Today is August 23, 2026 /
Today is August 23, 2026 /
GAN (Kindergarten)
This is a very exciting year for children in Gan as they begin to explore their Judaism. During the school year, Gan will begin each session with tzedakah and tefillah. They will enjoy music and celebrate the holidays as they appear on the Jewish calendar. Students will also be introduced to Hebrew vocabulary such as numbers and colors. Gan children will also learn their given Hebrew name and how when they are older they will be called to the Torah by this name.
In Gan, the children will also discover stories from the Torah. As a culmination of their learning, children, along with their grown up, will create a personal Torah to take home and cherish as a family.
Stories in the Torah include:
KITAH ALEF (1st grade)
Each week will hold a new and exciting discovery for the children in 1st grade. Every Sunday, students will recite morning Tefillot, give Tzedakah and have the opportunity to share a mitzvah (good deed) they accomplished on their own. Music, holidays and Hebrew language are a big part of their weekly routine.
Doing Mitzvot and giving tzedakah to those in need is one of the core values in Judaism. It is a value that begins at a young age and continues throughout life. Beginning in 1st grade, we will also learn to identify different mitzvot that connect to the Jewish community. Each mitzvah we will learn together will guide our children throughout their lives.
Mitzvot include:
KITAH BET (2nd Grade)
In Kitah Bet, students begin attending Religious School on Wednesday afternoons in addition to their studies on Sunday mornings. With the additional day, students are introduced to Hebrew letters and vowels as their first step in Hebrew reading. We also focus on the Jewish holidays as they appear on the Jewish calendar and Israel, as the Jewish homeland.
Hebrew
· Identify Hebrew letters and vowels
· Connect Hebrew letters with vocabulary
Israel
· Explore various regions and cities in Israel such as Haifa, Judean Desert and Tel Aviv
· Develop an understanding of the geography of Israel.
· Discover Israel’s diverse natural environment including different plan life and animals native to Israel.
· Customs and traditions found in Israel
Jewish Calendar
· The structure of the Hebrew calendar including names of Hebrew months
· Hebrew birthdays as a connection to becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah
· Holidays as they appear on the calendar
Kitah Bet attends Tefillot on Wednesday afternoons with 3rd - 5th grade and on Sunday mornings with 3rd – 6th grade. This service is an introduction for
our 2nd grade to the prayers included in the Shacharit (Morning) and Mincha (afternoon) services.
In Kitah Gimel, we will continue to build upon the foundation in Hebrew that was established in 2nd grade. Students will grow in their letter and vowel recognition and learn Hebrew vocabulary related to each Hebrew letter as a way to reinforce the sounds of the letters and vowels. In conjunction with learning Hebrew, Kitah Gimel will explore the stories from Bereshit (Genesis) and Shemot (Exodus).
Throughout the school year, 3rd grade students will engage in a rich exploration of Israeli art, dance, and culture. Through hands-on activities, creative projects, music, movement, and interactive lessons, students will develop a deeper appreciation for the people, traditions, and diverse cultural landscape of Israel. These experiences will help foster a meaningful connection to Israel while encouraging creativity, curiosity, and a sense of Jewish identity.
Kitah Gimel attends Tefillot on Wednesday afternoons with 2nd, 4th and 5th grade and on Sunday morning with 2nd and 4th – 6th grade.
As a culmination of the school year, we will join together for a Gimel Siddur Celebration. During the Friday Evening Shabbat service, the children will each receive a Siddur (prayer book) from the WJC Parents’ Association. This Siddur will be used in the future during the school year and on Shabbat.
Beginning in Kitah Dalet (4th Grade), students build upon the Hebrew skills developed in 2nd and 3rd grade as they continue their journey toward becoming confident Hebrew readers. Through engaging lessons, students will strengthen their Hebrew decoding and reading fluency with a particular focus on prayers from the Friday evening service.
In addition to Hebrew learning, students will be introduced to the Book of Prophets (Nevi’im), exploring the lives, teachings, and messages of the prophets who helped shape the Jewish people. Through these stories, students will examine the historical and spiritual connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. By connecting biblical texts to geography and history, students will gain a richer understanding of our Jewish homeland while deepening their appreciation for Jewish heritage and history.
Kitah Dalet attends Tefillot on Wednesday afternoons with 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade and on Sunday morning with 2nd, 3rd and 5th – 6th grade
Students in 5th grade continue to strengthen and expand their Hebrew reading skills through the study of the Shabbat morning service, building greater fluency, confidence, and familiarity with prayer.
5th grade students are growing and becoming more independent. As that change develops, students will learn Jewish values that relate to this development. Such values include: Hakarat HaTov (Gratitude) Shalom Bayit (Peace in the House) Emet (Honesty) Anavah (Humility)
On Sunday mornings, 5th grade students participate in engaging electives alongside their 6th grade peers. Past electives have included Female Jewish Heroes, Jewish Pop Culture, and Jewish Music.
Kitah Hey attends Tefillot on Wednesday afternoons with 2nd – 4th grade and on Sunday morning with 2nd – 4th and 6th grade.
In 6th grade, the year is devoted to the values and prayers that strengthen the connection that each student will have when becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
As part of their Hebrew reading program, the focus for Kitah Vav will be on the Shabbat morning and afternoon service. This will introduce the students to various prayers that they will lead at their Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Such prayers include:
Blessing before and after an Aliyah
Blessing before and after the Haftarah
The various times in the service we recite Kaddish
Prayers recited before opening the Ark
Prayers recited when returning the Torah to the Ark
Havdalah Service
Students will also explore values that teach us our responsibility in the community. These values are the stepping stones to becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Such values include:
Reyut (Friendship)
Ometz Lev (Courage)
Arevut (Mutual Responsibility)
Kehillah (Community)
Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World)
Kitah Vav attends Tefillot on Thursday afternoons with 7th grade and Sunday morning with 2nd – 5th grade.
KITAH ZAYIN (7th grade)
Kitah Zayin meets on Thursday afternoons from 3:45 – 7:00pm. The students focus on the Holocaust, a significant time in our Jewish history, and on Israel, our Jewish homeland.
Throughout the year, as 7th graders study the Holocaust, they will learn the impact of racism, religious intolerance, and indifference in order to understand how history has impacted our world today. Through discussion, videos, and historical articles, students are able to see the importance of our history and how it shapes our lives today.
As students in Zayin become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, the hope is that they will recognize Israel, which is our homeland, as the Jewish people.
Students will learn:
Kitah Zayin attends Tefillot on Thursday afternoons with 6th grade.
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