Core Curriculum

Gesharim/8th Grade
Solving the Mystery: What’s true about me?

The most suspenseful moment in a mystery is when we the violins cue, the detective takes a long pause, and then reveals THE TRUTH. We’re relieved, delighted … or maybe skeptical. Is it really the whole truth? This semester, we’re going to look at the end of the mystery: how do we know what is the truth? Together we’ll explore differently modalities of finding out the truth: from scientific method to interpretations of Torah. With reading, games, discussion, and sharing, we’ll be diving in together to see how all sorts of mysteries get solved.

Etgar/9th Grade
Who are You? An exploration into relationships

Who are you and how do I treat you? Like Adam and Eve or Jacob and Esau? How do we establish trust in a relationship? When we mistreat each other, how do we forgive and let go of grudges? The 9th grade core class will explore these and other questions, as well as the art of questioning itself, in order to find meaningful ways to ask, “Who are you?”

Kesher Aleph/10th Grade:
What am I so scared of? What do I hope for?

Our fear is smart, a lot of the time. And sometimes, if we learn more about it, about ourselves, each other and the world we can still stand tall even when we are afraid. This year we are gonna hang out together, have fun, make art projects, tell secrets, lay on the grass, be magical, look at the stars, talk, share, and be so good to each other. We’re gonna talk about the universe, school, Judaism, our families, our dreams, and the things that we are most stoked and worried about. Together we are going to explore fear of what we can’t do and fear of what we can and we are going to appreciate how uniquely magnificent each of us is while having a BLAST.

Kesher Bet/11th and 12 Grade:
Where have I been and where am I going?
An exploration into our past, our future, and what we are grateful for right NOW

“All the world’s a stage: The Thespian”
As a teenager, you have opportunities to try on different costumes and discover your own unique identity. We do this in relationship to family, peer group, Jewish community and the larger society. We will excavate the rich theatrical experiences we have each gone through to examine our values. We will use the poetry of our sages such as Proverbs and Song of Songs to access our own emotions as we act out who we were as adolescents and explore what our future may bring. I can’t wait to stand beside you as we embelish the histories of our lives and create the road we will walk upon.