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Hours and Curriculum

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Our Hours

Traditional Religious School

Sunday: 9:00 am – noon
Location: University Synagogue
Grades: K – 12
Including the Madrichim/Confirmation Leadership Program and Teen Havurah.

Adventure in Jewish Education

September – May: One Sunday a month, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center, Irvine Regional Park
Counselors: University Synagogue teachers and CITs
Grades: 2 – 9
Including the Teen CIT (Counselor-in-Training) program

Hebrew Enrichment Program

Location: University Synagogue
Mondays: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm or
2 week Hebrew boot camp: July 8 – July 19, 2013

Our Curriculum

Kindergarten

Theme:  The Story Of My Jewish Life

  • Introduction to Hebrew letters
  • Familiarity with Jewish symbols
  • Familiarity with Jewish symbols in the synagogue (with the Rabbi and Cantor)
  • Knowledge of basic holiday customs and traditions for every Jewish holiday
  • Family involvement in the classroom and other synagogue family oriented activities

Grade 1

Theme:  A Delicious Journey Through The Jewish Year

  • Increase knowledge of Jewish holidays and Shabbat rituals
  • Recognition and comprehension of the Hebrew alphabet
  • Recognition and comprehension of Hebrew vowels
  • Building phonetic awareness with Hebrew letters
  • Greater awareness of the Jewish concepts of Tzedakah, Tikkun Olam and Mitzvot

Grade 2

Theme: Rituals and Celebration

  • Build a comprehensive knowledge of Hebrew letters and vowels
  • Early blending
  • Build a solid Jewish identity and foundation for future Jewish learning

Grade 3

Theme: Identity and Community

  • Learn about Jewish customs and traditions of our heritage
  • Gain a greater connection to the synagogue and continue to make new friendships
  • Begin to read Hebrew moving from early blending towards greater fluency
  • A greater awareness of Israel as a Jewish state through its geography, cities and cultural life

Grades 4

Theme: What We Can Learn From The Stories Of The Bible

  • Building reading fluency and comprehension
  • Fluency and comprehension of the basic blessings of  Jewish holidays
  • Building basic conversational Hebrew skills
  • Analyzing how Bible stories influence our contemporary way of life and society

Grades 5

Theme: Jewish Lifecycles

  • Learn about the rites of passage that pertain to Jewish lifecycle events
  • Continue to build reading fluency and to gain a comprehension of the liturgy of the Shabbat service
  • Master holiday blessings with fluency and comprehension

Grade 6

Theme: Living as a Reconstructionist Jew / Holocaust and Genocide

  • To learn about our Jewish ancestry and history, and how it impacts our lives today
  • To learn about the Holocaust by fostering a greater awareness and understanding of the events leading up to, during and following the Holocaust through film, text, poetry, art, meeting with survivors and liberators and encountering carefully chosen reconstructed experiences
  • To enhance inclusivity and egalitarianism
  • Studying genocide and its causes
  • Building a comprehensive understanding of the results of intolerance and  hatred, and learning how to stand up to it

Grade 7

Theme: Preparing for our Bar/Bat Mitzvah and learning about contemporary Jewish life

  • Students learn about the significance of a Jewish community by researching their family’s genealogy as well as their immigration to America
  • Become actively engaged in a non-profit organization as they fulfill their Bar/Bat Mitzvah requirements
  • Students will be able to master all of the prayers and blessings as well as participate in any given service, i.e. the Shabbat evening service and Shabbat morning service, holiday or lifecycle events
  • Establish a greater understanding of the importance of becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah
  • Gain a greater appreciation of our Jewish ancestry
  • Establish a comfortable connection with spirituality
  • Master the Shabbat morning service with fluency and accuracy

Grade 8

Theme: Learning how to be Madrichim & CITs (Counselor-in-Training)

  • What makes us Madrichim?
  • Leadership Skills
  • Taking responsibility seriously
  • Working with different groups, clusters and individual students
  • What are the different ways that students learn?
  • How to work with students with disabilities and learning differences

Grades 9 – 12

Madrichim / CIT Leadership Program and Confirmation

  • Students develop mentoring skills that allow them to be qualified leaders and role models in the Religious School as well as in other programs or job related positions
  • Genocide and Holocaust
  • Making wise decisions based on Jewish values, morals and ethics
  • Paying attention to Jewish Identity beyond High School
  • Students will participate in social action outreach projects
  • Learn about “teen life” and contemporary Jewish issues through speakers and discussions

Grades PK – 7, Family Education

We encourage our Religious School families to be involved in their child’s Jewish education. Our Family Programming Committee helps develop and implement new programs and activities throughout the year.

As the needs of modern day Jewish communities evolve, our focus is to assist families with their own Jewish identity and connection by providing quality programs. Programs such as these provide a wonderful opportunity for families to connect by coming together to share in Jewish experiences through family services, texts, music, art, dance, communal prayer and celebration.