In the Classroom

Parent-teachers use their various talents as artists, historians, political scientists, scientists, activists and educators to provide a variety of teaching structures for each class. The School recognizes different learning styles and strives to accommodate them using a range of approaches. As a result, each class is unique, incorporating the following educational themes:

·      Understanding Judaism as a process

·      Learning lessons from Jewish history

·      Valuing diversity

·      Creating and celebrating community

·      Generating a context for exploring spirituality

·      Pursuing social justice as a mitzvah

·      Appreciating Jewish traditions and recognizing their place in Jewish life

Each class consists of 1 or 2 teachers and 4 to 10 children who typically fall within a 3-year age range. Subjects are taught at developmentally appropriate levels. For example, Bible stories are read to the youngest students (pre-school – kindergarten), while older students (1^st – 5^th grade) will increasingly wrestle with such stories in the context of social values, and the oldest students (middle and high school) will conduct close textual analysis of Torah passages. Exploration of historical subjects and Hebrew language follow a similar developmental path.

History, culture, and music are a large part of the Cheder experience. Holidays are taught at all ages. Starting around the second or third grade, students are exposed to a variety of history classes: early Hebrews, Jewish world history, American Jewish history, Holocaust, Israeli history and contemporary Israeli society. Older children supplement classes with field trips to museums and sites of significance in Washington, DC, New York City, and in between.

Visual arts are woven throughout the curriculum. Young students will complete a craft project every week. Older students have had classes such as Self-expression through Poetry and Art, and Feminist Interpretations of Torah and Fabric Painting.

Cheder is perhaps best known for our music and singing.  We have our own home-grown band of parent musicians who play guitar, fiddle, clarinet and bass, and lead the community in song every Sunday, during community time.

 

Adult Discussion

We believe that it is important to further parents’ Jewish education as well as our children’s. By having adult discussions during classes, parents provide a role model of lifelong learning. Facilitated by members or invited guest speakers, adult discussion nurtures parents’ desire to further their own Jewish knowledge. Topics range from the Middle East peace process to Jewish feminist Torah interpretation, archeological excavations in Israel to humanistic Judaism.