Grade 6
Jewish Studies
The focus of Grade 6 is on building Jewish life skills, understanding rituals, continuing to explore Jewish identity, and preparing for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Specific elements of the curriculum include:
- Leading the Jewish community in tefillah (weekday afternoon and Shabbat morning service)
- Understanding the Mitzvot of Talmud Torah (the study of Torah) and wearing a tallit and kippah
- Developing drash writing skills
- Exploring the student’s relationship with God and prayer
- Understanding the history and meaning of becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah
- Studying about tzedakah and gemilut chasadim
- Understanding how to choose an appropriate “Mitzvah project” by learning about and exploring Mitzvot in which they find meaning
- Building a community of peers
Tefillah (Prayer)
As students near the age of Bar/Bat Mitzvah, they review all elements of the Torah service. Grade 6 students participate in the Shabbat morning service at the Grade 6 Shabbaton, as well as two designated Shabbat morning services during the year. Students gain competency in prayer by leading the community in Wednesday afternoon tefillah.
Tzedakah
The Grade 6 Tzedakah Initiative focuses on the theme of hunger and feeding the hungry. The specific program is determined each year by the students through their class work and studies.
Family Education
#1-4: The Mitzvah Awareness Program
The family education program for Grade 6 is comprised of a series of four sessions that focus on becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. This program is an integrated component of the Grade 6 year and the B’nai Mitzvah preparation process. Students and parents study the three basic categories of Mitzvot (commandments): Torah, worship, and acts of love and kindness toward others. The sessions take place throughout the year outside of the regular school schedule, either on Sunday afternoons or weekday evenings. For more information regarding B’nai Mitzvah at Temple Shir Tikva, visit our web pages.
Shabbaton
The Shabbaton is an opportunity for our Grade 6 students to articulate their own personal Jewish identity as they begin the process of Bat/Bar Mitzvah. Through the course of a winter weekend, students will have the occasion to participate in a variety of fun and interactive Jewish learning experiences and explore what it means to be part of a sacred community celebrating the beauty of Shabbat.
As part of the Shabbaton students will learn from and with our rabbis, cantor, and professional educators, as well as their teachers and some of our talented madrichim. The Shabbaton takes place at URJ Union for Reform Judaism’s Eisner Camp in the Berkshires and runs from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning.
Enrichment Programs
Grade 6 students are offered the opportunity to participate in the Y.I.D. K.I.D.S. program. Y.I.D. K.I.D.S. (Youth in Development, Keeping it Dynamic) is a brand new youth group that provides engaging social activities for students in grades 5 & 6. This program is designed to prepare pre-adolescents for their upcoming engagement in the Temple Shir Tikva Youth Community program. The Y.I.D. K.I.D.S. program will be offered three times per year immediately following Sunday classes.
