Gimel (Third Grade) - Curriculum

Components of Gimel include the following:

Prayer Tefillah

Students will learn the foundations of the prayers that will make it possible to participate in the P'sukei D'zimra, Shacharit, Mincha, Ma’ariv, and Musaf services. Much of the material that students learn in Hebrew during the Gimel year prepares them to participate and feel comfortable in services. Every Wednesday afternoon, Gimel students join with the Dalet and Heh classes in prayer; they also join for the Family Service Tefillat HaMishpacha as part of the Shabbat Morning Family Programming.

Torah and Hebrew Bible TaNaCH / Chanting

Students will identify key Hebrew Bible TaNaCH figures and lessons learned from them, corresponding to the time of the year that their respective portions and holidays occur. Students are also strongly encouraged to read from the Torah at our once-a-month Shabbat Morning Family Service Tefillat HaMishpacha, which involves receiving an MP3 recording and chanting one to three verses. Students will be able to practice these readings at school in addition to at home.

Israel

Students will learn about Israel’s map, economy, government, symbols, culture, folklore, and traditions with respect to celebrating holidays.

Hebrew Ivrit

Each aspect of the Gimel curriculum incorporates Hebrew skills, including the four main components of learning a language: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students will use textbooks, websites, and other reinforcements. Hebrew education focuses primarily on phonetic Hebrew reading, and also covers writing in Hebrew script and basic sentence structures. A highlight of the year is the Kabbalat Milon ceremony, in which students receive a beautiful Hebrew-English dictionary. Students are expected to practice regularly for 30 minutes each week in order to progress appropriately.

Holidays

In addition to reviewing previously learned traditions and blessings, students learn key Hebrew vocabulary associated with each holiday.

“To Be a Mensch” Campaign

Classic stories are used to illustrate ethical concepts and encourage menschlich (acting with kindness) behavior, including befriending children with special needs.

Jewish Literacy

Students will use the names of the five books of the Torah and learn the names of the three sections of the TaNaCH: Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim.

Art Class

Students will create projects that connect to the curriculum with Ms. Michelle Drucker and Ms. Sheila Serota.

Music Class

Students will learn new Jewish songs with Ms. Natasha Bodansky and Madrich Ryan Hochman.