Chai School
Chai School” meets the challenge of providing a meaningful Jewish education for adolescent age students (Grades 7 – 12) by allowing them to design their own program of study! Chai School meets on Tuesday nights during the school year from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM.
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7th & 8th Grade
Grade 7: Hineini – Here I Am as an Emerging Jewish Adult - Using the curriculum created by Facing History and Ourselves, our seventh-grade curriculum links history to ethics by engaging teachers and students in a journey from identity, through the study of a specific historical case study, provoking questions that are both particular and universal. Students study traditional Jewish sources focusing on the prophets and their responses to anti-Semitism and difficult historical times. Students also use the 7th Grade CHAI Torah Curriculum. CHAI focuses on personal reflection and improvement, "Who I am and who I'd like to be," helping each student reach his/her potential. Torah study turns to B'reishit and Commentaries, focusing on a few stories of individuals who grow and learn.
Grade 8: Making Judaism Work for Me! – The 8th graders study comparative religion through Jewish eyes. Students discuss and learn about each of the world's major religions and debate how Judaism is both similar and different from them. Comparative religion is a great way to learn about Judaism! Topics include; "what is a religion", things to remember about Judaism, and basic understandings of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Students will also discuss how to respond to Christian Missionaries. Jewish text-based activities that further open students' insight into each religion and invite active discussions will complement each session. A “Jewish Boston” weekend retreat is the highlight of the second semester!
9th Grade
Grade 9: Coming to America - Our 9th graders, using contemporary materials and specifically designed curriculum, explore the political, social, economic, and religious history of the American Jewish community during the Eastern European migration to America. Students travel as a group to New York City and experience their curriculum "first hand" during our Jewish New York Educational Seminar.
9th graders also explore ethical and moral issues and learn how to apply Jewish principles and concepts to their everyday lives. Jewish text study and group debate and discussion make up the core of our ninth-grade program.
Confirmation
Grade 10: Confirmation - What is God? Is there more than one way to perceive of God? How can we know God? What does God want from us? How does God fit into my life? If there is a God, why do bad things happen in the world? This is a course about God. More specifically, it is a course about ways in which Jews have spoken about and to God through four thousand years of Jewish history. The Rabbis will present a spectrum of theological options that have been explored and affirmed by great Jewish thinkers, ancient and modern, and offer students a solid foundation to begin the exploration of their own concepts of God.
The tenth graders also participate in a social action program in Washington D.C. They join students from all over the country to experience our nation's capital through Jewish lenses. Our tenth-grade year culminates in a Confirmation ceremony on Erev Shavuot. Under the guidance of the Rabbis, the tenth-grade students create and lead the service, offering their own insights and teachings to the congregation.
Post Confirmation
Our Post Confirmation program is designed to ensure that our students are ready for the challenges of post high school graduation. When they graduate high school, our students will come into contact and interact with students from all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. When they are talking with their friends and questions come up about what Judaism believes in, this course will assist them with the answers. This two-year curriculum focuses on Mussar and dilemmas facing teens. Highlights of the year include a seminar in American Jewish History in Philadelphia or a Southern US Civil rights weekend.
Madrichim
These teens are transformed into role models, and young students look up to them. Confidence, pride and a renewed passion for learning – that’s what this program creates for our teens. Madrichim prepare lessons, lead small group discussions and tutor children in Hebrew, introduce exciting games to review classroom material, provide a safe and loving environment for every student, make it “cool” to be Jewish, and bring a sense of ruach (spirit) to the classroom and youth events.