Kindergarten through Second Grade JEWL Programs Explained

Kindergarten - Gan
Meets on Sundays for Session I or Session II

Build a community through small groups so learners get to know every student in the class. Listening to and communicating with one another lays the groundwork for a sense of belonging through high school and beyond, fostering lifelong friendships.

Explore the weekly Torah portion through visual illustrations and narratives. In the fall, a family-wide consecration service marks the start of our children’s lifelong education. Learners will receive a mini Torah scroll, serving as a reminder of Jewish values and heritage.

Gain a spiritual foundation by reciting and understanding the words of the Shema, integrating a belief in one God with the idea of being God’s partner in making the world a better place. We inspire wonder in our learners by teaching mitzvot as the “jobs” we do as God’s partners. We express appreciation for the partnership through prayer, such as the blessings we say for grape juice and challah.

Integrate Hebrew words related to holidays and rituals and everyday words of colors, animals, people, parts of the body, and foods.

Practice gratitude for what we have and become aware that not everyone has all they need. Each class creates a tzedakah box that will be a visual reminder of the people we will be helping.

Focus on the value of G’milut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness). Learners develop relationships with Temple Israel’s clergy and their special friend, “Chaim Chesed”, who helps teach this important mitzvah. Learners also broaden this theme by bringing in examples of kindness they see outside of JEWL.

First Grade - Aleph
Meets on Sundays for Session I or Session II

Build a warm classroom climate as well as a rich learning environment through learning together in chevrutah (pairs or small groups) in which learners support and further each other’s learning.

Explore the weekly Torah portions and create a classroom “Visual Torah”. These artistic expressions increase our learners’ connection with the Torah and enhance their understanding of its timeless lessons. Modern-day stories strengthen these values. 

Increase their understanding of Jewish beliefs by reading the Shema as a brit (a covenant) between God and the Jewish people. Learners delve into the concept of “Israel” as a people and a place. We broaden the concept of mitzvot as personal responsibilities, exploring them through literature, art, and classroom projects.

Practice gratitude by exploring the prayerbook’s daily blessings for who we are, what we have, and what we experience. We also deepen our awareness of people’s basic needs and consider ways we can help them through tzedakah and other ways to give.

Focus on values of derech eretz (acting responsibly and respectfully). Throughout the year, learners receive recognition for personal actions that reflect derech eretz.

Second Grade - Bet
Meets on Sundays for Session I or Session II

Deepen chevrutah-style (paired or small group) learning that nurtures established relationships, encourages new friendships, fosters personal creativity, and reinforces the power of the collective to strengthen ideas.

Explore Torah stories from the weekly portion with an emphasis on the journeys and character of individual biblical personalities.

Commit to a classroom b’rit (covenant) of personal responsibilities to create a safe and effective learning environment while exploring various biblical partnerships.

Integrate simple Hebrew sentences usage with directions for games and activities. Learners will also focus on Hebrew words relating to Passover, begin to sing the Four Questions for the Passover Seder, and create a personalized Four Questions keepsake.

Focus on the value of kavod (respect) by honoring our fellow human beings. Each week a student is recognized for their efforts in or out of the classroom and given a Kol H’kavod (all respect or way to go) award.

Third Grade - Gimel
Meets twice per week: Sundays (Session I or Session II) and Tuesdays OR Wednesdays

Build a warm, socially integrated, and inquiry-based learning environment based around a chevrutah (paired or small group) model of study. Learners have opportunities to “show what they know” and become teachers as pairs and in small groups, sharing their ideas and their accomplishments.

Explore each weekly Torah portion and begin to recognize words as leaders decode Hebrew over the course of the year. Learners explore their feelings about each portion, the lessons they find in it, and how those messages relate to today’s world.

Broaden their appreciation of Hebrew as a language through their formal study of the Aleph-bet (Hebrew alphabet). Learners learn the sounds of letters and vowels and apply their knowledge to reading and writing. Their daily use of functional Hebrew vocabulary is complemented by games, common phrases, and common classroom items used daily.

Embrace the mitzvah of rodef tzedek (pursuing justice), and the ways in which they can actively contribute to a more just world. Learners explore opportunities to be up-standers rather than bystanders and share their ideas about people, places, and organizations that could benefit from their donations for tzedakah.  

Integrate the value of menschlichkeit as a standard of personal behavior. Explore the rabbinic sage Hillel’s threefold teaching on caring for self, for others, and the call to seize opportunities to act with integrity at every moment. Students are honored as a “Mensch of the Week.”