Machane TBA Primary (Grades Pre- K-2)

 Our youngest students at Machane TBA receive a broad introduction to Jewish life by exploring Jewish holidays, Jewish values, Hebrew, bible stories and Tefillah (prayer). Guided by our thoughtful teachers and clergy, our innately spiritual students in grades Pre-K-2 learn about the importance of Tzedakah (charitable giving) and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), and synagogue rituals. By the end of Bet (2nd Grade), students in our program should successfully be able to decode basic one and two-syllable Hebrew words as well as participate in holiday observances and important Jewish rituals.

Our Primary students receive special instruction in Jewish art, movement, and music. Students also participate in “Ask the Rabbi” sessions during which they engage in direct dialogue with our rabbis. In addition, students participate in large scale interactive programming such as a Passover Seder, a Jonah and Whale reenactment, a Noah’s Ark Program and Tikkun Olam activities.

Primary Enrichment

Primary Enrichment provides our Pre-K-2^nd grade students with three diverse 7-week fun, educational class sessions on Sunday mornings after their regular Machane session. Children are given the opportunity to engage in social activities and meet children from other grades and classes with whom they might not ordinarily spend time during their Machane session. Children have a snack with bagels with cream cheese, butter or jelly and juice and they have time for free play.

Primary Kehillah

Primary Kehillah are stand-alone youth programs for our PreK-2^nd grade students held on Sunday mornings after their regular Machane session. These are structured social programs with a fun, age-appropriate, engaging activity. In the past, they learned about Tikkun Olam when Star Gazing Farm animals visited, while we created crafts to be sold to raise funds for this nonprofit animal sanctuary. We’ve baked hamentashen and made mishloach manot gift bags to donate. We provide bagels with cream cheese, butter or jelly and juice. There is time for free play, in addition to their Primary Kehillah Program.

Primary Faculty

• Gan (Kindergarten) – Kate Wernick, Linda King, Jody Rosenblum
• Alef (First Grade) – Ally Kahler, Alisa Weinstein, Randi Kotok
• Bet (Second Grade) – Cara O’Connor, Erin Felrice, Stacey Rubinstein, Jennifer Weil

Atzmai’im (“Independents”) Inclusion Program

Our school is extremely proud to have one of the longest-standing synagogue inclusion programs in the DC Metro area which serves students of all abilities. The Atzma’im program is available on Sunday mornings. This cohort of students is fully included among their peers and are supervised by a highly-trained Inclusion Coordinator and aided by a team of trained student madrichim who provide one-on-one support and assistance. This program represents a partnership between families and Machane, and students participate in a capacity which works most effectively for their individual needs.

CURRICULUM

Machane TBA Gan (Kindergarten) Curriculum Overview

Learning Resources: 

• Let’s Discover the Alef-Bet
• Let’s Discover the Holidays
• Let’s Discover the Synagogue
• PJ Library Jewish Values Curriculum

Curriculum: Gan has an experiential, interactive curriculum introducing Jewish concepts in a fun, engaging way to foster a love of Jewish learning. The major holidays are taught with an emphasis on symbols and rituals with an extended unit on Shabbat.  Other units of study are the Synagogue, age appropriate Jewish values and an introduction to Hebrew.  We focus on community-building within the class to encourage friendships and provide a caring, supportive atmosphere.

Jewish Studies (Shiur)

Holidays (Chagim)

1. Students will learn about Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Purim, Passover, Yom Ha’Atzma’ut, Shavuot and Shabbat.
2. Students will engage in hands-on activities including craft projects, games, puzzles and role-playing to learn about the holidays.
3. Students sample foods associated with the various holidays, including weekly juice and challah for Shabbat.
4. Students will hear and read stories about the festivals and learn related songs.
5. Students will practice the Shabbat blessings with their weekly snack of juice and challah.
6. Students will learn that Shabbat is a holy time that is separate from the rest of the week.
7. Students will design and create ritual objects to use at home.

Synagogue

1. Students will tour the synagogue and learn that it is a place to pray, study and meet with friends.
2. Students will identify ritual objects in the sanctuary.
3. Students will create a sanctuary in their classrooms.
4. Students will meet a Rabbi to learn more about their role and gain comfort and familiarity with the Rabbi.

Jewish Values (Middot)

Students will learn about the following Jewish values through stories, discussions and activities: Chesed (kindness), Reut (friendship), Mitzvot (commandments/good deeds) and Tzedakah (righteous giving).

Bible Stories

Students will read and learn about Jonah and the Big Fish and Jacob’s Ladder, with the associated Jewish values. Related activities will reinforce the stories and values.

Hebrew (Ivrit)

1. Students will be introduced to the names and sounds of the Hebrew letters in the Alef-Bet order.
2. Students will develop visual recognition of letter symbols and auditory discrimination of letter sounds.
3. Students will learn Hebrew words for numbers one through ten and for the members of the family.

Tzedakah will be collected in class each week and students will choose, as a class, where to donate the funds.

Chugim are weekly specialty classes such as Omanut (art), Shira (music), Yoga and Tefilah (prayer).

CONSECRATION SERVICE

This evening service, held in conjunction with our Simchat Torah celebration, welcomes and honors our newest students and their families, as they begin their religious education.

GAN SHABBAT FAMILY EXPERIENCE

We plan a special activity for students to celebrate Shabbat with Gan families. Then we will join the Primary Shabbat Service, which is age appropriate for grades Gan through Bet, followed by an Oneg.

Machane TBA First Grade (Alef) Curriculum Overview

Learning Resources:

• Let’s Discover the Bible
• Let’s Celebrate: The Jewish Holidays
• Hebrew Flashcards
• Jewish Values – PJ Library Values Curriculum

Curriculum: The Alef curriculum is interactive and engaging, teaching the foundations of Jewish festivals, Hebrew letters and vowel sounds. Students learn about our ancestors from the Bible and how they helped shape the Jewish people. We continue building Hebrew vocabulary, using words for colors and parts of the body. We celebrate Holidays in our classrooms creating a festive community (Kehillah) and strive to create connections to our classmates, Judaism, the Synagogue and our larger community through discussion, art, music and holiday celebrations.

Jewish Studies (Shiur)

Holidays (Chagim)

1. Students will learn about the major festivals in the Jewish calendar year: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Purim, Passover, Shavuot and Shabbat.
2. Students will learn songs and read stories about the festivals.
3. Students will identify symbols, foods and vocabulary related to the festivals and Shabbat.
4. Students hear and repeat prayers related to the festivals.
5. Students will learn objects associated with celebrating Shabbat and practice the Shabbat blessings.
6. Students will participate in the Shabbat Family Experience to develop skills for celebrating Shabbat.

Bible Stories Curriculum (Torah)

1. Read Bible stories such as: Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah, Tower of Babel, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his Brothers, and Moses.
2. Make personal and real-world connections with the stories and Jewish values in the Bible stories.

Jewish Values (Middot)

1. Students will learn about Jewish values through age appropriate stories: Kavod (respect), Chesed (kindness), Mitzvot (commandments/good deeds), Tzedakah (righteous giving), Adam Yehidi Nivrah (respecting differences).
2. They will engage in discussions and activities reinforcing how these values positively influence their lives and the people around them.

Hebrew (Ivrit)

1. Students will learn the names and sounds of the Hebrew letters and vowels.
2. Students will be introduced to Hebrew vocabulary for colors and parts of the body through songs and activities.

Tzedakah will be collected in class each week and students will choose, as a class, where to donate the funds.

Chugim are weekly specialty classes such as Omanut (art), Shira (music), Rikkud (dance) and Tefilah (prayer).

CONSECRATION SERVICE

This evening service, held in conjunction with our Simchat Torah celebration, welcomes and honors our newest students and their families, as they begin their religious education.

ALEF SHABBAT FAMILY EXPERIENCE

We plan a special activity for students, dine and celebrate Shabbat with Alef families and classmates. Then we will join the Primary Shabbat Service, which caters to grades Gan through Bet, followed by an Oneg.

Machane TBA Bet (Second Grade) Curriculum Overview

Learning Resources

• My Jewish Year Holiday Book
• Hebrew Letter Flashcards
• Jewish Values – PJ Library Values Curriculum

Curriculum: Our Bet curriculum is interactive and engaging while encompassing a more in-depth study of Hebrew letters, vowels and words. The students will begin reading basic one and two syllable words. We will focus on Jewish values and explore ways to make the world a better place using the lessons learned from the PJ Library Values Curriculum and Bible stories. We strive to create a deeper connection to our classmates, Judaism, the Synagogue and our larger community through discussion, art, music and holiday celebrations.

Judaic Studies (Shiur)

Jewish Values (Middot)

1. Students will learn about the following Jewish values from age appropriate bible stories and storybooks: Mitzvot (commandments/good deeds), Chesed (showing kindness), Kavod (respect), Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), Emet (honesty), Tzedakah (righteous giving), Adam Yehidi Nivrah (respecting differences), Hoda’ah (gratitude), and Teshuva (forgiveness).
2. They will engage in discussions and activities reinforcing how these values positively influence their lives and the people around them.

Holidays (Chagim)

1. Students will be able to identify the major Jewish holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Tu B’Shevat, Purim, Passover, Yom Ha’atzmaut, and Shavuot.
2. Students will learn about their historical significance and modern practices associated with each.
3. They will learn songs and read stories about the festivals.
4. They will identify symbols, foods, and vocabulary related to the festivals and Shabbat. Students will hear and repeat prayers related to the festivals.
5. Students will learn objects associated with celebrating Shabbat and the Shabbat prayers.
6. Students will associate Shabbat with the Biblical story of Creation and resting in their daily lives and compare Shabbat with an ordinary day of the week.
7. Students will participate in the Shabbat Family Experience to develop skills for celebrating Shabbat.

Bible Stories (Torah)

Students will learn Bible stories building on the Alef (first grade) curriculum and the values associated with the stories.

Hebrew (Ivrit)

1. Students will study the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and the vowels.
2. Students will be able to identify differences in reading English and Hebrew.
3. Students will begin to read one and two syllable words.
4. They will learn how to decode cultural Hebrew words, such as Shabbat.
5. Children will learn the Hebrew vocabulary words for the days of the week and things/people you find in a classroom.

Tzedakah will be collected in class each week and students will choose, as a class, where to donate the funds.

Chugim are weekly specialty classes such as Omanut (art), Tefilah (prayer), Ask the Rabbi and Shira (music).

CONSECRATION SERVICE

This evening service, held in conjunction with our Simchat Torah celebration, welcomes and honors our new students and their families, as they begin their religious education.

BET SHABBAT FAMILY EXPERIENCE

We plan a special activity for students, dine and celebrate Shabbat with Bet families and classmates. Then we join the Primary Shabbat Service, which caters to grades Gan through Bet, followed by an Oneg.