Sign In Forgot Password

Shoresh Program and Curriculum

Kindergarteners through 10th graders learn about Jewish life through experiences and hands-on activities. Our Shoresh team of teachers, specialists, and madrichim (teen assistants) supports learners as they explore Jewish concepts through developmentally appropriate projects and discussions.

SHORESH LEARNING PRIORITIES

  1. Jewish identity: At Shoresh, we grow and get to know ourselves, our congregational family, and our Judaism.
  2. Community: Each of us is an important member of the worldwide Jewish community with responsibility for others, just as they have responsibility for us.
  3. Prayer: We express our hopes, wishes, needs, and thanks through prayer, spirituality, awareness, and exploration of God.
  4. Social justice: All Jews are responsible in the work for social justice and equality among all people.
  5. Study: We gain meaning and guidance for our daily lives through learning about Torah and Judaism.
  6. Israel: Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people. Our relationship with the modern state of Israel can be complex; knowledge of and engagement with Israel is an important part of modern Jewish identity.
  7. B’nei mitzvah and confirmation: Becoming b'nei mitzvah and participating in confirmation are rituals that put the other six learning priorities into action and allow students to experience a taste of Judaism as an emerging adult.

 

See more details from our curriculum designed exclusively for Shoresh.

KINDERGARTEN-5TH GRADE

Learners meet in mixed-age groups, culminating in our weekly Family Shabbat service. Kindergarten–5th grade learners take active roles with their teachers in determining projects at Shoresh. Units are structured around Jewish concepts and Hebrew, and they incorporate learner interests and teacher skills.

6TH–9TH GRADE

Middle school and high school youth who are capable of more thorough and mature discussions and topics. The Six Points curriculum cycles through relevant topics to provide youth with a full suite of learning and experiences leading up to Confirmation in 10th grade and Jewish adulthood. Each year includes interaction with Jewish texts, discussion of Jewish practice and spirituality, and conversations about modern issues (e.g., gender or kashrut ethics) and more adult topics (e.g., the Israel conflict or adult concepts of spirituality).

Hebrew

2nd–6th grade learners participate in Hebrew@Home, weekly 30-minute online sessions with their teachers that allows instruction to be completely individualized. On Fridays, learners interact with Hebrew through activities focusing on prayer and spirituality rather than learning to read Hebrew. Teachers track progress through regular one-on-one interactions, and other educators like our clergy and Religious School Director participate in individual assessments. Learners work with the clergy to prepare for b'nei mitzvah.

CONFIRMATION (10TH GRADE)

10th graders meet weekly with the rabbi and educator, discussing topics such as adult God concepts and how to consciously live Jewishly in their adult lives. Youth focus on developing their own God concept, learning about advocating for social change they believe in, and learning about what being a part of a community is all about. They learn about their responsibility to identify and find their own Judaism that is meaningful to them.

The class travels to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Religious Action Center's L'Taken program, designed for high school students to explore public policy issues and their Jewish values, create a persuasive argument on a topic of their choice, and lobby Congress. Each spring, the Confirmation class puts together and then leads a Shabbat morning service to culminate their Confirmation year and mark the end of their formal Jewish education.

Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784