The Open Hebrew School at SJCCBA

           The ABC's of The Open Hebrew School

          The Open Hebrew School at SJCC Bnai Aaron is open to all families, regardless of Jewish background or synagogue affiliation.  Any child who is being raised Jewish is welcome to participate.  With its high teacher to student ratios and inspiring staff, the school provides a warm and nurturing educational environment and a down-to-earth community atmosphere.

          Our Religious School curriculum is guided by Attitudinal, Behavioral and Cognitive objectives. We refer to these objectives as the "ABC's of SJCC Bnai Aaron".

          Attitudinal Objectives.  In our school, we seek to foster both a desire for lifelong Jewish learning and mutual respect and caring among our children and families. We want our children and families to have a sense of pride in being Jewish, a love of God and Israel, and a commitment to Conservative Judaism and the Jewish community at large. We also want our children and families to feel comfortable in synagogues around the world.

          Behavioral Objectives.  In addition to these attitudinal goals, we strive to increase our students' and families' levels of participation in synagogue services, engagement in Jewish learning, observance of Jewish ritual, respect for halacha, and involvement in acts of gemilut chasadim and tikkun olam.

          Cognitive Objectives.  Of course, none of these objectives can be achieved without also providing our children with Hebrew reading skills and the knowledge base to be able to engage in mitzvot in the synagogue and at home. We seek to familiarize our children with key Hebrew words in the Siddur and Torah and enable them to attain basic Jewish cultural literacy in the areas of Tefillah, Tanach, Jewish History and Heroes, Holidays and other Mitzvot. Overall, we want to impart a basic knowledge and appreciation of our Jewish heritage, so that our children and families find that their lives are meaningfully enriched by their Judaism

          Learning By Doing

          At SJCC Bnai Aaron's Religious School, our children learn by doing. Not only do students learn about tefillot (prayers) and Shabbat, they also participate in Shabbat dinners and Junior Congregation, as well as in Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon services at Religious School. Our children not only learn about Jewish values, they also engage in social action/tikkun olam projects. Outside of school, we encourage our students to participate in informal Jewish education activities such as Camp Ramah, Kadima and USY. We are proud of our children's commitment to tzedakah and social actions, their ability to participate in and lead services, and their ability to read Torah, Haftarah and Megillot. We are also proud to say that our children love coming to Religious School and synagogue.  
      

          Curriculum/Teachers

        Classes for children in kindergarten and first grade are held on Sunday mornings. The curriculum includes a basic introduction to the study of holidays, Tanach, Tefillah, and simple Hebrew vocabulary through music, arts and crafts, stories, and discussions. Beginning in the fall of 2008, there will be a 2-day per week option for students in Grade 1.

          For children in grades two through seven, classes are held two days per week, on Sunday mornings and Wednesday afternoons. The curriculum includes Hebrew (with an emphasis on prayer book and biblical Hebrew, decoding, reading accuracy, and reading fluency), Tefillah (Prayer), Tanach (with an emphasis on Torah), Jewish History and Heroes, and Mitzvot (Commandments). Our students' study of Mitzvot includes rituals and ethics. In addition to learning laws and customs, our children also learn about Jewish values and tikkun olam.

          We are especially proud of our teachers and their commitment to our young people. One of our teachers, Aya Bleicher-Nugent, is one of the two recipients of the Phyllis Brooks Scheindlin Memorial Prize for 2008.  The Phyllis Brooks Scheindlin Prize, administered by the Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education, is an annual award to a supplementary school teacher for participation in a professional growth program. 

          A Religious School registration form and method of payment form for fall, 2008 are available on this website.