KITAH ALEPH (1st)

Our foundational Jewish Stories: A chance to learn about our ancestors as we learn about what it means to be part of the Jewish people.

TOPICS:

Torah stories (Exodus), holidays, Aleph-Bet, Tefillah, community and Israel

SCHEDULE:

Wednesdays: 4-6 PM

BIG IDEAS:

• We are all part of the Jewish community.

• Jews celebrate special holidays and read special stories in the Torah.

• Hebrew is the language that Jews speak, including in Israel.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

• What does it mean to be Jewish?

• What are Jewish holidays and how do we celebrate them?

• What are Jewish stories? How do we learn about them?

• Who is in my Jewish community?

• What is Israel?

OBJECTIVES:

Students will learn how to…

• Identify letters of the Aleph Bet.

• Use Hebrew for common greetings, holiday-related vocabulary, to refer to people in the synagogue, and when discussing Israel.

• Celebrate major Jewish holidays (calendar split between Gan and Kitah Aleph).

• Navigate the synagogue--including who is in the synagogue, where things are, and what happens in the synagogue.

Students will understand that…

• Each Jewish holiday has its own story, mitzvot, and ways that we celebrate it.

• Torah stories teach us about what it means to be Jewish.

• Hebrew is the language that Jews from all over the world can use to communicate.

• Israel is a Jewish country.

Students will believe that…

• It is fun to be Jewish!

• We do “Jewish things” with family, friends, and the Jewish community.

• Israel is a Jewish country, and it is for all Jews, everywhere.

• We can learn more about Judaism by reading Torah stories.