The Kohelet Prize Database
Subject: Halacha
Explore the Kohelet Prize Database
Prize Categories
- Interdisciplinary Integration (79)
- Real-World Learning (105)
- Learning Environment (30)
- Differentiated Instruction (45)
- Development of Critical and / or Creative Thinking (56)
- Risk Taking and Failure (12)
Pedagogy
- Blended Learning (112)
- Constructivist (195)
- Design Thinking (41)
- Experiential Education (65)
- Flipped Learning (13)
- Gamification (6)
- Hevruta (31)
- IBL - Inquiry Based Learning (135)
- Language Immersion (13)
- Montessori (21)
- PBL - Project Based Learning (238)
- Social Emotional Learning (54)
- Socratic Method (10)
- Soulful Education (17)
- Whole Brain Teaching (27)
- UBD - Understanding By Design (105)
- 21st Century Skills (273)
Subjects
- Art (149)
- Computer Science (73)
- Economics (8)
- Engineering (28)
- English/ Writing/ Language Arts (181)
- Gemara (65)
- Halacha (104)
- History (173)
- Ivrit (118)
- Literature (159)
- Math (102)
- Mishnah (73)
- Music (56)
- Philosophy (46)
- Physical Education/ Health (11)
- Science (151)
- Social Emotional Learning (53)
- Social Studies (44)
- Tanach (177)
- Technology (40)
- Tefila (19)
Grades
- Elementary School (156)
- Middle School (213)
- High School (213)
- Kindergarten (79)
- 1st Grade (89)
- 2nd Grade (101)
- 3rd Grade (117)
- 4th Grade (129)
- 5th Grade (155)
- 6th Grade (151)
- 7th Grade (142)
- 8th Grade (138)
- 9th Grade (104)
- 10th Grade (110)
- 11th Grade (110)
- 12th Grade (109)
Mishkeh Mechanic / Success Strategist 2.0
Middle school students completed a project in their STEAM cross-curricular class and followed the Teshuva process to "realize," and thus capitalize upon, their mistakes and successes; this highly replicable, easily transferable project took on a far-reaching mind of its own, with students at the helm of the real-life skills ship.
The Torah Fair
The Torah Fair is a fair where we display 3D projects created by our students on different topics of Judaism. The projects are both creative and educational and all the schools in the city are invited to come and receive an educational guided tour given by our own students.
The Berachot Bee
Our school holds a Berachot (Blessing) Bee every year. We have readjusted the old format of the "bee", so that every child can succeed. We have used differentiated instruction, so even children with learning difficulties can excel.
JSTEAM – Melacha Makerspace
JSTEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Makerspace. STEAM through a Jewish lens in sync with Maimonides School's mission creating a beautiful blend of Torah and Worldly experience with hands-on creativity.
Maimonides Integrated Connections
Three interconnected gears with the letters M.I.C. representing Maimonides Integrated Connections. This encourages students and teachers to find cross-curricular connections, bridging various subjects and disciplines, and integrating classroom learning with real life experiences.
Renewal of Rabbinic Ordination Project
Students, draw from talmudic, rabbinic literature and historical sources, to create a dialogue between two 16th century rabbinic figures. Their debate touches on the centrality of rabbinic ordination to the Jewish legal system. Is there a possibility of its restoration and what meaningful ramifications can its return have in the modern day world.
Anatomy and Purity: An Integration of Science with Taharat Hamishpacha
The program is designed to integrate the Anatomy and Physiology class taken by several 11th and 12th grade girls at Valley Torah High School with the halachic components of taharat hamishpacha.
A Trial of Error: A Project Based Learning (PBL) Approach to Student Self Reflection through the Lens of Repentance
In an effort to develop their critical thinking skills, the students staged a mock trial, demonstrating the process of reflection and repentance outlined in Jewish law. The process included analyzing the laws, reflecting on their actions, implementing the steps of repentance, evaluating how to prove each step and creating admissible evidence.
Building Halacha through Physical Science Lab
For centuries, Jews have used the best scientific principles of the day to form the Jewish Law that they practice and keep. This series of interdisciplinary units uses the physical science skills and content that the students are learning in science, in service of deepening their understanding of the Jewish Law they study in Talmud classes.
The Shlenker BackYard: A Gateway to Experiential Learning
The Shlenker School’s nature reserve “The BackYard” is situated on a 1.5 acre wooded area directly behind the school. This outdoor classroom is utilized for core academic and Judaic learning experiences. Students learn about environmental ethics and are taught the Jewish value of Ba’al tashchit—not destroying or wasting resources in nature.
The Young Acharonim Initiative
Students use centuries old traditional Talmudic methods to build critical thinking skills. This is done by giving the students the ability to become the teachers by planning and researching their own lessons, presenting them to the class, and allowing others to critique, and perfect their logic.
This is The Young Acharonim Initiative.
Integrated/Environmentally Conscious Tashlich Unit
This interdisciplinary unit on water and tashlich integrates Judaic studies, physical science, ecology, and Language Arts through text analysis and critical thinking exercises. Fourth grade students connect Judaism and general studies through Torah, mitzvot, scientific method, creative thinking, and problem solving.
Earth Science
Working backwards from the physical and topographical design of Israel, the connection between Israel, Earth Science and Halacha, and the consideration of our (Fuchs Mizrachi Lower School’s) physical location in the world; this unit was designed to ask and answer six essential questions that take the students on a journey across many disciplines.
Escape Room Learning 2.0: Rethinking the rules of learning and assessment
I created a series of week long escape rooms, to teach different topics in Halacha. I used Google Classroom and other apps/websites to transform my class into an exciting Escape the Room for the week. In this new iteration of my previous submission, I have extended the games to include a summative assessment that replaced a final test.
Things that Go Bump in the Night
Students contrast Mystical Judaism with Rational Judaism. Topics include: Sorcery, Witches, Amulets, Evil Eye, Chamsa, Lilith, Star of David, Mezuzah, Golem, Demon, Incubus, and Dybbuk. Students integrate Jewish Studies with Art, by creating art projects that are message-driven by the associated Jewish Studies topics.
Halachic User Manual
Students created a student centered, research and project based "Halachic User Manual" to master the topic of Kashrut. Students were tasked to use the various components of a user manual to incorporate the different halachot and halachic applications based on a commonly used item found in a kosher kitchen.
From one jungle to another: Putting into practice Judaic studies lessons in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
How do we put Jewish values into practice in a meaningful way? while pondering this I fostered a relationship with the international human rights organization Me to We. We conceived an experience tailored to Jewish students, with Jewish experiences and values looking for a powerful practical experience to make them better Jews and better people.
The Tzedek Program
The year-long Tzedek Program gives 7th graders a deep understanding about their obligation to give tzedakah. Armed with this knowledge, 7th graders will be will be able to make their own educated philanthropic decisions in their own community of San Francisco based on their understanding of the needs and priorities through a Jewish lens.
Medical Ethics Hospital Simulation
Teaching hands on, real life medical ethics utilizating a major medical centers simualtion center, we bring students into the hospital, where they have the opportunity to learn how to participate in various cutting edge and routine medical procedures, as they encounter potential ethical issues in them and then study and discuss relevant Torah.
Austin Jewish Academy (AJA) Fifth-Grade Sustainability Curriculum
As part of AJA's commitment to educating life-long environmental stewards, Ms. Hidalgo developed a reproducible model curriculum to teach sustainability through opportunities for real-world learning. Her program involves innovative classroom study and school-to-farm service learning and has an extraordinary impact on her students and AJA community.
LaHaV Learning
LaHaV Learning provides content, technology, and training to transform Jewish learning and teaching in schools and communities throughout the world. LaHaV was founded to transform students from spectators to participants and to enable worldwide educational collaboration across disciplines, because Jewish ideas and values matter now more than ever.
Differentiated Instructions through the use of Muli-sensory felt boards
Research has shown that multi-sensory learning stimulates more neural pathways in the brain. I created Judaic themed, multi-sensory felt boards to be used in the classroom to drive differentiated instruction. The felt boards are used to address the different learning styles and interests of my students.
IHOP Brachot: The Halacha Revolution
IHOP presents a unique an innovative way to teach the practical Halachot of Brachot/Blessings to teens. The curriculum is taught in the classroom along with hands on demonstrations and challenges of how to apply the correct laws. The lessons and follow up demonstrations are designed to be fun and engaging to teens.
Am I My Brother’s Keeper? From The Torah to S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders
You Be The Judge: What does Jewish Law say should happen to Ponyboy Curtis? An exploration and analysis of S.E. Hinton’s American Classic, The Outsiders
The Prepared Environment
Our innovative, Montessori inspired environment allows our children to work in a warm, exciting and stress-free atmosphere that promotes high motivation and a love for learning. This model creates the ability for each child to receive a customized curriculum according to what s/he needs which encourages emotional, social, and academic success.
Beis Medrish- Holiday Learning
A multi-level class where students are guided through differentiated material on 1) the historical background 2) the laws and customs and 3) the deeper message of the holidays. Teachers use blended learning methods, small groups, and one on one learning but mainly independent study strategies to help students connect more deeply to the holidays.
Scheduling Circus
Creating a school schedule is difficult. Furthermore, creating a schedule that works for 14 multi-age, multi-level, individual students with very different academic and social-emotional needs, seems nearly impossible. It was through a journey of taking great risks and reflecting on failures that brought our classroom the schedule(s) we all needed.
Searching for Halacha in the Real World
Halacha projects for both Shabbat and Kashrut, demanding independent research on real life questions. The final step of each project is for the student to directly contact her Shul Rabbi and seek his psak.
Escape the Room! Halacha Mini Course
I created a series of week long escape rooms to teach different topics in Halacha. I used Google Classroom and other apps and websites to transform my class into an exciting Escape the Room for the week.
Price of Life
The low amount of organ donors worldwide creates a lack of supply of organs for transplant. Students write a personal essay on whether or not they will sign an organ donor card, as well as produce an event with the goal of educating the community about the the problem of organ trafficking and its relationship with the signing of an organ donor card.
The Innovation Lab – The Space where Maker Ed and Jewish Ed Inspire
We’ve built a culture designed around an open space where students actualize content learned in their Jewish day school & apply it in ways that are most meaningful to them. Students collaborate & think creatively, using 3D printers, woodworking, coding, graphic design, and a host of other tools to create tangible outcomes of their education.
STEM Education and Crosscutting Concepts
The Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School has developed a model of STEM integration with general and Judaic studies using the Next Generation Science Standard's Crosscutting Concepts (CCC). This model of integration is the only one in the nation and is the subject of research and collaboration with The George Washington University.
Interdisciplinary Integration Through Service Learning for Middle School Students
Classroom instruction focuses on the sources and then the development of Jewish law. It is then taken out of the classroom weekly so that students have the opportunity to put the lessons into practice. Lessons and projects incorporate language arts and math skills, torah, art, technology, science, and health.
Teva Tuesday
Each week our students in our 4-5th grades spend an afternoon outdoors to learn, become aware of and appreciate the vital role the earth plays in our existence. Students are encouraged to gain a deep, profound respect for the environment, to become Shomer Adamah (Guardians of the Land) through study of Jewish texts that promote these ideas.
Modular Educational Games
A kit to produce educational games in any language, in any subject, and at any level of difficulty. The process of creating these games develops the student’s learning abilities (focus on detail, categorization, collaboration,self-direction) and social skills.
These games can be used as a part of teaching, reinforcement, review, and assessment.
The Modern Jewish Woman
Students study texts as they learn about the shifts in the cultural and religious roles of women. This is taught concurrently in both Judaic studies (Rabbinic Literature) and Modern Jewish History classes. Course culminates with students choosing elderly women of the community to interview and then represent in a community-wide celebratory exhibit.
Fundamentals of Economics & Business and Jewish Business Ethics
This entry describes a year-long course at Maimonides, enabling Juniors to study the Fundamentals of Economics, both as a rigorously taught social science class, and as a deep consideration of the ethical and moral teachings of Judaism on the topic. The entry focuses on the many opportunities for Real World Learing for students through this course
Wearing Our Values: The importance of working on ourselves
Our tradition tells us that as Jews, we can enjoy the pleasures of the world, but in an appropriate manner. By connecting our love of Torah and its values with love of fashion, we aim to do just that, and to show that clothing doesn’t define the man-or woman -but we define our clothing, using it to make a statement about how to live a life of mitzvot.
Three Models of the Integrated Online Classroom
Three different models of the integrated online classroom are examined and evaluated in this study. All three models utilize the PowerSchool Learning platform (formerly Haiku Learning). The study compares and contrasts the models, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Talking Trees in Kitah Alef-Impact of Trees in our Environment -An interdisciplinary Unit
1st graders learned about trees through literacy, science, math, Ivrit, art, movement and by working in cooperative groups. The unit included studying the parts of trees in Hebrew and English, the impact of trees on the environment and its natural resources. We emphasized the mitzvah of tzedakah and of planting trees in Israel for Tu B'Shvat.
What do Greece and Arizona Have in Common? Empowerment, Life Skills, and Meaningful Research
Students planned a trip to Greece to learn about literature, ancient history, and Jewish history, researching content, budgeting, fundraising, and halakhot. Success was met with disappointment when the trip was canceled for terrorism. Students regrouped, changing the destination to Arizona to research nature, American history, and the arts.
The Integrated Online Judaics Classroom
The Integrated Online Judaics classroom is built on the PowerSchool Learning platform. It is an online experience that compliments classroom learning, and provides students the tools they need to improve reading, vocabulary, and conceptual skills. It utilizes a variety of learning modalities and also provides built-in tools for review and practice.
Morah Tovi Admon Co-teaching Program
Looking at a classroom, even when empty, tells a lot about the learning environment. Are students facing the same direction to be receivers of information or are there centers and desk-clusters, meeting areas and reading nooks created to support students in moving through routines, working together, and supporting more independent learning.
Three Biological Systems – The Fuchs Mizrachi 2016-2017 STE(A)M Learning
Every year, the FMS Lower School embarks on an 8 week intensive learning journey in preparation for our annual STE(A)M fair. This journey encompasses so much, but at its core, this experience lays the foundation for life-long learners and information seekers; involvement in this process remains the most valuable lesson for our students in the LS.
Interactive Haggadah Shel Pesach and Hilchot Chag HaPesach
These digital Haggadah and Halacha documents are colorful, interactive, and engaging. They include the full text of the Haggadah, commentaries on the Haggadah, and various relevant video clips. Teachers can make a copy for each student on Google Classroom, and once the slides have been completed, teachers can print and bind the pages.
Shnayim Mikra Initiative
This initiative will be a game changer in the Jewish chinuch teaching world.
Many benefits include Hebrew reading proficiency (which is a major problem)
And fluency in chumash, which is the foundation of Judaism.
The Cyber Path to Critical and Creative Thinking
This is a revolutionary approach which incorporates innovative technology to engage students in using higher order thinking in Jewish texts. Using the platform of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy, students are guided to create their own content as a means of presenting their understanding of the texts. This approach is also being used by secular studies teachers in our school.
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on HeLa Cells
My 12th grade AP Language and Composition students read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a non-fiction text which explores the intersection of race, American history, and medical ethics through the lens of the discovery of an immortal cell line tied to an African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks. My students’ final project was to examine these intersections through a project that blended independent research with multi-media content. Of particular interest to this category is the student project that tackled the ethical questions raised in the text through the lens of Judaic studies; students who completed this project consulted primary sources as well as experts in Jewish medical ethics to create a presentation they later delivered to the entire student body.
Water: An examination
Using the bracha Mashiv HaRuach and Parshat Noach, this unit investigates water on a deep level. It includes many types of instruction so that all students can access the learning.
Torah N Technology- Mishna PowerPoint
The TNT Program (Torah ‘n Technology) at Maimonides integrates curriculum studies and enrichment programs with technology, following our school motto: “A Beautiful Blend, Torah and Worldly Experience.” This program helps students find relevant and creative expression to their learning, as well as instruction in important technology skills.
The Mishna/Talmud PowerPoint program empowers students to creatively visualize the content and Mishnaic language, transforming basic words, letters, and text into an exciting multi-media format.
The Talent Center Handbook & Extra Challenge Project Kit
The Talent Center Handbook shows how to develop creative young Jewish leaders with an 18 word curriculum in just 30 Minutes a Week. Emek’s game-changing Extra Challenge Projects connect holistic Torah learning, technology, and Jewish design thinking through child-led community service passion projects.
Shake Your Lulav!
This is a Google Slide presentation about the mitzva of Ushpizin, welcoming honorary guests into the sukkah, which integrates content and skill building, as well as Hebrew language acquisition. It was originally designed for use as a flipped classroom.
Personalized Talmud Learning
The model of Talmud instruction in Jewish Day schools has remained mostly intact for decades. The trends suggest that a higher percentage of middle school students are graduating with weak Talmud skills, and a lack of understanding of the purpose of Talmud and appreciation for its role in Jewish life. This has led many schools to even consider abandoning Talmud in middle school curriculum. Our innovative approach to Talmud uses a data-driven model to create personalized learning pathways that students progress through based on proficiency and mastery in eight specific domains that provide a comprehensive understanding of Talmud - including content, vocabulary, functional structures, and real-life application.
MULTI-LEVELED DIFFERENTIATION
This is a revolutionary system that uses technology to differentiate learning based on multiple cognitive learning factors that affect the learning process. Each student is catered to according his or her unique circumstances and abilities.
Knowing When to Shut Up: Suggestions for Creating Collaborative Learning Environments
This method employs a play, poem, and novel to teach a variety of skills such as close textual reading, literary analysis, persuasion, and listening and evaluation. It incorporates three different formats of writing, research, and expression of knowledge with the ultimate goal being to create a classroom experience where students help each other learn and feel responsible for the establishment of a positive learning environment. The method also allows English literature students to learn from a variety of Judaic and secular sources in and outside of the classroom.
Judaic Differentiation
I have created a system of differentiation where students can learn, practice and demonstrate Chumash (Bible) skills at their levels. Upon mastery, students create videos, where they apply acquired skills to unfamiliar text, to be virtual teachers for other students. The compilation of these videos gets posted to a website to populate a student-created Khan Academy for Judaic skills.
Jewish For Life: Dual Track Judaic Curriculum
Our Moreshet Yisrael track uses a thematic approach to teach traditional and modern sources in English whereas our Moreshet Torani track adheres to text-based learning in Hebrew. Regardless of track, when oral or midrashic traditions are introduced, they are taught with a clear understanding that even oral traditions are anchored to the text. There is a recognition among our teachers that many of the skills students develop in the serious pursuit of Judaic Studies (such as critical thinking, deductive reasoning, close reading of texts) can and will be employed in General Studies subjects such as language arts, science, and social studies.
Heivanti
Using a Blended Learning model, Heivanti is designed to strengthen the irreplaceable power of live teacher-to-student engagement while introducing unparalleled levels of differentiation and unmatched one-on-one attention to traditional upper school Judaic Studies.
Focus on Growth – Differentiation Through Student Goal Setting
Our committee of educators designed and implemented a Focus on Growth initiative for our kindergarten through fifth grade students. This initiative encourages students and teachers to work together to set differentiated personal goals, monitor progress, and celebrate achievement in a variety of areas.
Enrichment@Maayanot
To meet the educational needs of our strongest students, who are not fully sufficiently challenged by the Honors classroom we instituted an enrichment program. Each student chooses two projects (bekiut and b'iyun) to work on over the course of the year. The handful of students participating across the grades, through specially geared programming form a peer community of motivated achievers who push each other to discover and reach their full potential.
Chopped (pronounced “חפט“)
Inspired by the hit cooking show “Chopped” teams of Hilchot Brachot students used mystery ingredients to create their own recipes. While the members of a team had to work with the same mystery ingredients, each team member was responsible for developing a unique recipe for their specific bracha. Final recipes were put together into a class cookbook. Who has lots left to learn and who. has. chopped?
“Reaching Each Child”.
Our Sages say "chanoch l'naar al pi darko" - teach each child in their own way. It is critical to understand the student as an individual with their strengths and weaknesses. Only then can we truly educate them.
Moot Beit Din
As a summative capstone to my student’s learning of the Jewish applied science of Torah, I decided to create a Moot Beit Din project in the eighth grade, in which student would learn about current controversial issues and make a judgement based on sources. They would research halachah, science and other relevant information, then debate their topic and the other students would form the court, passing judgement and justifying their decision based on the information presented.
Mah Nishtana Goes Tech
Over the course of last school year first graders learned the basics of coding using Scratch Jr. Each lesson in Scratch Jr. also included concepts that were taught elsewhere in the curriculum. The first graders extended their coding skills late last spring by programming our resident robots to travel to a designated spot and ask and answer the Mah Nishtana in the correct order as we had studied in class in preparation for Pesach.
Judaic Studies Electives Program
Initiative to revamp, reinvigorate, and reimagine the Judaic Studies Curriculum at Ulpanat Orot by empowering the students to have diverse and personalized choices in their course selections. Ivrit and Torah (Chumash) are mandatory courses throughout HS, but the other 3 JS periods were opened up with 3-4 choices per period.
iPad English Classroom Trial: Challenges, Successes, Discoveries, and Failures
Over the academic year of 2014-5, I embraced the introduction of iPads across the entire SAR High School freshman class by taking certain risks and often failing at integrating the iPad into my already digital curriculum. A record of my efforts were recorded on a public blog that I used as both a record of my “trial run” and a platform for networking with other iPad educators via social media. In my year-long blog, I shared questions, answers, successes, challenges, and yes, even failures regarding the first-year introduction of iPads into my already paperless English classroom. My blog record shows that while I failed at fully integrating the iPad as a media device, and while I failed at fully aligning iPad apps with my already digital curriculum, I succeeded at researching, recognizing, and even demonstrating the iPad’s strengths and challenges in my English classroom.
In Defense of Learning Lishmah
Jewish educators often approach their subjects with the same modalities and grading system that are common in General Studies classes. Rather than continue with this approach, Shalhevet attempted to design two Judaic courses that would devalue letter grades and promote more authentic and deeper student learning. We were willing to take a calculated risk and we failed. While our initial pilot missed the mark, the effort has promoted some benefits and has jumpstarted further innovation in our approach to Judaic instruction.
Computer Lab
Utilizing online computer courses for remedial, standard, and advanced students.
Tza’ar Ba’alei Chayim
Through study of modern ethical dilemmas related to the use of animals in our society, and a cursory dive into traditional texts related to the treatment of animals, students write position papers and debate Lincoln-Douglas style in an attempt to convince peers and parents to act in a manner that aligns solutions to current concerns with ancient wisdom.
Tu’Beshvat School wide Real World Unit
For Tu’Beshvat 2016 the Hamilton Hebrew Academy decided to create a school wide initiative that integrated science, biology, the arts, Ivrit and Judaic Studies. Our vision was to create a real world, interdisciplinary experience that would engage all learners.
Torat Chayim: Real World Learning in Tanach and Gemara; Analysis and Integration through Real World Application
How do we engage students in the rigorous, text based learning of Tanach and Gemara while helping them learn how to apply their learning to their lives and the world around them? A portfolio of sample projects are provided that serve as different models in answering this question. These projects challenge student to extract values, apply and synthesize their learning in various "authentic" ways.
Authentic Service Learning through the Mitzvah Program at the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School
The mitzvah program at the Martin J.Gottlieb Day School was first introduced as an integral part of the middle school curriculum 22 years ago. The concept was based on the idea that after students studied Tanach, Jewish laws and customs, they were more likely to understand and accept the mitzvot if given the opportunity to put them into practice. It was also believed that students who became part of their community at large with service projects would grow to understand both their responsibility to the community and their ability to make a difference even at the young age of 11.
Artificial Insemination in Halacha
We learned about the mitzvah of procreation and discussed some of the practical applications with modern medicine such as IVF.
Where the heart feels at home – מקום שלבו חפץ
The Netivot Upper Elementary learning environment is warm, inviting, stimulating, and vibrant like no other. Our classroom setting incorporates collective responsibility, independence, freedom of movement, freedom of choice and peer learning, and utilizes multiple modalities of instruction. This ground-breaking classroom promotes growth in all areas, academic, social, emotional, and spiritual, embodying the adage: אין אדם לומד אלא במקום שלבו חפץ.
Turn Tube
This is a tool I invented to maximize student work time and teacher conferencing. The teacher can work one on one with a child easily while other kids are engaged in their work. Every year, the children ask what this is and love using it!
Rookies Approach
Ivrit, differentiated instruction, centers, multisensory learning, responsive classroom
Machshava Beit Midrash
Students today are busy, often overwhelmed, and increasingly stressed at school. The Machshava Beit Midrash is a learning environment where students are able to choose from a number of different philosophical and thought provoking books to learn alone or together with a chavruta. In addition, inspirational video and mindfulness training stations allow students to settle and better take control of their thoughts, creating a spiritual and meaningful atmosphere that hopefully permeates beyond the walls of the classroom.
Learning Environment – Jennifer Dolny
My presentation displays the learning environment in my classroom. This learning environment encourages student centered learning and promotes academic, social, and emotional growth.
Kindergarten Learning Environment
A classroom environment utilizing nine distinct stations. Stations provide for student exploration, and help them develop deeper connections to their learning.
Integrated Girls High School Program
Ashira is an integrated girls' high school program providing small classes with individualized learning to girls whose primary deficiency is in the academic domain. Ashira is housed in a mainstream high school, enabling maximum socialization which is so crucial during the high school years.
Innovative Learning in a Flexible Space
Our new innovation studio houses iPad Pros, Chromebooks, a green screen and a 3D printer. We offer flexible seating to accommodate a variety of educational needs, as well as a movable wall so our space can expand as needed.
Co-teaching program
Looking at a classroom, even when empty, tells a lot about the learning environment. Are students facing the same direction to be receivers of information or are there centers and desk-clusters, meeting areas and reading books created to support students in moving through routines, working together, and supporting more independent learning. This later description is the innovative and engaging classroom that is Tovi Admon’s.
Building a Listening Room, Maturing Student Prayer: Creating Intentional Religious Environments and Practices in the Traditional Jewish Day School
In my work on Tefila, I have thought about, proposed, and worked on various ideas and projects related to increasing student engagement in Tefila. In the particular capacity of a facilitator of an alternatively structured tefila, I have built a tefila space that both quiets and focuses students around conventional tefila practice through deliberate practices of mindfulness meditation built into the tefila--before, and during the prayers themselves--while still maintaining the full ritualized practice of Orthodox prayer. My theory, which has played out for the past four years and for over 100 students, is that a stilled body allows for a focused mind, and a quieted, focused mind allows for optimal tefila experiences. Setting students up for success, in other words, has everything to do with setting up tefila properly so that it might be a strengthening, cathartic, and transformative experience.
“Unity in the School Community”
Jewish Day Schools often face a dichotomy between the Judaic and General Studies Departments. The Jewish Academy is making a priority of tackling this challenge through innovative means. Our goal is to create a seamless curriculum.
Tu’Beshvat School wide Interdisciplinary Unit
For Tu’Beshvat 2016 the Hamilton Hebrew Academy decided to create a school wide initiative that integrated science, biology, the arts, Ivrit and Judaic Studies. Our vision was to create a real world, interdisciplinary experience that would engage all learners.
The Rosh Chodesh Calendar Project
The Rosh Chodesh Calendar project is a two year multiweek integration program which has been successfully incorporated into our school for the past four years. Year one involves integration between the science, technology, art, Ivrit/Hebrew language and Judaic teachers for grade five; year two integrates Humanities, physical education, math/engineering, art and Judaic instruction for grade six/Middle School. Each of the multiweek learning units culminates in a presentation showcasing student individual and class research projects for parents, and occasionally the greater Indianapolis Jewish community
The Jewish Academy’s Reflection Integration
Our team integrated the theme of reflection across all grades as well as across all subjects. Reflection is an overall strategy and theme for the school. Laying the groundwork in our first unit is key to a successful year of reflection and revision.
The History of Light
A 4-6 week long interdisciplinary unit, which ties together research and presentation skills, Chanukah, Israel, New Jersey History, the science of electricity, and the use of light as a medium in art.
The Gift of Mincha: Drawing From the Text, Building a Siddur
This course addresses the driving question: “How might we improve our school's daily mincha experience through creating an originally drawn, translated, and annotated school siddur?” In this project-driven, team-taught, and inter-disciplinary senior Art/Judaics course, students respond to a very familiar text--the mincha siddur--through contemplative, artistic, and written avenues. Through studying the text in both a critical and soulful manner, and by creating and crafting their own translations, illuminations, commentaries, and illustrations, students are in the process of jointly building a siddur that will be used as the school community's daily mincha text.
The Akiva Broadcasting Network
The Akiva Broadcasting Network (ABN) is an interactive, team-oriented program of study where students develop communications skills; broadcast technology and technical skills; and critical life skills, integrating Jewish and Secular Studies across the curriculum.
ABN is part of the Kid TV program developed by Professor Larry Katz with the objective to teach cross curricular skills to students through the creation of TV newscasts that are shared with other members of their school community via an internal broadcast network and are also shared on the school website. Student select the news items, prepare the D’vray Torah, and stories on famous Jewish personalities, write the scripts, shoot and edit the stories, do the interviews, take on the roles of anchors and reporters, manage the broadcasts and handle all of the technical jobs
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj_uSY53-dM&feature=youtu.be).
STEM Fair
In the spring of 2015, ASHAR students presented their projects in a school wide fair culminating a year long focus on combining the learning of science, math, and Torah.
Based on the premise that everything secular can be found in the Torah, our students in first through eighth grade explored the connections between kodesh, holy, and chol, secular.
Secret Seders during the Spanish Inquisition
Taking advantage of the learning about Pesach throughout the school, I invite my students to travel back in time when Jews risked their lives to fulfill the mitzvah of having a Seder (among other holidays) during the Spanish Inquisition. My Spanish classes apply relevant Spanish vocabulary and grammar that they currently learning to the mock seder scenarios I create for them in a dark, candle lit room with the windows blocked and rotating students on guard for any visitors.
Psychology and Jewish Thought
In this year-long elective for seniors, we study the basic topics of psychology as any college-level introduction to psychology course might. On an almost daily basis, we provide lesson extensions (class discussions, opportunities for student reflection, and direct instruction) about how these lessons integrate with the discussions found in the discipline of Jewish Thought.
Philosophical Ethics and the Meeting of Minds
We are delighted to share our entry in the Interdisciplinary Integration category: the “Philosophical Ethics” unit of our junior year Integrated American Literature, Jewish and Western Philosophy course, affectionately referred to as “Tikvah. The unit culminates with the Meeting of Minds project.
Pesach Haggada Scrapbook
Middle School learned about Pesach from a multiplicity of perspectives and incorporated their learning into a usable Haggada scrapbook.
The Final Journey: How Judaism Dignifies the Passage
The Final Journey is a 10-hour curriculum that teaches high school students about Jewish death rituals. It includes videos of each of the topics presented and a 98-page Study Guide for teachers.
Sukkah Design and Build Challenge
16 seventh grade students were presented with a real problem -- that MJDS has no Sukkah. Their challenge was to design, prototype, build and decorate a kosher Sukkah in time for Sukkot. The results were stunning; but the process was even more so.
3D Halacha
In this high school Judaic elective class, students learned spatially-related Jewish law while concurrently learning 3D design software. The combination of these two disciplines allowed students to explore difficult Jewish concepts often skipped in day schools, as well as master the incredibly marketable 21st Century skill of 3D design. In this one-year curriculum, 3D software became a powerful tool for empowering students in their Judaic Studies.
JEHMS Program- Jewish Education for the Humanities, Math, and Science. Does your Jewish Education Sparkle? Rigorous Middle School Fusion Program to enhance Secular Studies with Jewish Concepts
JEHMS is a middle school fusion program (adaptable for K-12) which employs original, distinctly Jewish lesson plans to communicate required secular concepts, thereby blending secular and Jewish education to better streamline, unify, and integrate Jewish Day School dual curricula. JEHMS is multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary curricula in math, science, social studies and English Language Arts, aligned with the Common Core Curriculum, to teach secular skills and knowledge by employing Jewish concepts. JEHMS does not replace Judaic studies, rather is revolutionizes the content of secular classes to seamlessly include Jewish learning as it explicates secular concepts.
JanTerm Integrative Research Project
The JanTerm Integrative Reseach Project is a month-long (in January) intensive project where students learn and practice research and writing skills across content areas. By reconfiguring the students' schedule, students are allowed longer blocks of time to conduct research, write a formal research paper, meet and edit with a mentor-teacher, as well as work on hands-on projects. In this time, our Judaic Studies curriculum works in tandem, guiding the students to study the same theme from a Jewish lens. The students also work on creating a final project that reflects their learning of the Jewish texts and principles related to the overall theme.
SOLE Student Leadership Seminar
The SOLE Student Leadership Seminar is a full-day, interactive leadership seminar for grades 9-12 which combines real world skill development learned from world experts, with the application of Jewish values in the community.
Students learn from SOLE mentors including Rabbis, Commanders in the IDF, Professors specializing in Israeli Affairs, and other thought leaders in an innovative learning environment called a Self-Organized-Learning Environment or SOLE.
After each keynote, the speakers join the students in small group discussions on how to apply what they just learned from the presentations to their clubs, committees and Israeli-themed projects.
Shearim Work Study Program
The Shearim Work Study Program is designed for high school students with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Students are given an opportunity to engage with the world, learn important life skills, and derive satisfaction and joy from serving their community.
Real-World Learning: Experiential Learning Designed and Implemented by Students and Faculty
The office of Student Life at Beth Tfiloh High School has developed beyond cute programming and is now seen as an Educational Department, working alongside all Academic Departments to enhance, collaborate, deepen and apply values, ideas and skills being taught in various disciplines and give them a meeting place of relevance and application through experiential programming. This is a new and exciting way to envision teaching for the Real World and I am excited to share the fruit of the first three years of this experience with you in the hope of inspiring more schools to develop this approach as well.
Fifth Grade Sustainability and Service Learning
Karen Hidalgo has developed a project-based unit on sustainability that has become the hallmark of Austin Jewish Academy’s fifth grade program. It has evolved over the past three years culminating in a service-learning project meaningfully integrated with Jewish studies presenting unique opportunities for students to become real world problem solvers.
Please begin with Text Introduction and proceed to Curriculum Outline.pdf
Comprehensive Digital Citizenship Curriculum
Technology today pervades every facet of life, from the refrigerator to the cell phone. In order, then, to prepare our students for well-integrated lives in the modern world, we must provide them with the psychosocial and emotional vocabulary and awareness to value, build and sustain healthy relationships; the technological skills to choose and use tools responsibly and effectively; and the Torah and Mussar (Jewish tools for self-development) skills to guide and shape their lives in accordance with their Jewish principles. We have developed an expanded, multi-year, cross-departmental curriculum based upon the most up-to-date research and most classical of Torah ethics, that reaches into every part of our educational process, teaching students directly and also via continuing education for staff and parents.
Moot Beit Din versus Moot Court
With the right teacher, the study of Jewish Law and the Jewish Legal System (Mishna and Gemara) is exciting, insightful, and extremely relevant to contemporary issues. What most students do not know is that British Common Law (the source for the U.S. and Canadian Legal Systems) has its basis in Jewish Law. Moot Court versus Moot Beit Din is a program that takes composite, real life legal problems, and divides students into two teams who research, recreate, and present each side of the case before both a Beit Din and a civil court giving the students incredible real world experiences.
Mock Beit Din
The mock Beit Din serves as a final exam, capping off a year of studying numerous cases surrounding the same theme -- in my case, the concept of mamon ha-mutal b’safek -- financial disputes between litigants. While the year begins with one mishnah providing one din, it ends with many variations on that theme. The mock Beit Din serves to demonstrate to the students the practical applications of the cases and laws studied, making the material actual and relevant to their lives - rather than dry and impractical.
Medical Geography
A Medical-Based approach to ecology. Ecology is an important branch of biology, and has led to many important discoveries and developments in healthcare, agriculture, genetics, and anthropology. However, for elementary school students, this information can be made more relevant to their everyday lives by making the connection to, and describing the significant impact ecology has in, modern day medicine.
LaHaV
We're changing how our students relate to their heritage. The LaHaV curriculum has pioneered a text-based approach to Talmud and Tanakh education that communicates the richness and relevance of Jewish tradition by exploring the principles of halakhic legal theory and asking our students to apply their learning to contemporary, real-world issues.
We’re also transforming the Judaic studies experience for teachers around the world - we’ve created a groundbreaking digital curriculum app that serves as the basis of a fully connected network of Jewish educators who share training, resources and methodologies across schools in the US, Israel, and Australia.
HBHA Upper School Social Justice Project
Imagine an educational experience in which Jewish teenagers have the opportunity to take their classroom learning and direct that knowledge into a course of action that enhances their education and the Greater Kansas City community. This experiential learning is happening at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, in the form of the Upper School Social Justice Project. I developed and implemented this project - in partnership with peers from an urban charter school, as well as local leaders - which facilitates personal growth and community activism in our students as they address issues such as health care access, voter engagement, and universal early childhood education.
Halacha Mini Color War – Hilchot Shabbat Edition
Halacha Mini Color War (HMCW) is a week-long Hilchot Shabbat course that is designed as a color war competition between teams of high school students. HMCW facilitates real-world learning of Halacha while creating and maintaining the fun and energetic atmosphere of a Color War. Students are motivated to learn and master the material, and their mastery is assessed by their ability to successfully compete in the Color War events.
Halacha by Action
Students use hands-on obstacle courses, field trips and models to replicate actual Halachic scenarios they are likely to find in their own lives. Students take the knowledge they have studied. research the best ways to implement it and create a life-like interaction with these Halachos.
Halacha and Technology: An Interdisciplinary, Hands-on Approach
Our senior elective, Merging Halachic Judaism with Modern Life, combines the study of and appreciation of Jewish law with the study of engineering and its principles. In the first half of the year, students learn Hilchot Shabbat and how these laws manifest in modern life. In the second half the year, students work in groups to identify and create a working prototype that merges both Halachic implications and modern technology to enhance the Shabbat experience. Students, thereby, learn to view the latest technological innovations through the prism of a religious perspective.
Forces Unit
In this unit, we learned how forces cause movement in both physical and social environments. The Ontario Science Curriculum talks about direct and indirect forces (e.g. gravity, magnetism, static electricity), but we took this concept to the next level by analyzing direct and indirect forces that have an ability to cause real world movement. To do so, we integrated our Science learning with Reading, Writing, Drama, Art, Jewish Studies, Technology, and Media Literacy.
Flipped Learning: Promoting Critical and Creative Study of Tanach and Jewish Law
Powered by video instruction and analytics, this 21st century approach to teaching Tanach and Jewish Law helps students master storylines and basic concepts before coming to class. Teachers use repurposed instructional time for higher-order thinking activities (analysis, evaluation and creation), highlighted by a protocol for guided group discussion of Sefer Yehoshua and project-based learning related to the laws of kashrut.
An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Transcendentalism
Integrated Creative Judaics (ICJ) was a new initiative for interdisciplinary education at de Toledo High School in West Hills, CA. During the 2014-2015 school year, a Media Arts 2 class was paired with a dedicated Judaic Studies class for the entire year. During the second semester, the Media Arts/Judaic Studies joint class entered into a multi-week collaboration with an Honors English 11 class to explore themes of transcendentalism through the lens of the Hebrew prophets and bring learning to life through the Media Arts.
A Slave’s Journey: From Brick Making to Matza Baking
This curriculum uses the Exodus story as the foundation for the students to research and execute the making of bricks. The Pesach narrative is then used to expose the students to child labor throughout history. The bricks are used to build a working oven upon which the students baked matza and then taught the rest of the school the matza-making process.
8th Grade Integrated Project
The Integrated Project (IP) is a year-long study that spans the curriculum and represents the culmination of the students' K - 8th Grade studies at Mandel JDS. Students choose a theme or topic they want to study and integrate it into each subject within each of the disciplines throughout the year. Through the visual and dramatic arts, and often the performing arts and technology, students bring their fully integrated topics to life in an evening program.
39 Melachot of Shabbat—Connecting the Past to the Present
A curriculum on the 39 melachot of Shabbat that connects how life was in the past before the advent of electricity to modern times that we live in, with an emphasis on the hands-on and practical understanding of science and engineering and how that affects Shabbat observance. The students are fascinated to see how science plays a role in their everyday life and this heightens their motivation for learning and creates a plethora of practical questions which we examine and research.
Modern Ethical Dilemmas Through Timeless Jewish Wisdom
I created and implemented a combination Jewish Ethics/ Rabbinic Literature curriculum that addresses common modern ethical issues via authentic Jewish literary sources (primarily Talmud). Students learn the basic skills to navigate the sources (presented in their classical, albeit redacted, formats), gain the ability to explore various interpretations thereof, acquire a thorough understanding of the content, and produce high level responsa in the style of of rabbinic decisors (poskim) that address these contemporary ethical problems.