RABBINICS

Rabbinic literature is introduced as its own subject beginning in the 6th grade.  The relationship between the Written and the Oral Torah is the lens by which most units are approached.  Whether students are learning about kashrut or the death penalty, the Pesach seder or laws of property damage, the meta-lesson is the same: evolution of the interpretive tradition, and notions of canon.  Students learn to see themselves as part of the ongoing tradition of Conversational Torah.

There are four main areas within Rabbinics that are taught in each of the three middle school grades: holidays; prayer; torts/damages (nezikin); and ethics.  Each year builds on the foundation laid in the previous year, and each year the material becomes more sophisticated in both content and approach.  For example, for “prayer”, the sixth grade begins with a unit berakhot (blessings and laying the ground work), seventh grade continues with a unit about kriat shma, and eighth grade does a unit on the amidah. 

Genres of rabbinic literature is also an important concern.  Sixth grade focuses on mishnah, seventh grade continues with mishnah and introduces gemara, and eighth grade focuses on gemara. 

The Rabbinics curriculum carefully takes into account the developmental needs of children in different age groups.

In sixth grade there is an extensive unit on “Jewish Symbols and Jewish Identity” in which we explore tallit/tefillin and discuss becoming a Jewish adult -- in preparation for upcoming bar/bat mitzvah celebrations.  For their milestone event, each child makes his or her own tallit and ties the tzitzit with his/her family.  These tallitot are proudly used throughout middle school and high-school, in school, camp, youth group events, etc.

In seventh grade there is a strong emphasis on fostering a growing sense of personal responsibility and awareness of others, especially in the Talmud Torah unit, which focuses on classroom dynamics and student-teacher relationships.

In eighth grade there is more of a focus on “contemporary issues” (e.g., death penalty, abortion, relevance of prayer) -- in recognition of the growing maturity of the students, and their increasing need to be given tools with which they can form their own judgments.

Rabbinics includes a combination of whole group and small group instruction; occasional guest speakers; varied assessments: traditional quizzes/tests; creative writing assignments; art projects; role-playing (skits); and differentiated assessment based on students’ Hebrew levels and abilities.