education

Parents and children can deepen their understanding of Judaism together when they participate in our Family Education programs. These programs are for families with children from pre-school to sixth grade.

Family Program Schedule

Generally Sunday mornings, 9:30–11:30 AM
Location: Vinson-Owen School, 75 Johnson Road, Winchester

Temple built by first-graders and their parents

First Grade: Hanukkah Relived
The first grade learned about the role of the Temple in the early Jewish community. They designed and recreated a child-sized version of the Temple that was destroyed.

Second Grade: Light
The second grade learned about the significance of light to the holiday and the season. They explored designs of ancient oil lamps and made their own oil-burning lamp.

Shir Chadash sang for second graders at Family Ed program. (Photo: Nina Manolson)

Third Grade: Courage
The third grade discussed the meaning of courage as it applies to the story of the Maccabees and to their own sense of Jewish identity today. They created family identity shields together.

Fourth Grade: The Creation of the Torah
The fourth grade studied the Torah as a series of biblical family stories and created their own "Family Torah."

Fifth Grade: Sayings from Kohelet
Our exploration with the fifth grade took a look at the poetic writings from our tradition, “A time to be born, a time to die…” and examined the cycle of life and death.

Sixth Grade: Mentches Project
We started a new Social Action track where sixth graders and their parents work together to form a community engaged in healing the world.

The Religious School of Temple Shir Tikvah serves pre-school through high school students. Our educational philosophy offers our children and their families an enriching learning environment where they can participate in a living Jewish tradition. The curriculum stresses the understanding and celebration of Judaism as an evolving religion and culture. Our program seeks to foster moral and ethical judgment, pride in Judaism, competency in Jewish practice, and basic Hebrew literacy.

We are guided in the pursuit of our vision by a set of Jewish values, which include:

These courses are intended for students in grades 8–12. The school year is divided into 3 trimesters. Two trimesters consist of electives, and the core classes are taken during the third trimester. Our Wednesday evening meetings begin with music with Beth and a pizza dinner. In addition, we celebrate the holidays together, create a Purim Shpiel for our community, and engage in other school-wide activities.

Eighth Grade Core Course — Got Religion?
You’ve been learning about Judaism all your life. What about the other world religions? We will look at what Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and American Indian religions have to say about good and evil, life after death, their clergy, nature, heaven and hell, and many other hot topics. Of course, we will explore these ideas within in Judaism as well.

Ninth Grade Core Course — Jewish Identity Through Art
What is identity? What is a self portrait? What's in our name? We will read a poem by Zelda as a frame work for creating a visual representation of our identity. We will discuss the three layers of meaning that our names can hold and different ways these make up who we are. What aspect of your self image is your Jewish identity? What are the materials you would use from your surroundings and from your Jewish inheritance in making a self portrait? We will look at some examples of personalized icons, plan and create our own.

Tenth, Eleventh & Twelfth Grade Core Course — Traditions and Decisions
At birth our parents made decisions about our Jewish identities through naming and bris ceremonies, but as we move through life we have increasing control of decisions about Jewish milestones. In this course we will discuss a variety of life-cycle moments (marriage, death, conversion, birth) and the Jewish tradition and interpretations that surrounds them. We will explore texts, watch film clips, and hear from speakers to address questions such as:

Tikkun Olam
We are planning a second Family Service Trip to New Orleans: April 16–22, 2010. High school students and adult family members will live and work closely together for 6 days, rebuilding homes in St. Tammany Parish and exploring the life and culture of the New Orleans area. Click here for a flyer, FAQ, and sample schedule. Questions? Contact Shahar Colt.

In February 2008, 10 students and 10 parents traveled to New Orleans to rebuild two houses. It was an eye-opening and intense experience for all. Click here to watch a video of Shir Tikvah 11^th grade families helping to rebuild homes in New Orleans, shot and edited by one of our own talented high school students.

Unboarding the Jackson house so we can work inside it. (Photo: Dan Stone)
See more photos.

Electives Sample (two trimesters)
(Priority in selection will be given to older students)

Israel Exposed
Have you ever wondered why Modern Hebrew is so different from what we learn in Religious School? What does being in the Israeli military feel like? What interests teenagers your age in Israel? What music are they listening to, what social networks are they part of, and what are their dreams and aspirations? You don’t need a plane ticket. Just bring a healthy dose of curiosity and come join our class, where we will explore together the Israel that you don’t get to read about in the news.

I Eat, Therefore I Am, Reloaded
New recipes! How do the food and traditions of different Jewish cultures define them? Learn about the Jews of Azerbaijan (ever hear this place?), Iran, Chile, and many others through their food. We will actually make and eat interesting dishes as we consider the impact that regional cultures have on being Jewish. Come hungry but go home satisfied!

What's the Talmud Got to Do with It?
This class is for people who like to argue. Did you know that the Talmud, not the Bible, is the real book that created the Judaism that we know? Find out what the Talmud says about how to live a proper life. Hear all the arguments for and against various points of view and contribute some of your own.

Family Program Schedule Generally Sunday mornings, 9:30–11:30 AM Location: Vinson-Owen School, 75 Johnson Road, Winchester
Temple built by first-graders and their parents	First Grade: Hanukkah Relived The first grade learned about the role of the Temple in the early Jewish community. They designed and recreated a child-sized version of the Temple that was destroyed.
Second Grade: Light The second grade learned about the significance of light to the holiday and the season. They explored designs of ancient oil lamps and made their own oil-burning lamp.	Shir Chadash sang for second graders at Family Ed program. (Photo: Nina Manolson)
Third Grade: Courage The third grade discussed the meaning of courage as it applies to the story of the Maccabees and to their own sense of Jewish identity today. They created family identity shields together.
Fourth Grade: The Creation of the Torah The fourth grade studied the Torah as a series of biblical family stories and created their own "Family Torah."
Fifth Grade: Sayings from Kohelet Our exploration with the fifth grade took a look at the poetic writings from our tradition, “A time to be born, a time to die…” and examined the cycle of life and death.
Sixth Grade: Mentches Project We started a new Social Action track where sixth graders and their parents work together to form a community engaged in healing the world.