Hebrew High School

Jewish learning does not end when someone becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah

it is a lifelong journey

How Jewish Learning Changes in High School

However, once a student enters the 8th grade both the content and schedule of Jewish learning changes.

The Hebrew High or Chai School at TI, for grades 8 - 10, meets every Wednesday evening from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m., and includes a hot dinner at the beginning of each week's session.

Instead of having one teacher and curriculum for the entire year the Chai students get exposed to between seven and nine different teachers covering a wide variety of topics.

A Sampling of what the Chai School is Learning this year

The Jewish Path to Social Justice - David Mackoff

One of the strongest imperatives in Judaism is to fix the world. David Mackoff has been a member of Jews United for Justice, a local D.C. group that advocates for social justice, since the group was founded. David’s class will incorporate his own experiences advocating for social justice and positive change here in D.C. and intertwine those experiences with Jewish text and thought on the subject.

Santa Claus v. God - Eitan Gutin

“He’s makin’ a list, chekin’ it twice, gonna find out whose naughty or nice, A-do-nai is coming, to town...”

Have  you ever noticed how a lot of what you hear about God would work just as well if it was something you were hearing about Santa Claus? God lives up in the sky and has a long, white beard. God has a book that He takes out every Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur that has a list of all of our deeds in the past year. Anyone who is good gets rewarded. Bad? You get punished in ways that are a bit different from a lump of coal.

We will look at the traditional views of God in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and other monotheistic religions. The class will then have a chance to discuss their own beliefs in just what God is, and what our relationship with God is meant to be like.

The Koran and The Torah - Rabbi Ethan Seidel

In a world in which there is often so much pulling us apart from our Muslim brothers and sisters, it is easy to forget that we share a common bond of ancestry. After all, Abraham is the father of Islam just as he is the father of Judaism; Moses is revered as a prophet in Judaism and in Islam alike. Over these four sessions students will learn stories that Jews and Muslims share, and how we differ in the ways we tell them.