Rabbi William and Dena Horn Religious School
The Rabbi William and Dena Horn Religious School provides religious education for children from preschool through 12th grade. The school strives to give students a strong background in Jewish history and culture, holidays and customs, tefillah, and Hebrew language. The Religious School offers small classes in order to provide the highest possible level of individualized learning and attention. The school is dedicated to addressing the unique needs of the individual student. Every effort is made to create a welcoming, warm, and accepting climate in which every child can learn.
The Religious School’s highly qualified, progressive, and dedicated teachers are trained in Hebrew and Jewish education and continually augment their knowledge and skills through an ongoing program of professional development and training. The Religious School also highlights family education in all its programs and activities, in order to strengthen the partnership between the school and the families of the children.
School Programs
Preschool Children
For preschool children, the Religious School offers Preschool Jewish Adventures, which meets 6 Sundays a year. The theme for the year 5767 will be Pirke Avot: Jewish Ethics and Values for Young Children. It will be explored through crafts, food, and related activities.
Kindergarten Through 2nd Grade
Kindergarten through 2nd grade students begin a more formal approach to Jewish education. Meeting every Sunday during the school year, from 11:00 AM to 12:45 PM, students in these grades are introduced to the richness and beauty of Jewish culture through a variety of social and hands-on experiences. There is a strong emphasis on Jewish holidays and rituals. Beginning in kindergarten, students are taught basic Hebrew words and conversation and by the end of 2nd grade have become capable readers and writers of Hebrew letters. The Aleph, or 1st grade, class concentrates on the Tal AM curriculum, a Hebrew immersion program. It also includes a focus on Shabbat with students receiving candlesticks and Kiddush cups to facilitate their Shabbat practice at home. The Bet, or 2nd grade, class learns the history of their Hebrew names and practices their writing skills, culminating in a beautiful naming ceremony. This is the year when students begin learning prayers, tefillot, and are active participants in the Junior Congregation program. They also begin a study of mitzvot. Each class has a weekly visit from a specialist in Jewish music. Nonmembers may attend any of these years, for one year only, for a slightly higher tuition.
Grades 3 Through 7
Grades 3 through 7 attend Religious School twice a week: Sundays, from 8:45 to 11:15 AM and Wednesdays, from 3:45 to 6:00 PM. Students study a full range of topics including Hebrew, Siddur, History, Torah/Bible Studies, Holidays, Music, Jewish Leaders, and Israel. A weekly tefillah session helps students begin to learn the prayers for everyday services. In addition, there is weekly study of the Torah portion. The emphasis on mitzvot continues through these grades. On Wednesdays, students may also choose an elective class such as Talmud/ Mishnah with Rabbi Krupnick, Torah in ACTion, What Makes a Jewish Hero?, or Meshorerim children’s choir with Cantor Krupnick.
Students prepare for b’nai mitzvah in the 6th grade. This course of study involves Torah reading, the study of Parashat Hashavua (weekly torah portions) and ta’amim, and preparation for leading the Friday evening and Shabbat morning services.
Shabbat Morning Programming
In addition, the SJCC offers Shabbat morning programming for students to meet their Religious School attendance requirements. Shabbat L’Matah is offered for students in preschool through 1st grade, Junior Congregation for students in grades 2 through 5, and the Junior Torah Reading Club for 6th grade students.
Summit Hebrew High School
The Summit Hebrew High School is open to students in grades 8 through 12. Grades 8 through 10 meet every Sunday morning from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. All three grades meet with Rabbi Friedman for the first session. Then grades 8 and 9 study Living Conservative Judaism – a course on understanding how Judaism relates to everyday life. These grades also have an experiential, interactive class in Tikkun Olam, Repairing the World. The 10th grade Confirmation class meets with Rabbi Moss Krupnick. This study program includes independent work on contemporary rabbinical issues, where students choose a current topic and relate it to Jewish tradition and text. Their work is presented to the congregation at a Confirmation Ceremony in May.
The 11th and 12th grades meet monthly on Sunday mornings with Rabbi Friedman to discuss what it is to be a Jew, particularly with an eye towards issues they may face in their college years.
Director of Religious Education, Stacey S. David
Stacey David supervises the SJCC Religious School. Mrs. David, a certified teacher, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Hebraic Studies from Tel Aviv University, The Jerusalem Institute, and Hunter College; and a Master’s Degree in Education from Hunter College. She has been a Jewish educator for more than 20 years and has lived in Israel.