Students in fifth grade and above can enhance their Hebrew learning with our Hebrew Club. Through the use of interactive and exciting games and songs, Hebrew is wonderful preparation for children who are interested in having a bar/bat mitzvah, but it is also open to all our 5-7th graders.

Sukkat Shalom Curriculum for Hebrew

Family Hebrew Track
Sukkat Shalom is proud to offer a Family Hebrew Class for both alef and bet classes (5th and 6th grade). This class is for children in 5th or 6th grade with a parent or parents, a grandparent and even younger siblings. Our whole Religious School is based on family learning. Family Hebrew is a rare offering in Hebrew Schools around the country and we are so thrilled that we have been able to have this class.

Fifth Grade Hebrew (Alef) - An introduction to Hebrew reading.
The students learn the letters and vowels, become fluent readers and build a small
Jewish vocabulary.

Sixth Grade (Bet) Hebrew - The 6th graders use a Hebrew activity book in order to continue their reading drills to become fluent and accurate Hebrew readers.  The students also spend time learning the key prayers of the Shabbat liturgy. This knowledge helps the 6^th grade students connect the Hebrew to the prayers in a meaningful way so that better understanding becomes the primary goal.

Seventh Grade (Gimmel) Hebrew - Students will gather at 4 Friday Night Sukkat Shalom services for a fun night of learning.  They will discuss major prayers of the service, review the Hebrew of the prayers, and gain an understanding of where the prayer comes from and how it still speaks to us today.  Students will also work in small groups with our Hebrew tutor, Ronit Levy, prior to their Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

Other Information
- The family Hebrew class is a great way to bond as parent-child in a fun and challenging atmosphere. Both the parent and child come away with great skills for life in a Jewish community- being able to read Hebrew and have knowledge of the prayers. Having a family bar or bat mitzvah is not the reason for doing the family track. When we have enough interest, we offer adult b’nai mitzvah classes which parents who take the family class would be perfect for. We have had some parent-child b’nai mitzvahs, but this is the exception, not the norm for our bar and bat mitzvah program.

- Homework: 5th grade students get a one page reading sheet after each session to reinforce the chapter learned in class. The page comes with a copy in transliteration so that a parent who does not read Hebrew can help with the homework. This homework should take about 10 minutes a week. This coming year we will be sending our 6th and 7th grade students home with a Hebrew drill book. The students will be assigned a small section to work on and each lesson takes about 10 minutes. If a student has questions about the section assigned for homework please send a note with the student so that the teacher can address the confusion.

- Students participate in our Hebrew program throughout the entire 7^th grade year no matter when his or her bar or bat mitzvah falls. We are not preparing students for a bar/bat mitzvah test and once it is over lessons end. We are preparing students for life in the Jewish community. Learning how to read the prayers and discussing them are activities that go far beyond the bar/bat mitzvah day.