Learning

Meredith Lubin is thrilled to be joining the Temple B’nai Torah family this year! Before coming to TBT, she served as the Assistant Principal at Temple Shaaray Tefila in Manhattan, and as the Education Coordinator at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, NJ.

Growing up, Meredith always knew she wanted to be a teacher, and indeed, she has degrees in Social Studies and Education from East Stroudsburg University. Shortly after finishing school, she unexpectedly took over for a 5th Grade Religious School teacher and quickly decided to switch gears from Social Studies to Jewish Education. She has not looked back since – she loves the unique relationships and educational opportunities that come with the synagogue school environment. She is so looking forward to all of the amazing things on the horizon for the TBT community and is excited to help make the youth (both in the Religious School and BNTY) a great and active part of it all!

Outside of school, Meredith is always listening to music and is an avid reader – she will happily chat your ear off about either subject for as long as you let her! She also loves movies, live theatre, and spending time with her friends and family.

Art                                                          Israeli Dance

Music                                                         Cooking

Kulanu: 8^th – 12^th Grade:

Priority Goal: Temple B’nai Torah wishes to engage our community in making Judaism relevant to our daily lives.

Kulanu: Teen Engagement for All of Us will allow our teens to grow:

1. as individuals.
2. as part of the Temple B’nai Torah Community.
3. as participants in the larger Jewish world.

Electives

• Electives offered on Monday evenings
• Electives will be offered in various locations and environments
• Experts from varied disciplines will be offering electives
• Different types of learning for different types of learners

Kulanu Nights

• Whole community learning
• Building relationships and sense of belonging
• Will include whole school projects and programs
• Opportunity to hear reflections about other learning experiences

Retreats

• Experience Judaism beyond the walls of Temple B’nai Torah
• Immersive Jewish experiences
• Celebrate Shabbat with more than 100 other Jewish teens
• Participate in communal prayer, programming, and ritual
• All students invited to and welcome at all NFTY and NFTY-NAR events (8th graders in Spring)

 Confirmation

Our tenth graders have the opportunity to study with the Rabbi for the second half of the year to discuss contemporary topics and Jewish responses. The year culminates with a meaningful Confirmation service led by the tenth grade students.

Confirmation Class 2017

Mazel tov to all

FAMILY EDUCATION

We realize that what parents and children DO TOGETHER is what makes the greatest and most enduring impact on the affective and cognitive level. The importance of parents and children learning and practicing their Judaism together is so great that we now include Family Education as part of our curriculum for everyone.

CURRICULUM : 7

 During 7^th grade at TBT, students will study the meaning and context of the prayers they recite as part of the B’nai Mitzvah service. Through this interesting Hebrew curriculum, students will not only continue their study of biblical Hebrew, but also gain a deeper understanding of how and why we pray.

Students will also spend the year studying the Holocaust. Through a variety of different lessons, the students will learn about everything from how Hitler rose to power to rescue and resistance efforts. They will end the unit by participating in the congregation’s Yom Hashoah service in a very special way.

In the final weeks of school, students will be invited to join the Kulanu program, in order to get a taste of the Hebrew High School experience.

CURRICULUM : GRADES 4-6

These three grades span the important years from nine to eleven years old when student educational activity acquires more formal aspects. It is a time of rapid growth and change, where eagerness to learn and a willingness to undertake projects occur. Careful planning and effective teaching are essential to make these years a meaningful and constructive school experience.

GRADE 4

The focus in fourth grade is on Israel. Students will learn about the history of Israel as a country, and its modern significance to Jews. Students will also learn about the parts that make up the Tanakh, spending some time learning some of the stories of the prophets as well as some of the beautiful poetry found in writings. In Hebrew, students will begin the year with review, but quickly move on to learning more advanced prayers as their skills improve.

GRADE 5

Fifth graders will spend the first half of the year returning to Torah in a whole new way! Using some of the stories and characters they have learned about in previous years, students will begin to learn the process of writing a D’var Torah and about the concept of midrash as a way to further explore the stories of our past. An introduction of this process will help them to think about their B’nai Mitzvah portion as they inch closer to the beginning of the B’nai Mitzvah process.

During the second half of the year, these students will learn about important Jewish Life Cycle events from Brit Milah to B’nai Mitzvah to the Jewish mourning process.

In Hebrew, students will continue prayer practice by adding new prayers to their repertoire as they become more comfortable with reading Hebrew.

GRADE 6

In the final year before B’nai Mitzvah, students will begin by learning about middot, or Jewish values. They will be asked to explore what makes these values Jewish, and how they can be applied to everyday situations.

During the next part of the year, students will learn about mitzvot and why it is the responsibility of Jews to perform them. They will then take their knowledge of middot and mitzvot, and apply it practically to create a mitzvah project for their B’nai Mitzvah that is both meaningful and relevant to them.

In Hebrew, students will continue to add to their knowledge and understanding of prayer, with a special focus on Shabbat Morning as they begin training for B’nai Mitzvah. Finally, students will have a special month long course in how to decode and chant Torah trope.

CURRICULUM : K-3

Our curriculum for the primary years is built on the basis of concrete Jewish experience, relevant to a child’s life, instilling a love for Judaism and an aim to nourish the child’s own natural sources of curiosity.  Every family in grades K – 6 will participate in family education.

KINDERGARTEN / GRADE ONE

Kindergarten and first grade students are introduced to Jewish aspects of everyday life using art, music, poetry, and any number of fun activities to help them connect to being Jewish, even at this early age. They are also introduced to Jewish holidays with a special focus on Shabbat. Finally, students are exposed to basic Hebrew vocabulary, including Shabbat and holiday blessings.

GRADE TWO

Second grade is all about Torah and the synagogue! Each class, students will learn about that week’s Torah portion to begin to learn about biblical stories and characters. Students will also spend time learning about the people, places, and objects in Temple B’nai Torah, while getting to compare and contrast these different aspects of our synagogue with those of other congregations around New York, the United States, and the world. Students will also be regularly exposed to the Hebrew aleph-bet, learning a new letter each week to get them ready to learn to read and write in third grade!

GRADE THREE

This is the year that students become proficient in reading and writing in Hebrew! With this new skill, they will be able to begin to learn prayers and new Hebrew vocabulary. Throughout the year, students will also focus on “Jewish Time,” learning about the Jewish calendar and Holidays, and how and why they occur at different times throughout the year. Third graders will also review Torah stories, focusing on the relationships between some of the most well-known of our biblical ancestors and creating a family tree as they learn about each new generation.

Curriculum for entire school  – K thru High School graduation

Primary Department

Intermediate Department

Grade 7

Kulanu

Specials

TBT GRADUATES 5-5-17

Mazel tov to all!

Susanna E. Heiman Religious School – Mission Statement

The mission of the Susanna E. Heiman Religious School is to nurture, educate, and motivate our children to become active lifelong members of the Jewish community. Our course of study encompasses Jewish ethics, culture, history, Israel, and Hebrew. Our students will participate in various aspects of our Jewish tradition including Torah, prayer, ritual, holidays, and social action.

The Susanna Heiman Religious School offers so many entrances to learning and living a Jewish life: spiritual, academic, cultural access for a new generation of Reform Jews preparing for their future.

To explore our School, click on each of the following links:

Curriculum                     Special Needs                         Bios

History                    Registration Form – H                   Contact Us – H