T’filah Credits – As part of the Mechina curriculum, All Mechina students (Grades PreK - 2) must attend 4 worship services per year, not including Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. These T’filot have to be either at Temple Emanu El or as part of a Temple Emanu El sponsored event.
Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten - Me and You. Jew & Jew. This curriculum focuses on Jewish identity as an essential first step in the students’ education. Students begin to deepen their understanding of the holidays. They are introduced to and become familiar with their synagogue family, rabbis, cantor and educators as well as the 10 Commandments and relevant Torah stories. Children also visit the library, integrate art in the curriculum, and have music on a rotating schedule. All PreK - Grade 2 families will have the opportunity to participate in an overnight retreat and community service projects.
Grade One - CHAI Curriculum: We will be using the CHAI curriculum, developed by the Union For Reform Judaism and designed to provide students with a foundation for a lifetime of Jewish learning and living. The curriculum is based on “Torah, Avodah, and G'milut Chasadim;" Study, Worship and Acts of Loving-Kindness. First Grade will focus on how students relate personally to each strand listed above and explore the theme, “Discovering myself in the Jewish story.” In the Torah strand, students will focus on Bible stories in the Book of Bereshit (Genesis), the story of “My Jewish Family.” In the Avodah portion of the curriculum, students will focus on the theme, “Stories Jewish holidays and celebrations tell about me.” The G'milut Chasadim strand focuses on what it means to be a hero in terms of helping others and their behavior as a young Jewish person. The students also prepare for a moving Consecration ceremony, which initiates their commitment to Jewish study. Hebrew letter recognition is introduced this year as well as learning what the items in the classroom are called in Hebrew. As in the previous year, the children continue to visit the library, integrate art in the curriculum, and have music on a rotating schedule. All PreK - Grade 2 families will have the opportunity to participate in an overnight retreat and community service projects.
Grade Two - CHAI Curriculum: We will be using the CHAI curriculum, developed by the Union For Reform Judaism and designed to provide students with a foundation for a lifetime of Jewish learning and living. The second grade will be concentrating on the personal relevance and power
of “Torah, Avodah, and G'milut Chasadim;" Study, Worship and Acts of Loving-Kindness. The book of Sh’mot (Exodus) will be the focus this year with its theme of, “The Torah is about me.” Getting to know God is another focus in the Avodah strand as well as “I can do G'milut Chasadim.” Students will also study Jewish holidays. Hebrew letter and vowel recognition continues and using the book, Shalom Alef Bet Pre-Primer will start the study of decoding skills with along with creative hands-on activities. As in the previous year, the children continue to visit the library, integrate art in the curriculum, and have music on a rotating schedule. All PreK - Grade 2 families will have the opportunity to participate in an overnight retreat and community service projects.
Hebrew Curriculum for Mechina - Hebrew is included in all grade levels through TPR, (Total Physical Response). The students benefit from hearing and then speaking Hebrew before they begin to read and write it. The Religious School concentrates on first hearing and responding to Hebrew in the primary grades. This builds a strong foundation of comprehension, upon which the students in the post-primary grades expand their knowledge into liturgical Hebrew.
