Kadima@BJ Copy
Kadima is the name of our Hebrew school program.
“Kadima” comes from the root with the Hebrew letters of kuf, dalet, and mem, which come together to mean “in front” or, as we would like to say, “moving forward.”
In Bereshit 2:8, it is written: “And the Lord our God planted a garden eastward (or forward) in Eden.” We see that, using the root of the word Kadima, even at the very beginning of our journey as a Jewish people, God has already planted the idea that we must look ahead. We continue to uphold this sacred forward momentum at B’nai Jeshurun.
Moving Jewish Education Forward
Kadima ensures that our children feel ownership, excitement, and comfort over their Jewish identity. For our 3rd-6th graders, there is flexibility in our elective program, where we let families choose three to engage in over the year. At Kadima, there is something for everyone!
Through our Kadima program, our learners participate in meaningful exploration of Jewish learning and living. We have a deep and abiding passion for Jewish education, which we strive to revolutionize for our families. We endeavor to keep Judaism ever-relevant and exciting, and to perhaps inspire the uninspired.
As we move forward, we are also reflecting on this year, this new way of learning, and this new way of being together as a community. Some innovations over the past few months of physical distancing have been so successful that we are strategizing about how to continue them no matter what our school year looks like.
We will continue to offer rich and engaging Jewish learning experiences for all children and families in the fall. Whether we gather in-person, virtually, or through some combination of both, there will be opportunities for our families to deepen their learning and connect with our community.
Our Elective-Based Hebrew School Model
- Places an emphasis on music, spirituality, and tefillah (prayer)
- Emphasizes student and family cohorts, and the creation of meaningful human connection
- Makes Judaism relevant, connecting our values and traditions to being good human beings
- Aims to foster a deep sense of Jewish identity, creating socially aware and empowered individuals
- Provides individualized prayer-based Hebrew learning
- Prioritizes the professional development of our teaching faculty
- Offers scheduling flexibility and a variety of elective options, ensuring that our students feel ownership and passion over their Jewish learning and identity formation
Your child can enroll in Kadima@BJ as early as kindergarten. By enrolling at an early age, your child will truly feel the full extent of our programming and curriculum. They will be part of the vital learning and community building opportunities that provide the foundation of Jewish education and identity formation.
Electives
Kadima@BJ: 2019–20 Schedule
Select your child’s class year to view the schedule, curriculum, and extracurricular events.
Gan (Kindergarten)
Details
- Tuesdays 4:00-5:30PM
Includes
- One family Shabbat dinner
- Experiential holiday programming
- Kadima@BJ excursion
- Attend Shabbat Morning Services once
Curriculum
Shabbat and holidays are sacred times on the Jewish calendar. What does sacred mean? What does it mean for a time to be sacred? How do we celebrate and observe sacred time?
In Kitah Gan, learners will experience and observe the sacred times in the Jewish calendar, become familiar with core brakhot that are associated with Shabbat and holidays, and feel connected to their classroom community through celebrating and exploring together.
As the focus of the Gan curriculum is Shabbat and holidays, the ongoing project will be a journal that children will work on with their families.
Aleph (1st Grade)
Details
- Tuesdays 4:00-5:30PM
Includes
- One family Shabbat dinner
- Experiential holiday programming
- Kadima@BJ excursion
- Attend Shabbat Morning Services Once
Curriculum
What makes B’nai Jeshurun a sacred space? Through exploration of objects, symbols and ritual practices, learners will understand how sacred space is created and used. Exploration of Shabbat and holidays will focus on how we celebrate in the synagogue and as a community. Israel studies will focus on Jerusalem as a makom kadosh.
Bet (2nd Grade)
Details
- Tuesdays 4:00-6:00PM
Includes
- One family Shabbat dinner
- Experiential holiday programming
- Kadima@BJ excursion
- Attend Shabbat Morning Services Twice
Curriculum
The Kitah Bet curriculum celebrates what it means to be part of a global Jewish community, and what it means to live a wholesome Jewish life. Our learners begin with simple questions. How do we treat other people? How do we interact with our friends? How do we create a welcoming space? And, why are these Jewish values? After exploring the above questions, we learn that Jewish people come from all over the world, and have a rich tradition, history, and culture. Our learners explore the tapestry of customs that make up the global Jewish people, and celebrate the various customs that make Judaism so unique and special. Through volunteering, art, theater, cooking, and more our learners will explore what Judaism looks like both within our community, and in different parts of the world.
Gimmel (3rd Grade)
Details
- Tuesdays 4:00-6:00PM
- Hebrew Homepage
- Three electives (Thursday afternoons plus weekend options)
Includes
- One family Shabbat dinner
- Reach for Shabbat Retreat
- Hebrew
- Attend Shabbat Morning Services Three Times
- Homepage: 24 individualized online tutoring sessions
Curriculum
Learners will deepen their understanding of the Torah by examining key characters. Through creative modalities such as art, drama and creative writing students will create their own understanding of the Torah characters, their emotions, and actions
Learners will gain a respect for the Torah, and be able to navigate their own relationship with the stories and characters within the text. They will approach the Torah with a critical eye, analyzing and dissecting the text. Through deep understanding and study, learners will be able to draw lessons from the Torah’s characters that will help inform their daily lives.
Dalet (4th Grade)
Details
- Tuesdays 4:00-6:00PM
- Hebrew Homepage
- Three electives (Thursday afternoons plus weekend options)
Includes
- One family Shabbat dinner
- Reach for Shabbat Retreat
- Hebrew
- Attend Shabbat Morning Services Four Times
- Homepage: 24 individualized online tutoring sessions
Curriculum
Learners will deepen their understanding of the Torah by examining key characters. Through creative modalities such as art, drama and creative writing students will create their own understanding of the Torah characters, their emotions, and actions.
Learners will gain a respect for the Torah, and be able to navigate their own relationship with the stories and characters within the text. They will approach the Torah with a critical eye, analyzing and dissecting the text. Through deep understanding and study, learners will be able to draw lessons from the Torah’s characters that will help inform their daily lives.
Hey (5th Grade)
Details
- Tuesdays 4:00-6:00PM
- Hebrew Homepage
- Three electives (Thursday afternoons plus weekend options)
Includes
- One family Shabbat dinner
- Reach for Shabbat Retreat
- Hebrew
- Attend Shabbat Morning Services Five Times
- Homepage: 24 individualized online tutoring sessions
Curriculum
Mitzvot represent the core of Jewish values and participation, and are central to the mission and vision of B’nai Jeshurun. Mitzvot, often misinterpreted as “good deeds”, are in fact commandments and obligations that we have as Jews. Students will learn about the various types of mitzvot and how to perform certain mitzvot, through action, discussion, and in depth text study. Through our study of mitzvot we aim to make Judaism a tangible and sensible presence in the life of our Kitah Hey learners, and ultimately to help mold our children into active adults with strong Jewish identities.
Vav (6th Grade)
Details
- Tuesdays 4:00-6:00PM
- Hebrew Homepage
- Three electives (Thursday afternoons plus weekend options)
Includes
- One family Shabbat dinner
- Reach for Shabbat Retreat
- Hebrew
- Attend Shabbat Morning Services Six Times
- Homepage: 24 individualized online tutoring sessions
Curriculum
The Kitah Vav curriculum acknowledges our learners’ modern lives, high level of independence, and capacity for thinking and intellectual curiosity. Throughout the year, learners will explore what it means to form their own Jewish identities and what it means to become a Jewish adult. Students will grapple with issues of moral integrity, explore their relationship to Israel, question the actions (or existence) of God, and more. Learners will dive into B’nai Mitzvah preparation, and will have opportunities to explore their parashah, understand responsibilities associated with becoming a B’nai Mitzvah, and acquaint themselves with their own family’s Jewish history. Through study, hard conversations, and challenging themselves, Kitah Vav learners will strengthen their own relationship with one another and continue their journey in shaping their own relationship to Judaism.
Zayin (7th Grade)
Day/Time
- Wednesdays 6:00-7:30PM
Includes
- Weekly pizza dinner
- Family Shabbat dinner
- Immersive experience to Washington, D.C.
Curriculum
Holocaust and Human Behavior curriculum which helps students explore the connection between Jewish history, identity, and the moral questions inherent in everyday life. It is an integrated course in history and identity grounded in Jewish ethics and values. The content is rich and teachers and students learn through concrete activities in history, literature, Jewish studies and the arts. A highlight of the year is the Kitah Zayin class trip to Washington, DC where our learners visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Interested in enrolling your child into our Hebrew School? Check out our FAQ below for more information about the program.
What days of the week does my child go to Kadima?
Gan, Aleph, and Bet (Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade) attend Kadima on Tuesday afternoons.
- Gan and Aleph meet from 4:00-5:30PM.
- Bet meets from 4:00-6:00PM.
Gimmel, Dalet, Hey, and Vav (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade) attend Kadima Tuesday afternoons from 4:00-6:00PM, as well as participating in our elective model:
- Student-only electives are offered on Thursday afternoons from 4:00-6:00PM.
- Family electives are offered on Friday evenings and throughout the weekend.
Zayin (7th grade) and teens come to Kadima on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:30PM.
What is the tuition structure?
We are blessed to be part of a synagogue community that has financial aid to make Kadima@BJ within the reach of every family. If you would like to set up a payment plan or apply for financial aid, please contact us. Each grade has a different tuition structure, and all the tuition information is available on our registration form after you select your child’s grade. Please contact Danielle for more information.
Are there opportunities to be engaged outside of Kadima?
Yes! And, we encourage our Kadima families to participate in as much of our programming as possible. We have extensive youth group programming for kids of all ages, family Shabbat services and dinners, and holiday programming, volunteer opportunities, trips and retreats, and more!
When does my child learn Hebrew?
An introduction to Hebrew letters and vowels is integrated into our Gan, Aleph, and Bet classes (Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade).
Beginning in 3rd grade, all of our students are enrolled in Hebrew Homepage, a highly successful online Hebrew learning platform pioneered by The Jewish Journey Project, an initiative of JCC Manhattan. Participants study one-on-one with a tutor from the convenience of their own homes, using a webinar platform for weekly 30-minute sessions.
Is my child done with Kadima after their B’nai Mitzvah?
The B’nai Mitzvah is just the beginning of your child’s engagement in our programming. We encourage you to take advantage of our teen elective options. We also offer robust teen programming for our post B’nai Mitzvah students.
Register Now
Registration for the 2020-2021/5781 school year is now open! Email Danielle Freedman (dfreedman@bj.org) to register. If you have any questions about our program, please email Rachel Barnehama (rbarnehama@bj.org).