how that community shapes our lives as we move through the year, and the years. They explore the many subgroups of Jews and their practices, and deeply internalize the idea of being a community of praxis rather than one of belief. More than what do Jews believe, the driving question of the year is “What do Jews do?”
Our 4th Grade students on Sundays also learn with the Hebrew in Harmony prayer curriculum. Rooted in music, Hebrew in Harmony encourages students to create meaning from personal prayer and make emotional connections through communal prayer.
Mid-week Class Options are:
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
45 minutes at 4:00 or 5:00 PM
FIFTH GRADE
All of our 4th and 5th Graders will attend on Sundays AND a 45 minute Hebrew session on Tues, Wed OR Thurs. Students are placed by Hebrew level. 4th & 5th Grade students will be placed TOGETHER for Midweek Hebrew groups.
Our 4th and 5th Grade Midweek learners begin the year with reviewing a Hebrew practice packet, then they move on to using the Mishkan T’filah prayer packet we created here at Temple Emanu-El. This packet mirrors a typical B’nai Mitzvah service and prepares our students to navigate the service experience.
In 5th Grade Judaics on Sundays, students will explore how the Torah is our source for wisdom and justice, a guide for living an ethical life, and an inspiration for all times. Students will explore how a Torah is made, meet the rabbis whose commentaries make up the Talmud, and learn how our sacred texts define and enrich Jewish life. Then they will examine the influence of Jewish history on North American life today. Students will explore the themes of exile and return, and learn how the values and traditions that have defined our people for countless generations help us to understand our world today.
Our 5th Grade students on Sundays, work together to practice their Hebrew skills and prayer content.
Any new student entering Religious School in 5th grade or above without prior Hebrew instruction:
Is strongly encouraged to work with a private Hebrew tutor to ensure a smooth and successful transition into the Religious School program.
Will be eligible to receive a B’nai Mitzvah date after six months of regular attendance in Religious School and completion of Hebrew assessment, with input from the Director of Youth Learning and Engagement.