Temple David Weiger Religious School
HIStory, HERstory, THEIRstory, OURstory, MYstory
| Grade Clusters | 5784/2023-24 |
|---|---|
| Pre-K to 2 | Climbing the Ladder of Tzedakah Hebrew |
| 3 to 5 | The Recipe for Making a Mensch Hebrew |
| 6 to 7 | Soul Traits: Values from the Inside Out Hebrew |
| 8 to 10 | Translating Value-laden Words into Deeds So What’s a Reform Jew? |
Fundamental Ideas
- An individual can shape the course of history.
- Each of us is a link in the chain of tradition and with it comes a responsibility to learn from the past and actively influence the future.
- The Jewish presence in America has been a model of immigrant success despite discrimination.
- American Jews have taken stands on both sides of every important issue in American history and been influential beyond our numbers.
- History is nothing other than the story of our people.
- The Jewish people includes a diversity of cultures, languages, ethnicities, races, gender identities.
- “Never again” means that we have a responsibility to prevent genocide.
- Anti-Semitism today still exists around the world and in our own community and we must actively fight it.
- It is a Mitzvah for Jews to survive as Jews. – Emil Fackenheim
| Pre-k-2 | A Timeline of Jewish Stories |
| Jewish history began with Abraham and Sara approximately 4000 years ago. The patriarchs and matriarchs became the tribes became the Israelites became the Jews spanning the globe. Using a carefully selected variety of PJ Library books, history will come alive through Jewish stories as they are placed in time and context recognizing that individuals can make a difference for the generations that follow and sometimes for the course of history. Lessons will be enhanced by introductions to Yiddish and Ladino, art, music, and foods to the end that students will be proud of the diversity of Judaism and their personal place within our people. |
Evidence of Understanding:
- I know that our story begins in the Torah and continues through the Talmud and beyond
- Jews are called “People of the Book” and that is me
- I know that our Jewish story began with Abraham and Sarah
- I know that Jews have lived everywhere in the world so our stories are from all over the globe
- I recognize that my family is part of Jewish history
- I know where my family comes from
- I am the latest link in the Jewish chain of tradition
- I can sing songs in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino
- I have tasted, sung and made art which are different based on where they are from
| 3-5 | History is MYstory |
| Our story begins to be told in the Torah and continues into Prophets and Writings which comprise the TaNaKh (Hebrew Bible). It continues into the Talmud, midrash, commentaries, and even the prayer book. Individual family stories, including those of our own families, interweave the many lands in which our people have lived. Our ancestors’ choices have affected us as will our choices affect the future. Some individuals’ choices have shaped the flow of history. Knowing that the Jewish People has spoken many languages, is a part of many cultures, eat foods locally spiced and bring our uniqueness wherever we live gives both pride and a sense of responsibility. |
Evidence of Understanding:
- Our Jewish story began in the Torah and continues through the Talmud and beyond
- Jews have lived everywhere in the world, so our stories are from all over the globe
- Throughout Jewish history, Israel has bound us together
- My family is part of Jewish history
- My story includes the places my ancestors have lived, their professions, who they married
- Being the latest link in the Jewish chain of tradition gives me pride and a sense of responsibility
- Certain individuals have changed the course of history
- Celebrating the languages, foods, art, and stories of our people is an important way to connect to Am Yisrael (the People Israel)
| 6-7 | 4000 Years and Counting |
| Students will be exposed to the length and breadth of our religious and culture heritage across 4000 years of history beginning with Abraham and Sara and spanning the globe. They will meet individuals who have changed the course of history, both Jewish and global. Through study, investigation, exploring personal family stories enhanced by a taste of Jewish foods, languages, art, music and more, they will proudly place themselves on the timeline of Jewish history. Learning more about their own families will place them in history by the choices their ancestors made and the choices they will make. |
Evidence of Understanding:
- Students will learn the methodology of how history is discovered/uncovered
- Students will place significant events in Jewish history from Abraham and Sarah to the present in order
- Students will be able to explain how, throughout Jewish history, the Land of Israel has bound us together
- Students will research their own family story
- Students will place their family story within the Jewish People’s family story
- Students will identify the geographic background of foods, language, art, music
- Students will define for themselves what it means to be People of the Book
- Students will understand that certain individuals have changed the course of Jewish history and world history
- Being the latest link in the Jewish chain of tradition gives both pride and a sense of responsibility
| 8-10 | Then, Now, Next |
| Through looking at the expanse of Jewish history through primary texts and interpretation, students will learn the basic chronology beginning with Abraham and Sara in 1800 BCE. Using research and deductive skills, they will better understand cause and outcome at watershed moments in Jewish history and gain pride in the Jewish people’s resiliency, flexibility and creativity. Increased understanding of our religious and cultural heritage including their personal stories will encourage them to accept their place in determining the future of the Jewish people. They will recognize that a single individual can shape history for their family, their community and even for the world. |
Evidence of Understanding:
- Students will be exposed to Judaism’s diversity and see it reflected in music, art, food and culture
- Students will describe watershed moments in Jewish history
- Students will research their own family history
- Students will take pride in the resiliency of our people especially at dark times such as the destruction of the Temples, Crusades, Expulsions, Pogroms and Shoah
- Students will take pride in the values and creativity of our people since the time of Abraham and Sarah.
- Students will identify individual Jews who changed the trajectory of both Jewish history and world history
All students will study Hebrew on an age appropriate level using the Mitkadem self-paced curriculum.