This year, the students in sixth grade will be combined with the seventh grade on Sundays. Together, they will learn about Jewish history and be introduced to the roots of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. The role of prejudice and discrimination in the Nazis’ rise to power will be covered, as well as the resistance movement and life in the ghettoes and concentration camps. Next, they will study Israel as the Jewish State. Topics to cover about Israel will be: the variety of cultures, the military, technology and other achievements in the last 70 years.

In addition to regular attendance at Hebrew and Religious school, our B’nei Mitzvah program requires the participation of parents. There are several class sessions scheduled throughout the year, as well as school and family events. Please check the Religious School calendar for those dates and mark them all in your calendar to ensure your participation as part of the success of the program.

This is a busy year as we set the path for B’nei Mitzvah preparations. Specific subjects of study for the sixth grade include cantillation, reading fluency, the structure and the meaning of the prayer service, and Torah and Haftarah blessings, as well as Hebrew enrichment.

Prayers like Birchot Hashachar, Ashrei, and Yotzer will be mastered by the end of the year.