Curriculum & Course Descriptions

Education Programs at Congregation Beth Or

K-12^th grade education at Congregation Beth Or develops Judaic and Hebrew knowledge, and we divide the school into three major categories:

Our classes at Congregation Beth Or focus on hands-on learning, where students discover the information they need with the guidance and expertise of their teachers. Each class culminates in a project of some kind, a durable representation that encompasses student learning. With this program, Congregation Beth Or becomes the KEY to your child’s Jewish education!

Keren (K-3rd grades)

By the end of Keren, students will be able to:

• Retell basic Bible stories
• Express a core Jewish vocabulary
• Identify Jewish holidays and their related customs and ritual items
• Describe Israel as a modern and an ancient land
• Practice a range Jewish customs appropriate to their families
• Demonstrate comfort in the synagogue

Kindergarten through 2nd Grade

Our youngest learners come to class only on Sunday mornings.

Register for Sunday:

• Sunday (9:30am - 11am) 

3rd Grade

Hebrew education begins in earnest in 3^rd grade, so an extra learning session is added.

CHOOSE: Register for Sunday School

• Sunday (9:30am - 11am) 

AND: Register for Hebrew

• Sunday (11:15am - 12:45pm) OR *Monday (4:30pm - 6pm) OR *Tuesday (4:30pm - 6pm) *Please note: We may only have one mid-week option

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Eych (4th-6th grades)

Students in Eych focus on Torah, Israel, Jewish Values, Prayer/Worship, and God. By the end of Eych, students will be able to:

• Arrange Jewish sacred texts by timeframe and type
• Experiment with difference approaches to understanding God
• Differentiate between prayers within a prayer service
• Relate key concepts about Israel with clarity
• Outline Jewish values and beliefs

4th through 6^th Grade

Students in 4^th-6^th grade continue to come two sessions a week.

CHOOSE: Register for Sunday School

• Sunday (9:30am - 11am)

AND: Register for Hebrew

• Sunday (11:15am - 12:45pm) OR *Monday (4:30pm – 6pm) OR *Tuesday (4:30pm – 6pm) *Please note: We may only have one mid-week option 

Yedah (7th-10th grades)

Yedah classes examine the Why of Judaism. This curriculum presents Jewish living for maturing, young adult Jews using the same categories explored in Eych: Torah, Israel, Jewish Values, Prayer/worship, and God. Our 7^th-12^thgrade program is also called YOBO, Youth Of Beth Or. By the end of Yedah, students will be able to:

• Participate meaningfully in Jewish worship
• Assess different approaches to Jewish tradition
• Extrapolate their own practice as adult Jews from the material they’ve studied
• Measure the value sacred texts bring to their lives
• Justify their Jewish choices from an informed perspective
• Determine their relationship to Israel

YOBO brings together components of youth group, religious school, social functions, and service projects for 7th - 12th graders through:

• Hands-on, engaging content focused on living meaningful Jewish lives

• Time to interact with friends and create social networks

• More chances to do mitzvah projects and earn service hours

How does YOBO work?

Each month, we offer

• 1-2 week-long hands-on classes on fun Jewish topics or ideas (Jewish cooking, Jewish film, Jews in sports, etc.)

• 1-3 Core sessions for 10th grade (Confirmation) and 11th/12th grade

• A mitzvah project for hands-on doing and volunteer hours

When does YOBO meet?

• Sundays from 5pm - 6:45pm 

• Sessions will be scheduled about three times a month and students attend sessions as they are able to.

• There is one exception for 8th - 12th graders: Madrichim (classroom assistants) will still meet on Sunday mornings starting at 9:30am (and/or Monday/Tuesday Hebrew school)

7^th Grade YOBO

7^th grade students return to a once-a-week study of Judaic topics.

Register for YOBO:

• Sunday Evening (5pm - 6:45pm)  

8^th and 9^th Grade YOBO

In 8^th and 9^th grades students can choose among a number of class options.

CHOOSE: Register for YOBO

• Sunday Evening (5pm - 6:45pm) 

AND/OR: Register for Madrichim:

• Madrichim meet Sunday, 9:30am - 12:45pm and/or mid week Hebrew, 4:30pm - 6pm
• This YOBO class places students in Sunday school classrooms as assistant teachers, or madrichim. Madrichim report to their assigned class every Sunday during the year for their classroom duties. They may also receive further training and development in our monthly Madrichim workshop sessions from 1pm to 2:30pm. These workshops provide teens with information on organization, classroom management, teaching responsibilities, and leadership. Madrichim registration is based on approval from the Director of Religious School.

10th Grade: Confirmation

Students in 10^th grade spend the year learning about Judaism—history, culture, and theology—and discussing what Judaism means to them.

Register for Confirmation Class:

• Sunday Evening (5pm - 6:45pm)

Confirmation is for our 10th grade students and meets 3 times a month on Sundays from 5pm - 6:45pm. Taught by Rabbi Bonder and the Director of Religious School, Aaron Nielsenshultz, the class focuses on big events in Jewish history and Jewish theology. It includes several optional experiential learning trips: a social justice lobbying program to Washington, D.C., a trip to Jewish Philadelphia and other trips including a possible trip to Israel. The class culminates in the Confirmation service during Shavuot.

11^th and 12^th Grade YOBO

Our 11^th and 12^th grade classes are designed to keep students engaged in meaningful ways. There is no tuition for 11^th and 12^th grade.

CHOOSE: Register for YOBO

• Sunday Evening (5pm - 6:45pm)

AND/OR: Register for Madrichim

• Madrichim meet Sunday, 9:30am - 12:45pm and/or mid week Hebrew, 4:30pm - 6pm
• This YOBO class places students in Sunday school classrooms as assistant teachers, or madrichim. Madrichim report to their assigned class every Sunday during the year for their classroom duties. They may also receive further training and development in our monthly Madrichim workshop sessions from 1pm to 2:30pm. These workshops provide teens with information on organization, classroom management, teaching responsibilities, and leadership. Madrichim registration is based on approval from the Director of Religious School.

New Option for 11th & 12th Grade Students: College Credit Course - History of Modern Israel

We understand the value of earning college credit while still in upper level high school and the opportunity to remain connected to your Beth Or friends. As a result, we are partnering with Gratz college to offer an engaging course filled with college-level facts about Israel.

• Earn 3 credit hours through Gratz College, transferable to most universities
• 40 hours of instruction spanning from Fall to Spring. Classes take pace in-person at Beth Or on Sunday evenings, 5pm - 7pm
• Instructor: Peter Margolis, Ed.D., BA/MA Hebrew University, Jerusalem
• Cost: $360 (Beth Or members); $800 (non-Beth Or member)
• Register through the Beth Or Religious School. Registration closes once class is full.
• Contact Aaron Nielsenshultz with any questions.

Download a printable version of the Education Programs Descriptions