Teacher:
Morah Jonina Steiner

Curriculum

Torah:
Kindergarteners will explore the first half of the book of Bereshit/Genesis guided by these questions: Who are the members of our Torah family?  What do we learn from our Torah family about how to treat each other and the world?  The Torah curriculum includes connections to Hebrew, prayers, holidays, mitzvot (laws), and middot (values).  Torah is learned and experienced through children's literature, art, music, drama, and social action activities.

Holidays and Shabbat:
Drops of Honey pamphlets with family learning component

Through experiencing the holidays in class, students will be able to:

• Identify the season of the year in which the holidays occur (in the US)
• Identify and describe 2-3 ritual objects associated with the holidays
• Provide a 3-5 sentence description of each holiday
• Match the Hebrew name of the holidays with English descriptions of them.
• Identify ways in which Shabbat is special.

Spirituality and Prayer:
By participating in tefilah and exploring the syngagogue and what makes it a special place, the students will be able to:

• Name the main objects in the sanctuary and state their function
• List the things in student’s life that s/he is thankful for and articulate a personal blessing for them
• Recite brachot over basic Shabbat rituals
• Recite brachot over various foods
• Identify significance of prayer and brachot and state personal meaning in them
• Begin to master 4 Questions
• Identify the concepts of mitzvot and tzedakah and how they apply to students’ lives

Click here to listen to the shabbat and holiday prayers and songs.

Hebrew:
Sarah and David Aleph Bet Story Book, Sarah and David Activity Book

Students will learn to identify Hebrew letters and vowels and master Hebrew sight words in connection with their study of tefilah, Torah, and holidays.  Students will hear stories which bring the letters to life and aid in memory retention. 

Israel:
Understand the unique connection we have to the land of Israel.