Himmelfarb Curriculum

What we learn…

Keeping in line with the values and priorities of Tifereth Israel, the Himmelfarb Religious School focuses on the importance of community, the stories of Torah and rabbinic literature that have shaped generations of Jewish communities, Hebrew decoding fluency and prayer skills, and a broad understanding of Jewish life and culture. 

Tefilah Workshop consists of working our way through prayers in the service by understanding key vocabulary, nusach (melody), meaning, and reading mastery.  Himmelfarb prays together each Sunday, with student leaders and Rabbi Werbow using upbeat and engaging tunes.  In addition, the Himmelfarb School takes a prominent role in leading services for the entire congregation throughout the year.

Our Judaics curriculum incorporates an eclectic approach to learning about the holidays, including school-wide events such as “Nailed It! Passover Edition'' and our “Tu Bi’Shevat Ice Cream Seder.”  We focus on essential aspects of Jewish culture, ensuring our children develop a deep, personal Jewish identity, through such topics as Shabbat, history, Biblical literacy, and more.

How we learn…

Judaics

Himmelfarb puts as much emphasis on how our children learn as what they are learning.  We offer our learners options in how to master learning objectives.  Students have have had options to learn through Beit Midrash-style text learning and writing; music; drama; visual arts; makers’ space; builder’s space; and more. This past year, some students engaged in close readings of fundamental Bible stories, and then recreated a crucial moment from the text out of Legos.  For our Shabbat unit, students in the music room wrote lyrics to popular songs demonstrating their learning.  In the days leading up to Shavuot, our children made Omer counters, learned how a Torah scroll is written, and enjoyed an immersive Sinai experience. 

Hebrew

Language acquisition works differently for each student, and we understand the importance of learning in a manner that works for each student. Our Hebrew teaching is done one-on-one online, at a time that works for your family and the teacher. We do have an option for in-person Hebrew teaching if this is best for your student. 

Why we learn like we do…

Our open classroom approach works to build community and strengthen social bonds and allows opportunities for the Himmelfarb School to explore putting our values into action. It also effectively allows learners of all styles to be successful socially, emotionally, and academically.

READ PARENT AND STUDENT TESTIMONIALS ABOUT HIMMELFARB

 

Please reach out to our Director of Lifelong Learning, Rabbi Tracy Nathan, for more information.