Today, there are more options for Jewish Education than ever before. There have never been as many Hebrew readers and Hebrew speakers as there are today. Yet, very few of us understand it. Words like “tradition” and “culture” are used so often that it is often difficult to associate meaning with them. Whose culture – Jews from Poland, Morocco or Yemen? Whose tradition – which point on the spectrum from which movement?
The Kesharim Cultural Program at Darchei Noam offers children a way to face these challenges by building connections to our past and present. Through studies in modern Hebrew and our collective past, participants will develop a true feeling of Klal Yisra’el: the unity of Israel.
The Kesharim program runs independently of our Sunday Hebrew program. Although we recommend that children sign up for both, it is not required. The goals of the Sunday program are to enable our students to integrate into synagogue and Jewish ritual life. This includes celebrations for Shabbat, Holy Days and life cycle events like Bar/Bat Mitzvah. The Sunday program provides a basic background in Torah Values, Celebrations & Commemorations, Social Action, Israel and Prayer Readiness. Kesharim adds depth to these areas of study by structuring its program around modern Hebrew, Our National Journeys, and family genealogies. Although the Kesharim program stands alone, it is designed to enrich and enhance the children’s Sunday experiences.
Kesharim is informal in style and is divided into two components. “Ivrit: Our Common Tongue” is a study of our contemporary connection to Jews around the world through modern Hebrew, and “Nesi’ot: Our National Journeys” is a study of our historical connection to Jews around the world. We use drama, visual arts and active learning to lift our Jewish connections out of a traditional classroom setting and bring them to life. Each class also engages in projects that are aimed at fostering connections to Jews in Israel and elsewhere. For more details, please see our curriculum document.
Kesharim is offered on Wednesday afternoons from 5:00pm to 7:00pm to children in Grades Three through Six.