The B'nai Mitzvah Curriculum

 The B'nai Mitzvah Curriculum 

Between Persons בן אדם לחברו

• Engage students to develop and understand Jewish values and traditions through Contents of Their Character (Torah Aura), activities, writing, and conversation both as a class and בחברותא (in haveruta settings). 

• Thinking and learning “Jewish” - wrestling with texts, ideas, and values from traditional and modern sources and ideas (The Prophets: Speaking Out for Justice).
• Being Jewish is more than attending services, it is a part of us from when we wake to when we lie down.  
• Showing respect for adults (teachers, administrators, board members, clergy and guests) by rising when one enters the room. 

Between Jews and G-d בן אדם למקום

• Living with G-d, Struggling with choices and conditions (The Time of Our Lives, God: Jewish Choices...) Yi-sra-Eil: He (Jacob) who struggles with G-d- We are ALL JACOB. K’lal Yisrael struggles with G-d. 
• Holidays- connecting ritual to meaning to ourselves, connecting to G-d through tradition, ritual, prayer, time and space (Rediscovering the Jewish Holidays) 
• Using ברכות (blessings) for various, appropriate times, most importantly over food, studying תורה, and שהחינו (Sheheheyanu)
• Wearing כפות (males: mandatory, females: optional) 
• WWAD: “What would Adonai Do?” 
• On becoming בני מצוה (b’nei Mitzvah): becoming under the law
• What does this event mean to the student, to their family? 
• How does this change someone? 
• What is the meaning? 
• How can you grow to form a new relationship with G-d?

Learning Torah לימוד תורה  

• The Rabbis remind us there are Seventy faces to תורה... What’s yours? 
• Wrestling, understanding, conversing, experiencing תורה. (Topical Bible)
• Weekly Parshiot (Text Messages) 
• Introduction to Mishnah (Learn Mishnah) 
• Prophets (Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Amos, Isaiah, Jonah, Jeremiah) 
• Torah Portion for בני מצוה
• G-dcast, other internet tools 

Hebrew עברית

• Increasing reading confidence
• Introduction to Modern Hebrew (Let’s Talk Hebrew: Modern Hebrew for Teens)
• Establishing a Hebrew classroom (inserting hebrew into lesson, classroom flow, greetings and salutations)

T’filah תפילה

• Sunday morning minyan to reenforce what is learned on Wednesdays 
• Using ברכות (blessings) for various, appropriate times, most importantly over food, studying תורה, and שהחינו (Sheheheyanu)
• Increase knowledge of keva vs kavanah 
• Shirah Sessions
• Sidduraudio.com 

Israel ארץ ישראל

• Spring topics to revolve around יום הזיכרון לשואה ולגבורה  יום העצמאות (Experiencing Israel)

Conservative Judaism

• Students are encouraged to join USY. 
• Spring: Jewish History and differences in movements, Jewish thought and philosophy, modern jewry (American and worldwide).