TCHJ Sunday School
2007-2008
10:00 -12:00
Murphy Hall, UNC

TCHJ has adopted the basic curriculum from the Jewish Cultural School of Machar, the Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism. They received a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, D.C. Initiative in Congregational Education to develop it and have graciously agreed to share the fruits of their labor with us. We will be working with our teachers to adapt the curriculum to our needs throughout the school year and welcome input from parents and students as we move along. The focus of the curriculum is excerpted below. More detailed information is available both from the SHJ (http://grovesite.com/page.asp?o=shj&s=pub&p=168051) or Machar web site (http://www.machar.org/).

Kindergarten - 1st grade:

Is aimed at beginning an understanding and identification of oneself as Jewish. The Jewish calendar, holidays and to some degree the Hebrew and Yiddish languages are introduced

2nd-3rd grade:

Introduces basic secular humanistic Jewish values including, Tzedakah (charity), Chesed (loving kindness), and Tikkun O'lam (repairing the world). Values are illustrated with stories from secular Jewish literature, and the Bible.

Third grade uses ancient Jewish history to both illustrate values and provide a foundation of Jewish knowledge.

4th-5th grade:

Continues our exploration of Jewish history beginning from shtetl life in Eastern Europe and continuing on the present. Genealogy/Family trees are explored along with other topics discussing, Ghetto life in Europe, Yiddish Language, Ellis Island, Zionism and the founding of Israel.

6th-7th grade

Looks in more detail at the Holocaust and contemporary American and Israeli life. Comparative Judaism looking at the different branches of Jewish thought is also examined along with comparative religion looking at both the Abrahamic as well as eastern religions.

School Mission statement

The goal of the TCHJ education program is to help raise new generations of young people through Jewish ethics and Jewish culture enhancing self-respect and responsible behavior. Each child will grow intellectually, emotionally, and culturally with support based upon Humanistic Judaism.

It is the purpose of the TCHJ Sunday School to use whatever is meaningful in Jewish literature and historical memory to promote the self-esteem and rational competence of each individual student. Out of this encounter, the child may begin to develop his or her moral obligation to the welfare of others, and the reality of his or her Jewish identity.

Sunday School Opens with Activites for the Children and their Parents

Justin Sosne	Kerin Leche
K-1 class lead by Rebecca Wall
Pictures of the Tiny Tots class doing one of their lessons on Shabbat

The Sunday School of the Children's Cultural Center, affiliated with the Triangle Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, will hold it's Kick-Off Registration Celebration at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 26, at Murphey Hall, UNC Campus.

The focus of the TCHJ Children's Cultural Center is on teaching Jewish history, heroes, holidays, and ethics, emphasizing character development in a secular Jewish environment. More additional information search our website at www.hjnc.org or contact Alan Metz at 933-1941.

Program Details