HEBREW PROGRAM:

Our prayer based Hebrew program officially begins in Third Grade.  Using our Phonetic Hebrew Decoding Program (PHD), students are introduced to the Hebrew letters and vowels and quickly begin to learn to read Hebrew words.  Students then move onto learning prayers in our Hineini Hebrew program.  This program is a self-paced program that allows each student to move at his or her own appropriate speed in order to fully understand and succeed in Hebrew reading and learning.  Hebrew is reinforced during our weekly community Tefila sessions. 

TEFILA, COMMUNITY WORSHIP:

Students in all grades come together as a community each week for a shared worship experience.  Students have the opportunity to lead prayers and teach their fellow students about the prayer.  We also use this time together to learn about the School Year Themes, such as Mitzvah of the Month or Shabbat in Action!  We encourage all parents and family members to join our community worship!

KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM:

Our goal in our Kindergarten class is to introduce students to Jewish learning and living through a variety of media, art, music, and dramatic hands-on activities, games, and exercises, which will ultimately help our students develop an enduring relationship with their congregation and community.

FIRST AND SECOND GRADE PROGRAM:

Our goal in our First and Second Grade program is to foster a sense of connectedness to the Jewish people, while discovering the individuals, narratives, places, and vocabulary which are the foundation of the Jewish people’s story.  Students will explore the first two book of the Bible: Genesis and Exodus, and celebrate Jewish holidays and life cycle events as a community.  Students are introduced to the Hebrew letters and language through interactive and multi-modal activities.

THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, AND SIXTH GRADE PROGRAM:

Our Third Grade students use the theme of holiness as they explore the third book of the Torah: Leviticus.  Fourth Grade students explore the theme of Jewish peoplehood and community as seen through the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy.  Fifth Grade students move on to the book of Prophets and later begin exploring their own Torah portion that they will read at their Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration.  Our Sixth Grade students use the texts from Ketuvim, Writings, as an approximate guide to the ancient history of the Jewish people.  They then study modern Jewish history through the lens of film and other media.

SEVENTH GRADE PROGRAM:

Students in our Seventh Grade focus their year on preparations for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations while exploring their understanding of Jewish identity.  The students look at identity through the lens of history, their lives, and the Torah.  Alongside our Jewish identity and Torah curriculum, the students, on the brink of Jewish adulthood, explore their responsibility to community service and tikkun olam, repairing the world. 

BAR/BAT MITZVAH PROGRAMMING:

SWFS recognizes the Bar/Bat Mitzvah as an important milestone in each person’s life.  Bar/Bat Mitzvah marks the stage in which the participant is considered an adult in the larger Jewish community and at an age to lead the congregation in prayer.  The Bar/Bat Mitzvah process at SWFS actually begins in the Fourth Grade when families are given their Shabbat morning date to celebrate this milestone.  Students then begin to learn about the Torah Portion associated with this date in the Fifth Grade.  Students engage in a much more focused learning module one year prior to the celebration date.  This process is for the entire family!  Within the year prior to the celebration, our families participate in a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Family Education Program to learn about the Bar/Bat Mitzvah process, ritual, and sacred objects related to being a Jewish adult, the prayer service.  This program also allows families to build relationships with other families going through the same process.