Jewish life is rich in history and meaning. Torah (Jewish study), Tefilah (worship) and Mitzvot (acts of holiness) guide the BIJ Religious School curriculum during the years leading up to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Service. During the year prior to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah we encourage the individual student to study and reflect more deeply in order that s/he may develop a personally meaningful relationship with God, with Torah and with the world.
We use a variety of materials, including URJ’s CHAI curriculum (from the Union for Reform Judaism, see below) and the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). We highly advise the purchase Putting God on the Guestlist by Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin (both student and parent edition) as a resource for self-study and family discussion.
Program Goals
• To teach that mitzvot like tzedakah and gemilut hasadim are Jewish way of life.
• To provide a meaningful spiritual experience for students and families.
• To facilitate connection among students and families with the entire BIJ community.
The Sunday curriculum includes classroom lessons and family educational workshops.
Activities include social action projects, topical discussions, field trips, and craft workshops.
This year there are several additional workshops that may be implemented these include:
• Social action/tzedakah project
• Ropes course
• Interfaith Issues in Bar/Bat Mitzvah
• “Owning your Parshah” (a family workshop for understanding of your assigned parashah)
• Hand made midrash (artistic interpretations of Torah)
• Talit making
We strive to include enriching, meaningful experiences for the student and the family.
On Wednesdays, our curriculum focuses on learning Hebrew. Students participate in the “Circles of Success” program, through which they learn to read and understand the Shabbat prayers. Their success in this program allows them to move on to learning their Torah and Haftarah portions without being overwhelmed.