|
|
 |
Overview
The JCSS provides children with an education within the Secular
Humanistic branch of Judaism. This affiliation is preferred by 1.25 million US Jews who describe their identity as cultural
and ethnic rather than religious. Our goal is to help children develop a meaningful Jewish identity, with a role in a Jewish
community and an opportunity for celebrating holidays and discussing current events.
The curriculum provides a broad knowledge of the historical
and cultural experience of the Jewish people. The children learn to appreciate contemporary Jewish life throughout the world
with its variety of beliefs and customs. JCSS offers a comprehensive five year Sunday program starting in third grade with
an additional program for younger children.
Our staff consists of highly qualified and devoted teachers
under the direction of a principal responsible to a board of directors.
|
|
Classes
Regular Five-year Sunday Classes (for 3rd through 7th/8th
Graders)
3rd (Alef), 4th (Bet), 5th (Gimel), 6th
(Daled) and 7th/8th (Hey) Graders meet almost every Sunday, 9:30 AM until 12:00 PM, from September through June. They rotate
through five 30-minute classes consisting of History, Literature, Languages, and Creative Arts.
Pre-Alef Classes: A Young Children's Holiday Workshops (for
1st and 2nd Graders)
1st and 2nd graders meet two
Sundays each month from 9:30 AM until 12:00 PM from September to June for holiday workshops. These workshops focus on Jewish
Holidays or other special topics.
Curriculum
History
The goal is to impart an overview of Jewish history, including early Jewish folklore, holiday practices
and current events, plus ethical considerations. Upon graduation, students should have a good historical background (with
a feeling of personal relevancy), from the early history of the Hebrews and Israelites to the present, including the Holocaust.
Holidays are taught on many levels: ancient roots, historic experience and rabbinic interpretation.
Literature
Students are introduced to classical Yiddish and Hebrew writers in English translation and to American
Jewish writers. Stories are discussed both a literature and as a source for the better understanding of Jewish history and
values. Students are encouraged to relate to the characters and events in terms of their own lives.
Languages
Hebrew is taught as an everyday language with emphasis on conversational skills. Yiddish words and expressions
are introduced when appropriate to subject matter in history and literature.
Creative Arts
This program is divided between music, theater, dance, art, book fairs, and special talks or social action
(Mitzvah) projects. The music segment includes singing folk songs in Hebrew, English, Yiddish and Ladino about holidays, life-cycle
events and Jewish values. These are often sung at JCSS functions. Children may also play instruments for special pieces or
to accompany singers.
Learning Objectives for 2007-08 by Grade:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Early history: Legends
of the Patriarchs, Exodus. Judges/12 Tribes, Kings/Prophets, First Temple; Babylonians
|
Bible
Stories: Myths and Morals; Holiday Stories; Jewish Humor; Traditional Folktales; Talmudic Tales and Legends
|
Begin
Alef-bet, Letter Recognition, Introduction to Basic words and Phrases
|
Holidays
in Art and Drama; Jewish Arts/Dance/Music around the world; Bible Themes in Jewish Cultural Arts
|
|
|
Later History: Greeks; Second Temple; Romans; Rabbinic Period/Talmud; Diaspora Life
|
Holiday
Stories; Jewish Humor; Traditional Folktales; Talmudic Tales and Legends
|
Begin
Reading; Basic Conversational Hebrew
|
Holidays;
Jewish Arts and Music around the World; Jewish Art in History
|
|
|
Jewish Encounter with Islam/Jewish Encounter with Christianity, Sephardic Golden Age; Rise of European
Anti-Semitism; Ashkenaz Jews; World Jewish Communities (China, India, etc.)
|
Holiday
Stories; Jewish Humor; Traditional Folktales; Talmudic Tales and Legends; Intro to Yiddish Literature; Hebrew Literature
|
Continue
Reading; Basic Conversational Hebrew
|
Jewish Arts and Music
Around the World; Art of the Sephardic Golden Age; Anti-semitism in literature; Biblical/Jewish Themes in Contemporary Music
and Art
|
|
|
Jewish
Encounter with Islam/Jewish Encounter with Christianity; Sephardic Jews/Golden Age of Spain; Rise of European Anti-Semitism;
the Shtetl/Jews of Ashkenaz; Holocaust; Jewish Heroes of the Holocaust (Hanna Senesh); “Righteous Gentiles” and
other Non-Jewish Heroes of the Holocaust (Denmark; Wallenberg, Sugihara, etc.); Holocaust Aftermath: Jews in the Civil Rights
Movement
|
Jewish
Humor; Yiddish Stories; Folktales of Eastern Europe; Introduction to Hebrew Literature
|
Continue
Basic Conversational Hebrew; Reading,
|
Jewish
Arts and Music around the world; Islamic Influences in Synagogue Arts; Art of the Sephardic Golden Age; Anti-semitism in Literature
|
|
|
Jewish
Encounter with Islam/Jewish Encounter with Christianity; Emergence of Zionism/Founding of Israel; American Jewish Experience
|
|
Conversational
Hebrew; Continue Reading Practice
|
Field
Trips – American Jewish Experience; Research Resources
|
Policies
Discipline
The standards for children's behavior at JCSS are no less than those of a public or private school. Our
Secular Humanist Philosophy mandates that we respect differences (including learning differences) between people and that
we respect sources of knowledge whether people or books.
Attendance
To graduate and be part of a B'nai Mitzvah ceremony, a child must attend at least the Daled and Hey years,
unless transferring from another recognized Jewish school. Any child that misses one-third or more classes for the whole academic
year may not graduate.
Graduation - B'nai Mitzvah
The final year (Hey) of study in the JCSS Sunday program includes
preparation by students for celebrating their B'nai Mitzvah - their Jewish educational attainment and coming of age. Each
student completes a mitzvah project of service to the community, and independently researches and writes a graduation paper.
Excerpts from this paper are read by the student at their joint Graduation ceremony. This ceremony and the reception which
follow provide a memorable conclusion to the years of study.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
