Talmud Torah
TBI’s Religious School
Announcements
*Register for the 2021-22 school year!
Talmud Torah is back in person for the 2021-22 school year! All classes, on both Sundays and Wednesdays, will be held at TBI. The first day of classes will be Sunday, September 19, 2021. You can see the new class schedule and the calendar for the school year by clicking HERE or by going to the Schedule tab.
COVID-19 Safety Protocol
Please see the “Covid-19 Protocols” tab on this page OR go HERE to read the policies in a Google document:
If you have further questions or concerns regarding these guidelines please reach out to the Reopening Task Force or the TBI Board.
New preschool cohort for 2021-22!
This year, Talmud Torah is pleased to offer Zra’im (Seeds) – a special, this year only, Sunday cohort option for 3- to 5-year olds. Zra’im will follow the Talmud Torah schedule and will engage preschoolers in Torah, midrash, and Jewish values and practice through music, movement, and play. For questions about this program, please contact talmudtorah@tbieugene.org. This cohort will begin Sunday, October 3rd.
To register for Zra’im, follow the instructions below. Tuition for Zra’im cohort is $300 for the school year (with a 10% sibling discount if you have another child enrolled in Talmud Torah).
To register for Talmud Torah 2021-22, follow these steps:
(1) Go HERE to review Talmud Torah policies, including tuition rates for the 2021-22 school year.
(2) Look at the “Learning and Curriculum” tab to learn about the different parts of our program: Cohort, Hebrew, and JEWL.
(3) Go HERE to complete the registration form and payment information, including scholarship requests.
(4) Go HERE to see Fall 2021 JEWL class options and to sign up for JEWL classes. JEWL class selection is a separate process, and you must complete registration in step (3) first in order to make sure your child is enrolled in JEWL classes.
(5) Stay tuned for further communications about family volunteer roles for the school year, which are still in the process of being finalized.
If you have any questions about registration, contact talmudtorah@tbieugene.org.
We are always on the lookout for inspired and motivated new staff members at Talmud Torah. Take a look at our curriculum tab for a better understanding of the different kind of classes (Sunday cohort, Hebrew, and JEWL) we offer. If you are interested in teaching for Talmud Torah, please contact us at talmudtorah@tbieugene.org.
Vision of Talmud
Talmud Torah (TT) is the religious school of Temple Beth Israel of Eugene. At TT students from kindergarten through 7th grade come to learn about Jewish life, practice, prayer, ritual and history.
Our vision and mission is to plant seeds of Jewish joy, literacy and practice that will continue to grow over a lifetime in the lives of our students and their families.
We meet Sundays and Wednesday afternoons depending on the grade and students interests. Our overall curriculum and school philosophy and vision is rooted in Our Four Pillars: relevance, depth, experiential and relational learning.
The eventual focus for each of our Sunday cohort classes* is as follows (please keep in mind, this year is the beginning of the process):
Zra’im – 3 to 5 year old – Torah Stories & Me
Gan – Kindergarten: Having Fun Being Jewish
Alef – 1st grade: Colors
Bet – 2nd grade: Animals
Gimmel – 3rd grade: Our Physical Bodies
Dalet – 4th grade: The World of Nature
Hey – 5th grade: Courage
Vav – 6th grade: Life Passages
Zayin – 7th grade: Hineni: Showing Up for Our Lives
*Note that some years we may combine cohort classes due to class size.
Students in 2nd through 7th grade can also take multi-age Hebrew and JEWL (Jewish Experience, Wisdom, and Lifestyle). JEWL classes are elective classes and include such subjects as culture, history, art, Israel and more.
Talmud Torah is made possible by our dedicated and enthusiastic staff of teachers, morim, with a love of teaching, children and a passion for Jewish identity and life-long learning. Most Talmud Torah classes also have a teen madrich/ah (TA) who is a Talmud Torah graduate. Our programs act as a supplement to Jewish home life, which, along with Jewish summer camp and a connection to Israel, all combine to deepen individual Jewish identity and family practice.
Talmud Torah is the religious school of Temple Beth Israel, led by Rabbi Solomon, TBI’s Rabbi Educator, Rachel Burstein, Talmud Torah’s Administrator, our Talmud Torah Advisory Committee co-chaired by Zehra Greenleaf and Naamith Heiblum.
MISSION OF TTAC
The Talmud Torah Committee works collaboratively with the Rabbi Educator to support the mission of the Talmud Torah educational experience at TBI. During the school year, we meet monthly to think and act in areas of need for the Talmud Torah school and community building ranging from supporting our teachers, holiday planning, family days of learning and Camp Chaverim. We also serve as ambassadors of the Talmud Torah community to the larger TBI and Eugene community, reporting annually to the congregation on the status and needs of the school.
Policies
Talmud Torah Policies were updated and newly republished in the summer of 2017. You can view the complete Talmud Torah policies updated here.
Here are some key excerpts that may be helpful to you.
- For policy information related to the b’nai mitzvah program, please see the b’nai mitzvah page.
- Regarding eligibility and participation:
- Students may enroll in Kita Gan if they turn five before December 31st of the kindergarten year.
- Some children with fall birthdays (before Dec 31st) may choose to be in a Talmud Torah cohort class that is a year ahead of their day school grade. Parents are encouraged to talk with the Talmud Torah director to determine the best fit for each child.
- Students that get a late start in Talmud Torah may be asked to start in a cohort class that is younger than their day school grade.
- Cohort classes are for TBI member children only unless there is special permission.
- JEWL and Hebrew classes are open to non-members.
- Tuition:
|
Tuition for 2021-22 |
Member | With sibling discount | Non-member |
| Sunday Cohort Class Only | $515/year | $465/year | NA |
| Full Program (for grades 2-7):
· Sunday morning cohort class · Hebrew classes · JEWL classes (as many as you choose) |
$860/year | $774/year | NA |
| Individual JEWL or Hebrew class
(Hebrew classes meet twice a week, students who come once a week pay the same as students who come twice a week) |
$136/term | NA | $150/term |
- Tuition details:
- We offer a 10% discount off a sibling’s tuition. That means if you have two children enrolled, the second tuition (or less expensive) tuition is 10% off, not both children. If you are able to forgo the sibling discount it is a helpful gift to Talmud Torah.
- There are additional fees in the b’nai mitzvah process as well as for extra-curricular activities beyond the regular Sunday morning, Hebrew, or JEWL classes.
- There is non-refundable $75 registration and materials fee, included in your tuition.
- Families who start mid-way through the year will pay a pro-rated amount rounding up to the number of terms involved in Talmud Torah. So a student who starts in mid-fall, pays the full year tuition, starting at the beginning of or during winter term would pay 2/3 tuition, and starting at the beginning of or during spring term would pay 1/3 tuition.
- Scholarships are available. Please email talmudtorah@tbieugene.org to request an application. Then please email the completed form to talmudtorah@tbieugene.org OR send to Temple Beth Israel; Attention Scholarship Committee.
- Tuition refunds are as follows:
- Prior to the first day of class, full tuition is refunded, less the $75 non-refundable registration and materials fee. At that time, we’ve hired teachers, bought supplies and established class sizes based on the numbers we expected.
- Prior to the first day of winter term, 50% of the tuition is refunded, less the $75 non-refundable registration and materials fee.
- There is no refund after the start of winter term. If you are being billed monthly, you will continue to be billed for the remainder of the year.
- Food:
- Talmud Torah offers snacks to students on Sunday mornings and Wednesday afternoons, typically challah, bagels and cream cheese, and juice, and occasionally something special on holidays or other occasions. Students are served in class on Sundays and before and between classes on Wednesdays. If your child has special dietary needs, you are welcome to bring an alternative snack. (*note that for the 2021-22 school year, we are not offering snacks as per our current COVID-19 safety policies, although this may be subject to change*)
- Our school is a nut-free zone. We have multiple students with life-threatening nut allergies. We ask that students not bring nutty snacks into our classrooms or upstairs in the school wing in general. No foods with peanut ingredients may be served or present in the Talmud Torah area of the building or in conjunction with a Talmud Torah event unless the staff has made special arrangements to take all necessary precautions. TBI as a whole is NOT nut-free. Larger TBI events are likely to include nuts, but school-specific events will not, with special exceptions.
- Wondering about TBI kashrut policies for bringing food to shul events? Here’s a summary.
Talmud Torah Staff
Rabbi Alyson Solomon
Rabbi Educator
Email: rabbisolomon@tbieugene.org
Rachel Burstein
Talmud Torah Administrator
Email: rachel@tbieugene.org
Talmud Torah Committee
The Talmud Torah committee works collaboratively with the director to support the mission of the Talmud Torah educational program at TBI. During the school year, it meets monthly to review a status report on the program, advise on policies and curriculum, and organize activities to foster a positive sense of Jewish identity and to increase knowledge of the values and practices of Judaism. We also report annually to the congregation on the status and needs of the school.
The committee is interested in hearing from parents and other members of the community. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas for the Talmud Torah program, feel free to contact either co-chair or any committee member (listed below). You can reach the committee at ttadvisory@tbieugene.org.
Talmud Torah Committee Members:
Zehra Greenleaf (co-chair)
Naamith Heiblum (co-chair)
Joan Bayliss
Sheri Konowitz
Tracy Tessler
Karrie Walters-Warren
MISSION OF TTAC
The Talmud Torah Committee works collaboratively with the Rabbi Educator to support the mission of the Talmud Torah educational experience at TBI. During the school year, we meet monthly to think and act in areas of need for the Talmud Torah school and community building ranging from supporting our teachers, holiday planning, family days of learning and Camp Chaverim. We also serve as ambassadors of the Talmud Torah community to the larger TBI and Eugene community, reporting annually to the congregation on the status and needs of the school.
Weekly Schedule for 2021-22
(All classes are in person at TBI)
Sundays
9:30 am-11:15 am – Cohort (includes 30 min music sessions by age group)
11:30 am-12:15pm – Hebrew classes
12:30 pm-1:15pm – JEWL classes
Wednesdays
4:15pm -5:00 pm – Hebrew classes
5:10 pm-5:55 pm – JEWL classes
Calendar for 2021-22 (5782):
*note that this calendar is always subject to change; please check it regularly*
Learning & Curriculum
2021 / 5782 Welcome Letter
Shalom & Welcome Home to Talmud Torah
In 2021-2022 / 5782 we are excited to begin to introduce cohort resources for Talmud Torah inspired by the Netivot Religious School curriculum of Congregation B’nai B’rith of Santa Barbara. This year is very much a soft launch and the start of the process to integrate this curriculum with our own Talmud Torah cohort resources. We welcome your thoughts and ideas along the way!
I will partner with our Talmud Torah teachers and staff to integrate curriculum materials based on Four Pillars into our current Talmud Torah cohort classes. The Four Pillars are: relevance, depth, experiential and relational learning. Each cohort class will engage in four to five “deep dives units” rooted in a key Biblical story and then expanded and brought home by the teacher’s hands-on projects, activities, study and play so that students and families adopt these stories into their hearts and homes, bringing to life Jewish values, history and skills to create a foundation of Jewish living and community for years to come.
Here is the eventual focus for each of our cohort classes (please keep in mind, this year is the beginning of the process):
Zra’im – 3 to 5 year old – Torah Stories & Me
Gan – Kindergarten: Having Fun Being Jewish
Alef – 1st grade: Colors
Bet – 2nd grade: Animals
Gimmel – 3rd grade: Our Physical Bodies
Dalet – 4th grade: The World of Nature
Hey – 5th grade: Courage
Vav – 6th grade: Life Passages
Zayin – 7th grade: Hineni: Showing Up for Our Lives
*Note that some years we may combine cohort classes due to class size.
These cohort curriculum resources are the result of a multi-year process lovingly curated, intricately detailed and thoughtfully facilitated by Rabbi Steve Cohen, my mentor. The process included direct consultation with Dr. Isa Aron, leading expert in Jewish supplementary education, visits to successful programs around the country in Boston, San Francisco/Oakland and Los Angeles and the engagement of expert curriculum writers and master educators resulting in the curriculum resources we are going to make available to our staff to explore and experiment with this year.
The Talmud Torah Committee, co-chaired by Zehra Greenleaf and Naamith Heiblum, our teachers, staff and I look forward to hearing from you about your child(ren)’s and family’s experience of learning and growing inspired by our program. The full description of the Four Pillars, access to Dr. Aron’s article and other resources can be explored here.
Warmly,
Rabbi Solomon, TBI’s Rabbi Educator
Talmud Torah offers three different types of classes: Sunday cohort classes, Hebrew classes, and JEWL classes. See below to understand the different types of offerings and how they create a unified program of Jewish education. If one of your goals for your child is to become b’nei mitzvah, make sure you see that page for information about requirements.
Sunday Morning Cohort Classes
Students meet with the other children in their grade levels (K-7) to build community with their peers, develop a basic foundation of Jewish literacy, and celebrate Judaism together. In these classes, students focus on the Jewish holidays and associated rituals, Torah stories, and tefillah (prayer) and music.
Hebrew is part of the oral and aural experience of the class as they learn about holidays and basic elements of Judaism. This provides the essential foundation for learning reading skills in our focused Hebrew classes.
Classes are from 9:30-11:15 most Sundays (barring holidays and vacations) from the middle of September through the beginning of June.
For students working towards b’nai mitzvah credits, each trimester of the Sunday morning cohort class counts as one credit. Students must have attended class at least 75% of the time to earn the credit for the term.
Hebrew Reading Classes
Hebrew reading classes are available for student in grades 2-7. Children need to have a solid aural foundation of familiar Hebrew words and be comfortable with reading and writing in their own language before aleph-bet and decoding skills are introduced. Our Sunday morning cohort classes provide excellent support for establishing an introductory Hebrew foundation with spoken words like Shabbat, shalom, Torah, boker tov, hag sameah, and the phrases commonly used in blessings.
Hebrew reading classes have a clear goal of enabling students to decode Hebrew prayers, blessings, and songs in the siddur (prayer book) and passages from Torah. As students work their way up the Hebrew levels, they should also master a small but powerful set of Hebrew vocabulary words that are used most regularly in synagogue life. This skill set is markedly different from learning to read and write in either their first language or a normal foreign language class.
Classes meet twice a week on Sundays from 11:30-12:15 and on Wednesday afternoons from 4:15-5:00 for a trimester. Students are strongly encouraged to come twice a week to best facilitate learning, but can master the material with additional independent work if there is a personal schedule conflict. Students are not required to take Hebrew reading classes, but families should be aware that siddur/Biblical Hebrew is an important component of most students’ b’nai mitzvah preparation. If students haven’t learned enough Hebrew, they aren’t able to “read” from the Torah or assist in leading a Shabbat service.
Here are the Hebrew Level class descriptions (including benchmarks for demonstrating proficiency and earning credit).The percentages to the right indicate the score needed on the assessment tool to show students have met the benchmarks and may progress to the next level.
Hebrew 1: Aleph-Bet
- know names and sounds of the Hebrew letters including the 26 letters and 5 sofit (final) forms. Proficiency: 23/31 (75%)
- be able to reasonably write letters (all forms) with the support of a sample to look at. Proficiency: 23/31 (75%)
Hebrew 2: Vowels & Syllables
- know names and sounds of the Hebrew letters including the 26 letters and 5 sofit forms. Proficiency: 28/31 (90%)
- be able to reasonably write letters (all forms) from memory. Proficiency: 25/31 (80%)
- demonstrate the sounds made by the nine most common vowel signs (see chart to right; names of vowels are not necessary). Proficiency: 15/18 (85%)
- combine letters and vowels to form syllables. Proficiency: 80%
- match pictures/verbal cues with simple, aurally-familiar Hebrew words (As in “point to the word Shabbat.”) Proficiency: 70%
Hebrew 3: Decoding Words
- match pictures/verbal cues with simple aurally-familiar Hebrew words. Proficiency:100%
- read 10 familiar vocabulary words used during holidays and in regular Jewish life. Proficiency: 80%
- sound out potentially unfamiliar siddur Hebrew words (reading may be bumpy, but they can accurately sound out the word syllable by syllable). Proficiency: 70%
Hebrew 4: Foundations of Roots & Grammar through Prayer In level 4, students focus on the basic everyday and holiday blessings, complete mastery of 100 vocabulary words (started in Hebrew level 1) and learn to identify:
- masculine/feminine and singular/plural ending in words.
- Hebrew infinitives, verbs that begin with “lamed” meaning “to do something,” (i.e. to speak, to listen, to bless, to make holy, to stand).
- the definite article, “hay,” meaning “the”.
- how prefixes become prepositions and conjunctions for “and” ,“from”, “in”, “to”, “as.”
- how to make a sentence negative using “lo.”
- a root “shoresh” in a word by labeling it and defining it (speak, listen, bless, make holy, stand).
Hebrew 5: Intermediate Prayers We have four different classes at this level that can be taken in any order. We generally offer two of the four classes each term. Students ideally take them all (and can repeat a class) before moving on to Amidah.
5a: Shema v’ahavta
5b: Kiddush and Aleynu
5c: Yotzer Or and Ahava Rabah
5d: The Torah service and Havdallah
Hebrew 6: Amidah In this class students will use the skills acquired in levels 1-4 to continue tackling pronunciation and meaning for the Amidah prayer.
Hebrew 7: Biblical Hebrew Students begin using their Hebrew skills to start dissecting Torah portions for understanding rather than simple rote memorization.
Hebrew 8: Trope Offered as needed to meet students’ interests and readiness.
Hebrew 9: Modern Hebrew Offered as needed to meet students’ interests and readiness.
Talmud Torah staff and parents work together to determine which Hebrew level is right for each student. Regardless of attendance (or even enrollment), students will receive one credit for the class (and move to the next level) when they can demonstrate mastery of the benchmarks for that level. Some students may master a level in a trimester; others may take two or three terms to move to the next class. Both approaches are respectable.
Jewish Experience, Wisdom, & Lifestyle Classes (JEWLs)
A solid Jewish education includes much more than just Hebrew, holidays, and Torah stories. Traditionally, religious school has also been concerned with ethics and values, social action work, life cycle rituals, learning about the rest of the Jewish Bible, Jewish history, Jewish culture, and Israel. There’s a lot to cover! Our JEWL classes address this rich assortment of topics. We agree that these topics are an essential part of Jewish education, but families may prioritize the topics differently. We will offer several JEWL classes each trimester for students in grades 2-7 to satisfy a wide variety of Jewish interests and needs. Some classes will have specific pre-requisites or age requirements. Most classes will meet weekly on Wednesday afternoons for 45 minutes; some classes meet on Sunday afternoons.
For students working towards b’nai mitzvah credits, each trimester-long class counts as one credit. Students must have a minimum of 75% attendance and (when relevant) finish any associated projects or activities to earn the credit. We recommend that you take a minimum of three JEWL classes a year. You may take as many as you like. Most students’ schedules will make it possible to take at least two any given trimester.
Previously offered JEWL classes have included: Life Cycle Rituals, Modern Conversational Hebrew, Hebrew through Pop Music, Art, Purim Shpiel, Jewish Cooking, Judaism and Nature, Biblical History, PJ Our Way Book Club, Shtetl Stories, People Worth Menschioning, Understanding Tzedaka, Choir, Torah Caretakers, Holy Friendships, Kosher Living, Hebrew Calligraphy, Introduction to Yiddish Language and Culture, Introduction to Israel: People and Culture, Jewish Collage and Printmaking, and Judaism and the American Comic Book Tradition.
Students can also design their own independent learning JEWL class by working with the Talmud Torah director. Here is the Independent Learning Agreement.
Talmud Torah’s Curriculum is Rooted in Four Pillars
Our Talmud Torah Community will stand on and strive to embody the following Four Pillars – Four Kavannot, Guiding Intentions – inspired by the Netivot Curriculum developed by Rabbi Steve Cohen:
Relevance
Children are naturally curious and hungry to learn when the content matters to them. Our year-long themes are universal subjects chosen based upon what we know matters to children: Having Fun Being Jewish (K) Colors (1st grade) Animals (2nd grade), Our Physical Bodies (3rd grade), The World of Nature (4th grade), Courage (5th grade), Life Passages (6th grade), Hineni: Showing Up for Our Lives (7th grade). The Jewish Tradition offers deep and ancient pathways within these universal human themes.
Depth
One deep encounter with Jewish wisdom and tradition leaves a more lasting impression than a series of superficial encounters. Learning one single story well, with time to explore and discover the hidden depths of the story and the characters, will bring students into an intimate relationship with that story and those characters. Similarly with a single mitzvah, or a single Jewish tradition. We want our students to take a few strong first steps, laying a foundation for an entire life of Jewish learning and living.
Experiential Learning
A human being is an entire world, comprised of bones and muscle and blood, skin and eyes, nerves and brain, thoughts and feelings, memories, desires, fears and hopes. In Judaism, children and adults express every aspect of themselves. And effective Jewish learning engages the entire person: mind and heart and body. Therefore in Talmud Torah students will be learning with their entire self: bodies moving, voices singing, hands working, noses smelling, minds thinking, hearts wakening to remember, to love, to long, and to hope.
Relationships and learning
The word Torah means “Teaching” and it refers to the mysterious process through which one human being passes their own wisdom on to another….a child, a student, or a friend. Torah only happens in relationship. That is why at Talmud Torah, in every interaction, we work to create an environment of love and relationship, in which students and teachers and parents care about each other, and are constantly teaching and learning from each other.
Background and Process Involved in Building this Cohort Curriculum
The process of building this curriculum relied heavily on Dr. Aron’s article “Upending the Grammar of the Conventional Religious School” in the Journal of Jewish Education (14 August 2014). This article lays out four questions which became key in guiding the process:
- How do we teach Judaism to children of families who are not actively participating in Jewish life? Aron calls this the challenge of “enculturation.”
- How do we create a sense of community within the classroom and school?
- How do we make Jewish supplementary education “experiential,” as it is in the Jewish summer camps?
- How do we make Jewish education convenient enough for students and families living extremely busy lives? Aron refers to this as “pragmatic considerations.”
Rational and Implementation of Netivot and it’s Translation for Talmud Torah – A Video Conversation with Director Jen Lewis & Rabbi Solomon
This year is very much a soft launch / process of integrating this curriculum with our own Talmud Torah cohort resources. We welcome your thoughts and ideas along the way!
Other Resources:
- Alef-Bet flashcards: One good way to make sure your kids learn the alef-bet is to have flash cards readily available around the house. Put them on the breakfast table. Quiz each other in the car. Look over them while waiting for dinner at a restaurant. You may download a set of cards here (you’ll need to print front and back on card stock and then cut them out), or pick up a set ready to go in the TT office. Any small donation to Talmud Torah is appreciated, but not required.
- Sound recordings of the way prayers are said/sung at TBI.
- hand washing blessing card
- Here’s a short excerpt from the (old but not dated) Jewish Parents’ Almanac on Shalom Bayit, peace in the home.
- We have given every family a copy of the fabulous Beginner’s Dictionary of Prayerbook Hebrew available from EKS Publishing. If you can’t find one, you can get another one from us, the publisher or from Amazon.
- Recommended Reading
- Teaching about the Holocaust Resource Page
- Israel: Here’s an educational news magazine featuring cool stuff in Israel called Israel21c, and here’s a 6 minute travel-type video called Israel: Seeing is Believing, showing the diversity of experiences and environments in Israel.
- Jewish Opportunities for Teens and Young Adults
- Hebrew/Jewish educational websites for kids (Some of these may not align with Reconstructionist values as well as others.):
- Torah Tots: This is an excellent site that has lots of fun games and music as well as information on parshas and holidays.
- The Jewish Children’s Learning Network: A great educational site for kids and parents. Information on parshas, holidays, Israel, the Torah, and more!
- Ohr Somayach Youth Page: Lots of fun cartoons and information for kids
TBI Talmud Torah needs you!
Do you have some Hebrew skills? Are you comfortable with liturgy? Do you have a particular Jewish subject you might be interested in teaching to children or teenagers? Do you consider teaching the next generation of Jewish adults to be a mitzvah? Do you have 1-2 hours a week in your schedule available to teach on a Sunday morning and/or Wednesday afternoon (plus some lesson prep time)? If so, Talmud Torah needs you! Did you know that most of our teaching staff are not professional educators, and weren’t aware how much they’d LOVE teaching Talmud Torah until they gave it a try? Please contact Rabbi Solomon at rabbisolomon@tbieugene.org and let’s talk! What do you have to lose?