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Religious
School
Phone:
941-922-9322
Fax: 941-925-2455
E-mail:
Office@Templesinai-sarasota.org
Rachel
Keren, Director of Youth Education
School
Hours:
Kindergarten through
Second Grade: Sunday 9:00 -
11:45 a.m.
Third through fifth Grade:
Sunday 9:00 - 11:45 a.m.
Wednesday 4:45
– 6:15 p.m.
Sixth
Grade: Sunday 9:00-11:45 a.m.
Tuesday
6:15
– 7:45 p.m.
(bring your own dinner, we supply drinks and
dessert)
Seventh
through Tenth Grade:
Tuesday
6:15- 7:45 p.m.
(bring
your own dinner, we supply drinks and dessert)
Mission Statement
Temple
Sinai Religious School strives to promote the development of a
positive Jewish identity by providing students the opportunity
to acquire knowledge of Jewish culture, learn Jewish ethics and
values, and gain familiarity with ritual and liturgy in the
context of Reform Judaism.
This is accomplished in a supportive environment that
enables students to understand how Reform Judaism is relevant to
their lives today and by encouraging meaningful relationships
with teachers, staff, spiritual leaders, family, peers and the
broader Jewish Community. Students will gain a basic understanding of Jewish history
and feel a connection with the state of Israel and world Jewry.
Religious School Curriculum
Kindergarten:
We
build on our youngest students’ natural curiosity about the
world by introducing them to the world of Judaism.
We accomplish this by helping them explore their personal
and communal Jewish worlds. An introduction to Hebrew letters
and sounds is a highlight each session. Lesson blocks include: My
Jewish Family & Home, My
Temple Family, My
Synagogue, Our Jewish Book (Torah), Our
Jewish Homeland (Israel),
Bible Stories, Our Jewish Language (Hebrew) and Our Jewish
Celebrations. The
Parent/Student program “Torah-thon” brings parents and
students together to learn about Torah.
First Grade:
This
is the ideal time to explore relationships with our students by
studying Tzedakah and Mitzvot. At this stage,
we hope that our students will begin to appreciate the richness
of Judaism as they learn what Judaism teaches us about our
relationship with God, each other and the rest of creation.
Also, the cycles of Jewish life - holidays and events -
are taught, along with the highlight of every week, Shabbat.
The Alef Bet is reinforced by continuing their study of
the letters. The Parent/Student Program “Bringing The Angels To
Bedtime” brings parents and students together to learn Jewish
bedtime rituals.
Second Grade:
In
the second grade, we capture our students’ imaginations by
bringing the Torah to life through the study of Bible stories,
which introduce them to the beginnings of the Jewish People.
Today’s Israel is also taught, so that our children appreciate our
ongoing connection to the land of our ancestors. A special unit on the Ten Commandments serves to complement
the Torah study, as well as to formally introduce the study and
practice of ethical values.
Hebrew readiness is further developed in preparation for
the following year’s more formal instruction. A Siddur
family program will give the parents and students the
opportunity to learn about the Hebrew Program. This includes the
making of a personalized siddur
cover, which the student will design.
Third Grade:
Our
third graders are ready to delve deeper into their religious
studies and to begin asking more profound questions about their
world. We continue our study of Jewish history, building upon what
has already been learned about the Torah times.
Special emphasis is placed upon the Prophets and how
their messages relate to their time and to our own.
At this age, we also begin taking the students into the
community so that they may begin to act on the Jewish values
they have been learning. The holiday of Shabbat
is the special Parent/Student Program.
Fourth Grade:
Our
fourth graders are entering a new phase of learning and
understanding. At
this age, we are able to begin seriously exploring with them
their relationships with God and how these relationships are
traditionally expressed through mitzvot
and the celebration of Shabbat.
In addition, they continue their study of Jewish history
and enjoy a special unit on Florida and Sarasota Jewish history.
Havdalah, the
conclusion of Shabbat, is
the special Parent/Student Program.
Fifth Grade:
Fifth
graders are becoming more aware of themselves and how they
relate to their peers. During
this year, Torah study focuses on what our tradition tells us
about personal relationships and students are encouraged to
uncover new insights as they explore traditional and
contemporary genres of Jewish literature and compose their own
original commentaries. Our fifth graders participate in the
leading of the practice seder. The Parent/Student Program
focuses on the introductory information the families need for Bar/Bat
Mitzvah.
Sixth Grade:
These
students want to understand how they fit into the world around
them. As they are
about to come of age, we want to ground them in their immediate
Jewish world. Therefore, this is when they study American Jewish
history. Our sixth
graders participate in the leading of the practice seder.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
is explored from historical, philosophical and contemporary
perspectives. Mitzvot
are studied by doing them throughout the year.
The students and their families are involved in a special
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Paretn/Student Program finalizing responsibilities
for the B’nai Mitzvah and personalizing a tallit.
Seventh Grade:
This
is a transitional stage from youth to young adulthood. We therefore feel that these students are ready to examine
two significant realities of Jewish life - the Holocaust and
Israel. Students
will explore prejudice and the roots of anti-Semitism as
precursors to the Holocaust and will come to understand this
tragic period’s place in Jewish history.
The parents and students will have the opportunity to
meet with survivors. Additionally,
they will come to understand and appreciate the events leading
to the founding of the state of Israel and its place in the
continuous saga of Jewish life.
To encourage fuller understanding of their
responsibilities as Jews, students are expected to participate
in a class mitzvah project and adopt individual mitzvah
projects. The class
project is decided upon with Director/Teacher supervision.
The individual mitzvah project must be a minimum of one
hour in length and cannot be during school time (public, private
or supplementary). A
minimum one page summary and oral presentation to the class are
required for the individual mitzvah project.
Eighth Grade:
As
our students approach young adulthood, we feel that they need
the opportunity to explore Judaism in a sophisticated way,
allowing them to continue to learn while affording the
opportunity to question and challenge.
This year focuses on Comparative Judaism and Comparative
Religion. Students
also regularly discuss the issues behind current events of
Jewish interest.
Ninth Grade:
This
year focuses on the Jewish life cycle and the meanings, symbols,
and importance associated with each celebration.
As related to the life cycle, ethical questions - from
when life begins to euthanasia - are examined in depth from a
Jewish perspective.
Tenth Grade:
The
Rabbi’s Seminar is an opportunity for our students, in their
last year of formal study with us, to develop a personal
relationship with the rabbi at a time when they are beginning to
think about leaving home and establishing independent lives as
Jewish adults. They
discuss topical issues of Jewish life.
Hebrew School Curriculum
The
outline below defines the goals, requirements and philosophy of
the Hebrew curriculum of Temple Sinai Religious School.
Learning Hebrew is an important aspect of any child’s
Jewish education. In
learning the language of the Jewish People, students join in the
generations-long tradition of the study of Hebrew.
Upon completion of our program, students will possess the
knowledge and skills necessary to join their fellow Jews in Tefilah
in any synagogue or temple in the world.
Designed
as five-year undertaking, our program requires a 45-minute
session on Sunday mornings and a mid-week session of 90 minutes.
Participating students are those in grades three through
seven. The overall
objective of the program is to achieve a meaningful study of the
Hebrew language within a positive educational environment.
It is expected that each Alef through Dalet student
will:
Establish
Hebrew reading skills.
Develop
an appreciation of the Hebrew language.
Experience
and evaluate the relationship between oneself, prayer and God.
Appreciate
the connection established by the ability to participate in
prayer with Jews globally.
Demonstrate
the ability to read and chant - with familiarity - Hebrew
prayer.
Become
a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
Achieve
a basic competence in writing Hebrew.
Develop
basic Hebrew conversational skills.
At
each level of our Hebrew curriculum, specific requirements are
established in the following categories:
Creating
a unique classroom environment.
Reading
& writing.
Vocabulary
& dialogue.
Tefilah
- prayers. The
requirements below are applied to each prayer learned:
Students
will read/chant each prayer with ease.
Students
will understand key words and overall translation.
Students
will understand where and when the prayer is used.
Students
will explore the personal meaning of each prayer through
discussion, improvisation, art and other forms of personal
expression.
Service
requirements.
Field
trips, where applicable.
Yearly
progress charts for ongoing evaluation.
It is expected that each Fifth
Year Hebrew student will:
Hay: Upon completing Dalet, this program is designed to motivate students during their Bar
or Bat Mitzvah year and to
encourage them to continue their study of Hebrew beyond Bar or Bat Mitzvah. The
study of the weekly torah
portion is a highlight of the week. As the students continue to
practice their Hebrew skills, a discussion of the portion as it
relates to their daily activity is a lively discussion each
week. The B’nai
Mitzvah Club unites parent(s)/guardian(s) and student in family
learning.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah at Temple Sinai
Requirements:
In
order to become a Bar/Bat
Mitzvah at Temple Sinai, students must successfully complete
a minimum of five years of Hebrew study.
Credit
for Hebrew study may be transferred from another temple. A
Hebrew evaluation will be conducted by the Director of Youth
Education to determine placement and date possibilites.
Special
needs students may be entitled to special consideration with
regard to this requirement.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah fees are due in full prior to the start of
tutoring.
Be advised that Temple Sinai retains the right to
cancel any Bar/Bat Mitzvah
if requirements are not fulfilled and/or procedures are not
followed.
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