8th and 9th Grade courses - Spring 2010
Course Descriptions
First Hour (5:30-6:30)
Israeli Culture—Teen Perspectives - Arad Levertov
The course goal is to understand what is going on in Israel of 2010 from teen perspectives. We will try to get into an Israeli teenager’s shoes and talk about the topics she is interested in, including: The high school experience in Israel; How do Israeli teenagers have fun; Popular sports in Israel; Israeli- Palestinian conflict and its affect on day to day life; Military service in the eyes of an Israeli teenager
Bibiodrama – Rachel Galper
We will explore and create “bibliodrama” around the weekly Torah portions, write and read readers' theatre pieces for biblical and other stories, and learn how to create a "String of Pearls" or a running d'var Torah where each person picks up where the other leaves off.
What IS Jewish Theology? Can There be Such a Thing? (Pt. 2)- Judith Roth
This year-long class explores “Jewish Theology” focusing on God, creation, revelation,
redemption, covenant/chosenness, and Halacha, Jewish law. Students will learn about
the basic ideas of major Jewish philosophers and theologians in these areas:
Maimonides, Spinoza, Luria, Buber, Soloveitchik, Rosenzweig, Kaplan, Heschel
including several feminist thinkers, Rachel Adler and Judith Plaskow. We will discuss
death, living with anxiety in modern life, what is knowing and not-knowing, finding meaning and purpose in our lives. We will include the impact of two critical experiences
in the 20th century: the Shoah and the establishment of the State of Israel. This class
is intended to provide students an opportunity to begin a life-long dialogue with themselves about what they mean when they talk about God, Judaism, and their identity as Jews.
Ask The Rabbi - Rabbi Steve Kirschner
Is there a question you have always wanted to ask a rabbi but never had the chance (or never dared)? Here is your chance! Bring questions to Rabbi Steve Kirschner on the first day of class and he will research the answers, bring the answers to future classes and lead a discussion on the topics. No question is too “out there!” Can a Jew fall in love with a vampire? Should American Jews support the State of Israel? What does Judaism really say about homosexuality? Can I still be Jewish if I don’t believe in God? Why is everyone so interested in Kabbalah these days? These are some of the questions Rabbi Steve has thought of – what are yours??
J-teens: Social Connections in a Jewish Context - Ariel and David Krusch
Originally based on the book “J-girls Guide”, we have adapted this class to be co-ed. We will focus this semester on different kinds of social connections in a Jewish context. Some of our discussion topics include forgiveness; friendship; peer pressure; honoring parents; community involvement; and being Jewish in American society.
Ma Nishtana to Matisyahu: The Journey of Jewish Music—David Bernay
Music is an integral part of Jewish life and history. As music triggers a spiritual and emotional response in the listener as well as the performer, it is no surprise that Jews have integrated music in prayer and in celebration, in sadness and in hope throughout their history. Both religious and secular, musical performance is also a method of self-expression and self-identity. Through interactive lessons and group performances, this class will explore what makes music “Jewish.” Styles from classical liturgy, Jewish folk, Mizrahi and Middle Eastern, to modern rap, hip-hop and reggae will be sampled in hopes of broadening our understanding of Jewish music, its function in history and today.
Second Hour (6:30-7:30)
Yiddish Language and Culture: The Best-Kept Secret of American Jewry ” – Dr. Sheva Zucker For many Jews Yiddish is the language their parents or grandparents used when they did want them to understand what they were saying. No wonder then that many think of it as a language of swear words, curses and vulgar jokes, but surely over 1000 years of Jewish life in Eastern Europe have produced much more than that. In this course we will learn about the history of the Yiddish language, the Yiddish alphabet, proverbs, some major writers, music, Holocaust literature,the lives of Yiddish-speaking teenagers before WWII, and Yiddish in Israel and in present day America. Experience the richness of your culture.
Parshanut (Bible Commentaries) —Rabbi Steve Kirschner
Learning how to read and interpret a challenging text is a very important skill you can develop for college and beyond. We will learn from the great Jewish commentators—the “parshanim” - who interpreted the world’s greatest book—the Bible. Perhaps you have already heard of Rashi’s commentary on the Torah; but in addition to Rashi’s masterful interpretations, we will also study the commentaries of other great scholars such as David Kimchi, Abraham ibn Ezra, Moses ben Nachman and Sforno. We will look at a variety of texts in translation, beginning with commentaries on the Garden of Eden story and the binding of Isaac.
Jewish Art – Rachel Galper
We will explore and reproduce works from famous and not so famous Jewish artists in diverse 2D and 3D media. Chagall, Chicago, Gottlieb, Schapiro, Rothko, are just a few that come to mind. For each artist, we will read about and discuss his or her life and work to gain a better understanding of what inspired them to create the things they did. One guiding question will be, "Is there such a thing as Jewish art?"
Taste of Hebrew—Arad Levertov
This class will focus primarily on developing skills in spoken modern Hebrew. No previous knowledge of Hebrew is required.
Jewish Wisdom for Teens -Yehudis Bluming
Traditional Judaism is full of wisdom that is relevant for living our lives today. We’ll talk about things that are important to our lives, like romance and cliques, friendship and fame, rebellion and happiness—but we’ll add the wisdom of traditional Judaism to the discussion.
Kabbalah and the Teenage Soul - R. Zalman Bluming
We will interactively study exciting Kabbalistic themes and some of the most mystical and intriguing parts of Jewish life. We’ll apply these mystical teachings to our own lives. This Kabbalah class will leave you amazed, surprised and enriched in spirituality.
Fall 2009
8th/9th Grade Fall 2009
8th and 9th graders can take the following classes:
Sunday 5:00-5:30pm - Dinner for All Grades
Sunday 5:30-6:30pm
MaNishtana to Mattisyahu: The Journey of Jewish Music - David Bernay (8th/9th)
What IS Jewish Theology? - Judith Roth (8th/9th)
Is My Life Your Business? - R.Zalman Bluming (8th/9th)
Spiritual Storytelling - Rachel Galper (8th/9th)
J-teens—David and Ariel Krusch (8th/9th)
Sunday 6:30-7:30pm
Jewish Stories of “Home” and “Exile” - David Bernay (8th/9th)
Kabbalah for the Teenage Soul - R. Zalman Bluming (8th/9th)
Jewish Wisdom for Teens- Yehudis Bluming (8th/9th)
Reading Ruth—Judith Roth (8th/9th grade)
In the Image of God—Rachel Galper (8th/9th)
Introduction to the Babylonian Talmud—Rabbi Steve Kirschner
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Schedule of Sessions—Fall Semester
Fall 2009 Classes will meet
September 13
October 11, 18, 25
November 1, 8, 15, 22
December 6, 13 (End of Semester Program)
There is no Midrasha on November 29
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Ma Nishtana to Matisyahu: The Journey of Jewish Music—David Bernay
Music is an integral part of Jewish life and history. As music triggers a spiritual and emotional response in the listener as well as the performer, it is no surprise that Jews have integrated music in prayer and in celebration, in sadness and in hope throughout their history.
Both religious and secular, musical performance is also a method of self-expression and self-identity. Through interactive lessons and group performances, this class will explore what makes music “Jewish.” Styles from classical liturgy, Jewish folk, Mizrahi and Middle Eastern, to modern rap, hip-hop and reggae will be sampled in hopes of broadening our understanding of Jewish music, its function in history and today.
What IS Jewish Theology? - Judith Roth
This year-long class explores “Jewish Theology” focusing on God, creation, revelation, redemption, covenant/chosenness, and Halacha, Jewish law. Students will learn about the basic ideas of major Jewish philosophers and theologians in these areas: Maimonides, Spinoza, Luria, Buber, Soloveitchik, Rosenzweig, Kaplan, Heschel including several feminist thinkers, Rachel Adler and Judith Plaskow. We will discuss death, living with anxiety in modern life, what is knowing and not-knowing, finding meaning and purpose in our lives. We will include the impact of two critical experiences in the 20th century: the Shoah and the establishment of the State of Israel. This class is intended to provide students an opportunity to begin a life-long dialogue with themselves about what they mean when they talk about God, Judaism, and their identity as Jews.
Is my life any of your business? - R. Zalman Bluming
We’ll spend an incredible semester exploring real-life issues that will test your courage and challenge your instincts. Discover what 3,000 years of tradition has to say about issues like drugs, smoking, suicide, extreme sports, self defense and rescuing strangers.
Spiritual Storytelling - Rachel Galper
Have you ever felt, or wish you could feel, real excitement when you read or hear a Jewish story or excerpt of Torah? Do you have trouble figuring out how holy texts could possibly apply in your life? Well, then this class is for you!
Together we will learn the art of public speaking from the heart by reviving and sharing holy stories and creating and delivering d'var Torahs from the weekly parshiot. Our focus will be on building "ruach" (spirit) in our ourselves and our audiences by transmitting the heart of our stories and d'vars using voice, gesture, movement, understanding and passion.
We will read and retell classic Chassidic stories, tales of Holy Women, Jewish Myths and Mystical tales, folktales, and stories from Torah. We will also study the weekly parshot and learn how to craft a d'var by identifying and developing a particular theme. When you finish this course, you will never look at the "same old story" quite the same way again.
J-teens: Social Connections in a Jewish Context - Ariel and David Krusch
Originally based on the book “J-girls Guide”, we have adapted this class to be co-ed. We will focus this semester on different kinds of social connections in a Jewish context. Some of our discussion topics include forgiveness; friendship; peer pressure; honoring parents; community involvement; and being Jewish in American society.
Jewish Stories of Exile and Home - David Bernay
Stories are a core component of Jewish cultural history. In this class, we will discover how stories function as Jewish experiences, transmit Jewish values and reflect the diversity of Jewish history, specifically as it relates to the concepts of “ Exile” and “Home”. We will read different types of stories or plays each week in order to deepen our understanding of “ Exile” and “Home” in Jewish civilization.
Kabbalah and the Teenage Soul - R. Zalman Bluming
We will interactively study exciting Kabbalistic themes and some of the most mystical and intriguing parts of Jewish life. We’ll apply these mystical teachings to our own lives. This Kabbalah class will leave you amazed, surprised and enriched in spirituality.
Jewish Wisdom for Teens -Yehudis Bluming
Traditional Judaism is full of wisdom that is relevant for living our lives today. We’ll talk about things that are important to our lives, like romance and cliques, friendship and fame, rebellion and happiness—but we’ll add the wisdom of traditional Judaism to the discussion.
Reading Ruth: The Essence of Judaism in a Few Short Pages - Judith Roth
The Story of Ruth has been described as illustrating the essence of Judaism, the touchstone of Jewish spiritual practice and its role in community. Love, romance, and hope, extreme loss, pain and despair, women's roles and legal status, gender roles and sexuality, legal status, conversion to Judaism and intermarriage, personal identity, women's relationships, being the “other” in society, the limitations of loyalty, and family connections are among the many themes of the Story of Ruth. This semester we will read this short text and explore the many facets of this ancient story, considering how it relates to our modern lives.
In the Image of God—Rachel Galper
As Jews we learn that we are made in God's image but are forbidden to make graven images of God. So how do we express our experience of the Divine in visual form? How can art deepen our connection to Judaism and the God of our understanding? How have contemporary Jewish artists grappled with these issues?
In this course we will work with paint, collage, assemblage, mosaic, clay and charcoal to make two and three dimensional mixed media pieces around such topics as divine and human love, life and death, religious rituals and prayers, hebrew music and letters, home and exile. We will explore the attributes of God (Exodus 34:6-7) and the many names of God, and gather inspiration from the works of such Jewish artists as Chagall, Chicago, Nevelson, and Rothko as well as from our own spiritual and creative vision.
Introduction to the Talmud—Rabbi Steve Kirschner
The Talmud is one of the most important sources in the rich Jewish textual tradition, second perhaps only to the Bible itself, and arguably one of the greatest literary works in world history. Many Jews study the Talmud daily. A combination of legal, narrative and legendary material (Halakhah, Aggadah and Midrash), the Talmud is a huge (20 volumes in a standard set!) and complicated piece of work. Spanning 600 years, the Talmud weaves together material from the time when the Second Temple still stood through the time when the center of Jewish culture had shifted from Judea to Babylonia. It is written in two languages – Hebrew and Aramaic.
We will begin with a portion of text from the section of Talmud dealing with blessings (Berakhot) and look at some of the key ways a Talmudic discussion is constructed – key words, argumentative style, proof texts and so on. We will use the Artscroll Talmud, which is translated and contains a voweled Hebrew text, so no one needs to worry that his or her Hebrew (and Aramaic) isn’t good enough!