Hebrew school

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Hebrew school is

Hebrew
vowels, and very close together text and minimal line spacing; making it very challenging for almost anyone to read from.

Hebrew school can be either an educational regimen separate from secular education similar to the Christian

Associated Hebrew Schools
in Toronto.

Background and history

According to an article in the

Jewish Quarterly Review entitled "The Jewish Sunday School Movement in the United States" and printed in 1900, "the exact beginning of the American Jewish Sunday schools is obscured by uncertainty and difficulty of opinion",[1] though it is largely credited with the works of Miss Rebecca Gratz, a Philadelphia native, who sought to provide Jewish schooling to those most in need. As students received secular schooling, Miss Gratz understood the need to provide Jewish history and Jewish traditions to those most lacking a basic understanding in Jewish education. In fact, Jewish Sunday school grew largely in response to Christian Sunday school, as a means of providing proper Jewish education to students who otherwise lacked any religious grounding in Jewish traditions and history or lacked the financial means necessary to attend such a school.[1] As a devout Jew, Gratz dedicated her life to helping the poor and neglected. In 1818, "under the sponsorship of the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society of Philadelphia, the Hebrew Sunday School Society of Philadelphia was created on 4 March, her birthday, with about 60 students".[2] To this day, Rebecca Gratz is referenced as "the foremost American Jewess of her day".[1]

Curriculum overview

Hebrew school is typically taught on Sunday and on one day of the week – either Tuesday or Wednesday – in the late afternoon, following secular education in private or public schools. Hebrew school education developed in the 1800s and is largely credited to Rebecca Gratz.

Today, typical Hebrew school education starts in kindergarten and culminates in the 10th grade with

Chabad houses
.

Kindergarten and first grade

During kindergarten and first grade, students are introduced to major

Joseph in Egypt
. First grade is sometimes referred to as "grade aleph", corresponding to the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet.

Second grade through fifth grade

During these years, students build on a variety of skills and knowledge they have learned as youngsters while learning new skills like reading Hebrew, reciting common prayers such as the

mitzvot of Judaism, children will bake challah for Shabbat, have class in a sukkah during Sukkot
, or light candles during Hanukkah. These experiences teach children about the holidays and mitzvot better than just reading about them.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation

One of the most important events to take place during Jewish education is the celebration of the

haftorah portion[6] by learning to use cantillation, a system for chanting sacred texts.[7]
Oftentimes children will attend Hebrew school with the sole purpose of learning how to read Hebrew for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. In these cases, the students will mostly learn the Hebrew words that are in the Torah portion they will be reciting.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Abrahams, Israel and Claude Goldsmid Montefiore, ed. (1900). "The Jewish Sunday School Movement in the United States". The Jewish Quarterly Review. 12. New York: MacMillan Company.
  2. ^ "Rebecca Gratz".
  3. ^ "Temple Emanu-El".
  4. ^ "NSHS Hebrew School for Children Grades K - 6". Archived from the original on 3 November 2006. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
  5. ^ "Curriculum". Archived from the original on 19 May 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
  6. ISBN 9780867050318. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help
    )
  7. ^ "Eicha". 23 July 2007.
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