Religious School Classes
Nitzanim
Nitzanim is our monthly program for preschool students (ages 3 and 4 by December 2024) and their families. Join us once a month on Sundays from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM for crafts, games, stories, songs, and more as we celebrate the Jewish holidays together. Don’t worry – we’ll always include a delicious traditional holiday snack! Nitzanim is a great opportunity to connect with other young families and for children to begin their transition into religious school. The 2024-2025 Nitzanim schedule is as follows:
September 15: Rosh Hashanah
October 13: Sukkot
November 10: Tikkun Olam
December 8: Chanukah
January 19: Shabbat
February 2: Tu B'Shvat
March 9: Purim
April 6: Pesach
May 4: Shavuot
Kindergarten through Seventh Grade
Classes are held on Sunday from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM for our K-7th grade students, with students in grades Bet-Zayin (2nd-7th grade) also meeting on Wednesdays from 4:00 PM-6:00 PM. Our vibrant kehillah (community) of learners engage in meaningful conversations, participate in hands-on justice projects, and deepen their connections to the past, present, and future of Jewish life. Here is an overview of our curriculum:
- In Kitah Gan (kindergarten) and Kitah Aleph (first grade), students will explore the Hebrew language through movement and explore foundational Jewish values, stories, and traditions. Art, music, story-telling, and play will serve as a gateway for our youngest students to find the simcha (joy) in learning!
- Our Kitah Bet (second grade) students will learn to read in Hebrew while also exploring the weekly Torah portion. Kitah Bet will also discover what it means to be an active member of a Jewish community through the practice of mitzvot and explore how yisrael arevim zeh bazeh – all of Israel is responsible for one another.
- In Kitah Gimmel (third grade), students will journey through the Hebrew calendar, gaining a sense of the rhythm of Jewish time and experiencing each Jewish holiday and its mitzvot, customs, and liturgy through art, theater, and other creative projects.
- The Kitah Dalet (fourth grade) Jewish life cycles curriculum introduces students to key milestones in Jewish life, exploring their significance as well as associated liturgy and mitzvot. Students will gain a deeper understanding of how these life events connect us to Jewish traditions, history, and values.
- Kitah Hey (fifth grade) students will learn about life in ancient Israel from the period of the Judges through the Second Temple through an in-depth exploration of Nevi’im (The Book of Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings.) Kitah Hay will also begin deepening their understanding of Jewish prayer and begin their study of cantillation.
- Kitah Vav (sixth grade) and Kitah Zayin (seventh grade) students will learn what it means to be B’nai Yisrael – children of the God-Wrestler – as they grapple with Jewish texts, from the text of the Torah to the rabbinic commentaries of the Mishnah and the Talmud. Students will study in chavruta, partnership, as they prepare Divrei Torah and learn to read from the Torah scroll.
Eighth through Twelfth Grade
For our 8th through 12th grade students, our Midrasha program on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM is a gathering space for Jewish teens across Ithaca to connect with one another through Torah Lishmah, learning for the sake of learning, as they navigate how to make Jewish choices in an increasingly complex and pluralistic world. Every Midrasha class begins with a communal meal that students prepare together before delving into the topic of the week. Midrasha teens are empowered encouraged to ask big, challenging Jewish questions, such as:
- What does it mean to be Jewish in the twenty-first century?
- What does Judaism have to say about gender, or disability, or what’s going on in the news – and do I agree?
- Is there a place for me in Jewish tradition?
- What does it mean to be a “text person,” and what does a righteous person look like?
Midrasha is a pillar of TBE's teen program, and is open to all Jewish teens in Ithaca, regardless of affilitation!