Judaic Studies Subcommittee

Main Over-riding Principles for Tanakh

1.  Shiv’im Panim la-Torah –- “There are 70 facets to the Torah” -- The Torah is poly-valent – everyone can find his/her own voice in the Torah. In our school we aim to encourage interaction between students with different points of view about and approaches to understanding the Tanakh text.

2.  "Hafoch bo vhafoch bo, dchulla bo" -- Delve ever deeper into the Torah for everything is contained within it. As a community school, we see Tanach classes as a special opportunity for our children to apply all of the skills that they learn in the rest of the curriculum in a holistic and organic way. Tanach classes integrate language skills, including reading, writing, and speaking, critical thinking skills, including methods such as literary analysis, historical analysis, and evaluation of arguments, as well as "spiritual skills" such as exegesis, theological reflection, and encountering the sublime.

3.  “Lashon Ha-Kodesh” -- Students and teachers in our school will study the Hebrew text of the Tanakh. The language of instruction in Tanakh classes will depend on the comfort and ability of students and teachers to express higher level thinking in Hebrew.

Goals

Students will:

1. Understand the contextual meaning of the Torah – What does the Torah say? What does the Torah mean?

2. Find personal meaning in the Torah by addressing questions such as:
   What does the Torah mean to me? How do I find “my own story” in the Torah?

3. Have a spiritual as well as intellectual connection with the Torah, and will develop a love of Torah.

4. Be encouraged to ask questions and use critical thinking skills when studying Torah.

5. Be independent learners of Humash.

6. Recognize that Torah LiShmah – Torah study for its own sake – is a Jewish value.

7. See figures in the Torah as accessible role models.

8. Relate to the Torah as a source of “midot” (Jewish values).

Further define “the Divine” and add to their own personal relationship to God through the study of Tanakh. Feel comfortable discussing issues about God and “the big questions of life” (theology) as they arise from text study.

Teachers:

Because we believe that meaning comes out of bringing different approaches together, teachers will:

1. Use a multiplicity of approaches in teaching Torah, rather than privileging any particular approach.

2. Encourage different points of view and dialogue between students.
   Rather than blur the differences in their students’ approaches to understanding the Tanakh, teachers will encourage interaction between students with different points of view.

3. Develop a sensitivity as to how parents are reacting to the kind of Tanakh studies in which their children are engaged.

Community:

1. We will attempt to involve parents in the education of their children. To this end we will bring parents into the school to be part of what we are providing for their children. We hope that this will challenge parents to take a stand concerning their own approach to the Torah.

2. We hope that students will want to come to their own congregational rabbis to discuss issues raised by Torah in the school.
   

(**Issues of quantity of material – possible “solved” by having “electives” were raised but not resolved.)

Judaic Studies Working Group

Workgroups: School Structure | General Studies | Diverse Learning