Focus on Jewish values, rituals, pride, and language.
Students in our Masa program enjoy a well-rounded, age-appropriate curriculum that is planned by the religious school principal and implemented by our talented and experienced teachers. Our school offers small classes with attention to individual achievement.
Literacy
Even our youngest learners are taught to decode Hebrew. Beginning students learn the letters and sounds of the Alef-Bet and the vowel points, progressing on using a textbook and supplemental materials to read words and short sentences. Our more experienced readers continue to practice their Hebrew decoding skills through more complex texts aligned with holiday celebrations, songs, and prayers. The integration of related curriculum helps ensure that language instruction is relevant and meaningful.
Holidays
The joy of Judaism is expressed in our holiday celebrations. Students spend several classes prior to each holiday learning the history of the festival, songs and prayers associated with it, and become familiar with the rituals and traditions of the home, synagogue, and community. In a typical year, we build and eat in a sukkah, dance with the Torah, make Chanukiyot or dreydlekh and lead candle lighting and songs for Chanukah, have a Tu Bishvat seder, tell the story of Purim through fun and revelry, go through Passover seder stations, and lead community prayers for Shabbat. The integration of our synagogue’s family connections and Hebrew school programming has made our holiday celebrations stronger.
Torah
Our curriculum this year has increased its focus on the “Parsha of the Week.” The first half of the year was spent studying the classic Biblical stories in B’reyshit – Gensis – that are timeless and inspiring. Each week, students engaged with Torah by reading stories, acting out skits, coloring, and singing. Each class has activities that are appropriate to its learners; our intermediate students enjoy stories and high-level discussions about the deeper meaning of each parsha.
We Meet You Where You Are
Our school is associated with a Conservative synagogue and is a “big tent” program. You do not need to be a member of the synagogue to send your children to our school, and you do not need to be affiliated with Conservative Judaism. Our students come from a wide range of family backgrounds, and each is valued. We seek to instill a love of Judaism and Jewish learning — taking pride in ourselves and the People Israel. You’ll be welcome here, even if you’ve never engaged with a congregation before.
