Special Programs • Religious School Curriculum • Hebrew School Curriculum • School Calendar
Religious School End of Year Party Photo GalleryOur religious school curriculum is approved by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, thus ensuring quality programming for your children. All classes have a small teacher-student ratio.
Religious school begins in pre-kindergarten and lasts through ninth grade. Confirmation and post-confirmation studies are offered to tenth - twelfth graders. Hebrew school begins when a child is in the fourth grade and continues through seventh grade.
Religious school sessions are held on Sunday mornings. Confirmation and Post Confirmation classes take place on Wednesday evenings. Hebrew school is in session on Sundays and on Wednesday evenings.
Rina Mesarwi, our Education Director, is an experienced
educator, with expertise in programming and administering youth
education. She has earned a degree in Education in
Youth Education • Religious School Curriculum • Hebrew School Curriculum
Special events are a way for Parents, teachers and students to have fun together. Some of these events include Beginning-of-Year and End-of-Year "Socials", Sukkah decorating, a Tu B'shvat seder, a Purim celebration, a Pesach seder, and a Yom Ha'Atzmaout Festival.
"Breakfast with the Rabbi" is offered for grades K-9. Both the Confirmation and Post Confirmation classes enjoy dinner with the Rabbi. Rabbi Diamond leads a discussion of a specific topic with the students and parents of each class.
All classes participate in at least one community service project during the school year.
In addition, each grade (K-3 together) participates in its own special workshop or field trip. For example, seventh grade takes a trip to the Holocaust Museum of Houston.
Youth Education • Special Programs • Hebrew School Curriculum
PRE-KINDERGARTEN & KINDERGARTEN
At this level, the primary focus is to introduce the children to all the holidays - their observances, symbols, and customs - through songs, games, and arts and crafts projects. Challah and juice are provided for a Shabbat celebration each Sunday. Holidays are introduced by a sensory approach, so that the children can relate to the holidays personally. Children also study the concept of Tzedakah and its importance in Jewish tradition.
Students use "Let's Discover Holidays" Fall and Spring packets to enhance their learning.
Students participate in the Matzah Factory Workshop.
FIRST GRADE
The first grade class studies in greater depth all of the holidays of the Jewish year. The origins, customs, values, Mitzvot, foods, and songs associated with each holiday are presented. The children gain an understanding of the history of the holidays and ceremonial observances in the synagogue and home
Students use: 1) "Let's Discover Holidays" Fall and Spring packets 2) "Building Jewish Life".
Students participate in the Matzah Factory Workshop.
SECOND GRADE
In this grade level the students use the Chai curriculum which was developed by the Union of Reform Judaism. The "Learning for Jewish Life" curriculum goal is to enable students to draw direct connections between Torah study and their lives. This curriculum helps the students to understand that Torah study is a lifelong and ongoing process.
Students discuss several issues during the year, for example:
Who wrote the Torah?
How do we know that God exists?
Did God create the World?
Students use Level 2 of ”Learning for Jewish Life" curriculum
Students participate in the Matzah Factory Workshop.
THIRD GRADE
In the third grade, the students continue studying from the Chai curriculum. Its educational initiative addresses Jewish learning as a lifelong pursuit. The sessions enhance the student's ability to grow as a Jewish teen and adult. It provides the framework within which Jews build their relationship with God, with one another, and with the world. The approach in teaching the students this curriculum ensures that students' learning goes beyond the specific classroom activities and leads to deeper understanding of Jewish learning and living.
Students use Level 3 of "Learning For Jewish Life"
All students participate in the Havdallah Workshop.
FOURTH GRADE
Discussions about our relationship with God, how to help other Jews around the world, and how to take care of our world are just a few of the topics that the students encounter in the fourth grade. It is the third year of students’ learning from the Chai curriculum, which was developed by the Union of Reform Judaism. This curriculum provides our students with the tools to examine a wide variety of Jewish values in our world. This curriculum is challenging to students, yet it ensures effectiveness in learning the intended concepts.
The students use Level 4 of "Learning For Jewish Life"
All students and parents participate in a workshop of "The Shofar Factory" and bring home their own Shofar.
FIFTH GRADE
Students in fifth grade begin to explore the Torah through class discussions from Genesis and into Exodus. These class discussions introduce Jewish values and ethics on an age-appropriate level. Through this study, the students have a sense of connection to Jewish life, culture, and tradition.
The lessons consist of an overall view of the Torah and how to apply its lessons to everyday life. The lessons include study of text, lecture, and discussion, as well as enrichment of each lesson through art and games.
The students use the "Chumash" as their text
All students participate in the "Olive Press" workshop in which they learn the process of making olive oil.
SIXTH GRADE
In this grade level we make
The students learn the story of the Jewish
people and their homeland from the biblical period through statehood in 1948,
to the
Students study from "A Young Person's History of Israel" by David Bamberger
All students participate in the "Tallit Workshop" which enhances their understanding of why Jews wear Tallit
SEVENTH GRADE
This year-long study of the Holocaust includes class discussions, photographs, maps, and other artifacts of the concentration camps. The study is designed to help the students recognize that hatred and prejudice are aspects of human nature which stem from fear and insecurity. It provides the students with the opportunity to explore the spiritual challenges that people face after traumatic experiences. It helps the students to understand the horrors of the Holocaust, while exploring ethical issues of right and wrong and good and evil.
Students use the "Diary of Anne Frank", "Shadows Of The Holocaust", "The Holocaust - A History of Courage and Resistance", and the critical reading - "Don't Believe Everything You Read"
Students have a guest speaker (often a Holocaust survivor) to share his/her experience and knowledge.
EIGHTH GRADE and NINTH GRADE
The students in these grade levels participate in Gesher Houston. This exciting program is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, and consists of six congregations of suburban Houston and Beaumont. Gesher Houston provides the students with a gesher ("Bridge" in Hebrew) to Jewish adulthood by offering a new way to experience religious school.
The students learn from a curriculum that is specially designed to stimulate their exploration of what being Jewish means to them. In addition to studying the curriculum at their own synagogues, the students from all the Gesher congregations join together four times during the year for special community gatherings or Kallot. The Kallot provide a larger community of peers for these students from smaller congregations; peers who are wrestling with the same issues and questions about Judaism.
The two components of the Gesher program are designed to complement each other. Each Kallah explores subjects that have recently been or are about to be discussed in class. The result is that the classroom materials prepare the students for the upcoming Kallah.
All students use Gesher materials for their curriculum
Click here to see pictures from Gesher events!
Eighth Grade Gesher Houston
The eighth grade curriculum is composed of three units:
Unit 1: The Community and My Role focuses on the concept of community. As Jews we are commanded to be responsible members of a community. During this section of the course our students explore their relationships with their classmates, their families, and their friends.
Unit 2: Jewish Ethics and Values - Why Should I be Good? focuses on the Ten Commandments as a guide to how one should behave. The materials presented during this part of the course don’t teach the students what to do, but rather they help the students develop a personal way to make ethical decisions.
In Unit 3: Social Action - What Good Can I Do? the principles that the students have learned are put into practice. We apply Jewish ethics and values to contemporary issues. Some of the issues we cover include: the ecology, euthanasia, addiction, abortion, and Tzedakah. The students are also involved in a Social Action project of their own design.
NINTH GRADE GESHER
The ninth grade curriculum is composed of four units:
Unit 1: Jewish Identity - A Personal Journey focuses on the concept of identity. The students examine the influences of their community, their country, and the world on their individuality, and on their Jewish Identity.
Unit 2: Jews Among the Nations asks the questions "Who are you? What do you think? What are your concerns? How do you express your Jewish Identity?”. The students are then challenged to answer these most basic questions about being Jewish.
Unit 3: Confronting Our Past, Facing Our Present - Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust presents the students with the roots of stereotyping, prejudice, racism, and anti-Semitism. They examine how these attitudes can manifest themselves in very hurtful and destructive ways. They then trace how prejudice and racism are connected to the Holocaust.
Unit 4:
TENTH GRADE -CONFIRMATION CLASS
Confirmation class is taught by Rabbi Diamond. The students spend time exploring different theologies. They begin the course by defining the "traditional" view of God as expressed by the Sages - the idea that God is an external being who is all powerful, all knowing, and all good. Then they look critically at the implications of this traditional view focusing particularly on the concept of "theodicy", which posits that a God who is all good, all knowing and all powerful would not tolerate the existence of evil.
Students view clips from modern movies and television shows which portray God in different ways. Then they connect the different theologies to Talmudic stories and commentaries which help them understand them in Jewish context.
The students are confirmed on Shavuot in a special ceremonial service.
ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH GRADE - POST CONFIRMATION
Post Confirmation class consists of 11th
and 12th grades. Students meet every other Wednesday from
The topics and speakers vary. Students
have three sessions on "Being A Jewish Student In
College" and the challenges they might face. In three sessions they
explore issues about "
Youth Education • Special Programs • Religious School Curriculum
The Hebrew Curriculum is designed to enable students to feel comfortable learning the role of Hebrew in Jewish heritage, and to read prayers and blessings accurately. Students learn to understand key words and concepts in prayers, and become more fluent and confident with Hebrew before becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Classes meet twice a week on Wednesday and Sunday. The students participate in B'nai Mitzvah workshops with their parents. They meet with the Rabbi, the cantor, and the Hebrew tutor. Other aspects of Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation are included in our B'nai Mitzvah Policy handbook.
Hebrew Kindergarten - Third Grade
Students of K - 3rd grade have short Hebrew sessions on a bi-weekly basis. In these sessions, the students learn basic spoken Hebrew. Learning colors, body parts, numbers, and some verbs are typical to these sessions.
Hebrew I - Fourth Grade
The students in this level use the "Zeman LI’Kroe" series ("Time to Read Hebrew"). Each lesson in this book contains some key words that are made up of new letters and vowels. The students sound out some words formed from the new letters and vowels. This method allows the students to read more Hebrew, to write it, and understand its meaning. By the end of the year the students are able to sound out all the letters and vowels. Some of the blessings studied at this level are: candles, short Kiddush, Ha’Motzie, Chanukah, Torah study, Tallit, and She’Hechiyanu.
Hebrew II - Fifth Grade
The students in this level use the
"Hebrew Through Prayer" series, which
includes material designed to stimulate discussions. These discussions deepen
our students' understanding of Jewish rituals and concepts in doing mitzvot.
Hebrew III - Sixth Grade
The students in this level continue using the "Hebrew Through Prayer" series. They use Hebrew reading selections that improve their reading skills and encourage participation in the rituals of home and synagogue. The students read with accuracy, and comprehend concepts in the assigned prayers and blessings. Some of the prayers they work on are: chanting Ve’Ahavta, Reader’s Kaddish, Torah Blessings, Haftarah Blessings, and Amidah.
Hebrew IV - Seventh Grade
About a year before the student’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah, they attend this level that is designed to prepare them for this important event. The students work on all the prayers, blessings, Torah, and Haftarah readings. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah class is taught and supervised by two teachers. At this time the students review all the prayers including Ma'ariv Aravim, Yotzer Or, Torah, and Haftarah portions.
During the year students have the opportunity to spend more time in "One On One" situations with their teachers and tutors. They study their Torah portion and practice their Haftorah reading, and with the encouragement and help of the Rabbi, they prepare their speech.