Students in sixth grade at Temple Shalom are engaged in three different subjects during the school year.   This includes the MENSCH program that integrates Jewish values with modern character education -- attempting to integrate the lessons of our tradition into the daily lives of young adults.   With the rise of bullying and the internet's ability to hide people from the consequences of their actions, we feel this is a necessary component of Jewish education.   During the year, we read lessons from our own tradition, utilize a variety of excercises aimed at building community and respect and attempt to bring students face to face not only with each other but also with their obligations as human beings created b'tzelem elohim or in the image of God.   The second half of the year focuses on Holocaust education, with curriculum from both the Anti-Defamation League and an organization called Facing History.   The Holocaust curriculum is aimed at teaching the issue from a Jewish perspective, reminding students of what happens when an entire society loses their moral grounding and connect the students to examples of modern genocide.  Although many students learn about the Holocaust in their secular schools, they do not have the opportunity to engage the issue from a Jewish moral perspective nor struggle with the many issues from a Jewish theological angle.   It is our hope that this introduction to the Holocaust will help the students contextualize the meaning of that horrific period of history in a new and meaningful way.   Finally, sixth graders are expected to learn the blessings for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah and gain command of the meaning of that day.   By having both the skills to recite the blessings, and the basic understanding of what the next year means, students will be able to enter their Bar or Bat Mitzvah year with a unique grasp of the year's significance.

This web-page is designed to help parents and students communicate with one another about the issues discussed in class and thus reach the goals of the year's journey.   Study after study has demonstrated that the most effective supplementary religious education is done through family collaboration rather than simply expecting students to learn everything at religious school.   We hope you will use this site as a means of engaging your children and helping us to make the sixth grade year a true opportunity for growth.

If you have any questions, comments or would like to set up a time to speak about the details of the curriculum, please do not hesitate to email me at brianleiken@yahoo.com.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Brian Leiken