AHebrew school is aJewish educational institution that focuses onJewish history, learning theHebrew language, and finally learning one'sTorah portion in preparation for thecoming-of-age ceremony in Judaism. Classes are usually taught in dedicated rooms at asynagogue under the instruction of a Hebrew teacher (who may or may not be fluent in Hebrew), often receiving support from ahazzan for learning theancient chanting of a student's Torah portion and from arabbi during the ceremony, owing to the fact that aTorah scroll is typically very challenging for a student to read because it lacksHebrew vowel markings while also having very condensed text with minimal line spacing.
Hebrew schooling can be either an educational regimen separate fromsecular education, in a similar fashion toSunday school amongChristians; education focusing on topics of Jewish history and learning the Hebrew language; or a primary-, secondary-, or college-level educational institution in which some or all of the classes are taught in Hebrew. The first usage is more common in theUnited States, while the second is used elsewhere barIsrael—for example, in reference to theColegio Hebreo Unión inBarranquilla,Colombia, or theAssociated Hebrew Schools inToronto,Canada.
According to an article in theJewish Quarterly Review entitled "The Jewish Sunday School Movement in the United States" and printed in 1900, "the exact beginning of the American Jewish Sunday schools is obscured by uncertainty and difficulty of opinion",[1] though it is largely credited with the works ofRebecca Gratz, a Philadelphia native, who sought to provide Jewish schooling to those most in need. As students received secular schooling, Gratz understood the need to provide Jewish history and Jewish traditions to those most lacking a basic understanding in Jewish education. In fact, Jewish Sunday school grew largely in response to Christian Sunday school, as a means of providing proper Jewish education to students who otherwise lacked any religious grounding in Jewish traditions and history or lacked the financial means necessary to attend such a school.[1] As a devout Jew, Gratz dedicated her life to helping the poor and neglected. In 1818, "under the sponsorship of theFemale Hebrew Benevolent Society of Philadelphia, the Hebrew Sunday School Society of Philadelphia was created on 4 March, her birthday, with about 60 students".[2] To this day, Rebecca Gratz is referenced as "the foremost American Jewess of her day".[1]
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Hebrew school is typically taught on Sunday and on one day of the week – either Tuesday or Wednesday – in the late afternoon, followingsecular education inprivate orpublic schools. Hebrew school education developed in the 1800s and is largely credited toRebecca Gratz.
Today, typical Hebrew school education starts in kindergarten and culminates in the 10th grade withconfirmation.[3] While the idea of confirmation largely grew out ofReform Judaism, it is largely practiced by both the Reform andConservative movements today. It is based in the Reform and Conservative movements and therefore not practiced in theJewish Orthodox movement. Instead, Orthodox students attend daily religious schools such asyeshivas, where they study Jewish texts likeTorah and theTalmud in greater depth. Orthodox schooling often prepares young boys to become rabbis and involves a deeper level of study than Hebrew school education provides. Whereas both boys and girls study in Hebrew schools in aco-educational environment, education in the Orthodox community is based onsingle-sex education, with greater emphasis placed on traditional roles for men andwomen. Some Orthodox congregations offer Hebrew school for non-Orthodox students, such as the TAG Hebrew schools common inChabad houses.
During kindergarten and first grade, students are introduced to majorJewish holidays and thealeph-bet (Hebrew alphabet). Usually learning at this young age relies on a number of hands-on activities such as crafts, music, cooking and storytelling to engage young learners. Children will often sing songs in Hebrew to improve their Hebrew speaking skills and memory of Hebrew words. Additionally, students might learn thealeph-bet through puzzles and other fun activities.[4] In addition to learning the Hebrew alphabet, children will also learn how to count to ten, how to identify major body parts, learn theirHebrew names and be able to recite prayers such as the blessings forShabbat. In first grade, students will learn Torah stories such as Adam and Eve, andJoseph in Egypt. First grade is sometimes referred to as "grade aleph", corresponding to the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet.
During these years, students build on a variety of skills and knowledge they have learned as youth while learning new skills like reading Hebrew, reciting common prayers such as theShema andV'ahavta, and learning by heart the blessings over the candles,wine and bread. Students learn the concept oftzedakah (charity), become acquainted withJewish rituals and customs, and gain a better understanding ofJewish history and theland of Israel.[5] Classes may also include lessons onJewish ethics and morality. In the earlier years of Hebrew school, children exploreGod,spirituality and ethics. For example, God is one, Godcreated the world, and Godbrought the Jews out of Egypt. In order to make Hebrew school a fun atmosphere for learning, and to teach children themitzvot of Judaism, children will bakechallah forShabbat, have class in asukkah duringSukkot, or light candles duringHanukkah. These experiences teach children about the holidays and mitzvot better than just reading about them.
One of the most important events to take place during Jewish education is the celebration of theBar and Bat Mitzvah. Bar/Bat Mitzvah education begins in the 6th and 7th grade, when students are provided with an instructor – usually a rabbi orcantor – and begin studying their torah andhaftorah portion[6] by learning to usecantillation, a system for chanting sacred texts.[7] Oftentimes children will attend Hebrew school with the sole purpose of learning how to read Hebrew for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. In these cases, the students will mostly learn the Hebrew words that are in the Torah portion they will be reciting.
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