Curriculum

Curricular Approach

Our educational approach sees the student as an active learner, a dynamic explorer rather than a passive recipient of knowledge. As such, our curriculum cultivates the student’s natural enthusiasm for learning, so that s/he emerges with the values, knowledge and pride necessary for a solid foundation of life-long Jewish living and learning.

Our lessons are multi-sensory and interactive, ensuring that the students truly experience what they are being taught. The classes are structured with discussion-starters, activities, visual aids and crafts to create an engaging classroom experience.

Curriculum

At Shalom Hebrew School we focus on educating our students with the knowledge and unique values of Judaism. To make this a reality, our academic program is designed around several subjects which serve as lenses through which we can impart these important goals.

Hebrew
Our students learn to read and write Hebrew.
There is great value to Hebrew literacy. Accessing our common language by attaining the skill of reading Hebrew, enables our students to identify with their common identity and imparts a sense of belonging. It gives the students a sense of comfort and familiarity in the synagogue and gives them basic skills that they can build on, if they choose to learn the language in greater depth or visit Israel.

Once reading fluency is established, our Hebrew language curriculum provides students with conversational Hebrew vocabulary, and Hebrew script writing skills.

Israel
Our students will attain an appreciation and affection for our homeland Israel, and its central place in Jewish history, life, observance and destiny.

Jewish History
It is intrinsic to our identity as a people that we learn the stories of our ancestors. These stories are the threads that connect us to each other, to our past, present and future.

Our students gain an appreciation of how our heritage and culture have been experienced and preserved throughout the ages and learn the relevance of those lessons in modern life.

Jewish Holidays
Each holiday marks a point in our journey through time at which G-d, accompanying us in our first steps as a people, supplied us with the resources that nurture our spiritual lives.

But these were not one-time gifts from above. The individual themes of the holidays help nurture the constant needs of the soul. They are the spiritual nutrients that sustain our children in their journey through life.

At SHS we focus on the story of each holiday, as well as the spiritual theme and relevant lessons each holiday provides in our lives today.

Jewish Values and Mitzvot
Mitzvot and Jewish values give us the opportunity to anchor lofty concepts in daily life. By performing good deeds, we implement our knowledge in a real and meaningful way. Connecting learning with doing, enables us to transform the world. Mitzvot honor our relationships with G-d, with each other, and with the world.

Embedded in every class, are the timeless Jewish values that have enriched the world and have made our people unique.

Experiential Judaism
At SHS we don’t just learn about Judiasm, we live it!
Some of the special activities our students enjoy in Hebrew School:

  • Learn alongside your child
  • Challah baking
  • Sukkah building
  • Sukkot party
  • Chanukah party
  • Purim presentation
  • Passover matzah-bakery
  • Siddur ceremony etc.