Kita Zayin (B'nai Mitzvah Preparation Class)
10 to 15 minutes of every class is devoted to preparation for leading the 11:30 a.m. T’fillah.
Students will alternate leadership and responsibilities for designing the service.
September/October
Parashat HaShavuah - 20 minute study of weekly Torah portion (Torah talk)
Reading drills
- Perfecting the words
Introduction to Torah trope “the tastes of the reading”
- Peer tutoring
- Preparation for learning to chant together
Journal writing
- Opening prayer/ Finding God’s presence in the world
Prayer review and study
- Selected preliminary prayers
- Shma and its blessings
- Amidah (Avot v’imahot, Givurot, Kedushah)
- Torah Service
Prayer vocabulary
- Working on our milon- building a Hebrew dictionary
Preliminary discussions - Class Mitzvah project
November
Parashat HaShavua
- Torah talk
- Special Sunday text study with parents
- “Finding meaning in my Torah portion; a guided journey of exegesis”
Reading drills
- Making the words old friends/forwards and backwards
Trope study
- Learning to chant Torah together as a class
- Translating all the way
Journal writing
- Shabbat prayer/ Gratitude prayer
- Introduction to Torah
Prayer Study
- Torah Service
- Shabbat prayers (Kadshaynu, V’shamru, Yismihu)
- Hoda’a (prayer of gratitude)
Prayer and text vocabulary
- Working on building our Milon
- Vocabulary games
Practicing the leadership role in class
December
Parashat HaShavuah
- Torah talk
Trope Study
- Class chants Torah during Religious school T’filla
- Presents mini-drash (commentary of verses chanted)
Journal writing
- Shabbat/Gratitude prayer
- Class portion mini-drasha
Prayer Study
- Torah Service
- Shabbat prayers (Kadshaynu, V’shamru, Yismihu)
- Hoda’a (prayer of gratitude)
Prayer and text vocabulary
Class Mitzvah project
January
Parashat HaShavuh
- Torah talk
- Students practice drashot in class
Trope study
- Learning Haftarah trope, cantillation for the prophets
Journal writing
- Introduction to Haftarah
- Class time provided to work on individual writings
Prayer study
- Practicing leadership role in class and in school T’fillah
- Review of all prayers learned
- Sim Shalom
- Haftarah blessings
Peer tutoring
Prayer and text vocabulary
Class Mitzvah project
February
Parashat Ha Shavuah
- Torah talk
- “Understanding mitzvot; taking a closer look at all 613 in the Torah”
Trope study
- Class haftarah text study. Learning a portion together.
Journal writing
- Class time provided to work on individual writings
Prayer Study
- Practicing leadership role in class and in school T’fillah
- Review of all prayers learned
- Sim Shalom
- Haftarah blessings
Peer and outside tutoring
Post B’nai mitzvah students given opportunity to
- Tutor peers and younger students
Preliminary work on end of year “Celebration service”
Prayer and text vocabulary
March
Parashat HaShavuah
- Torah talk
- Students practice drashot in class
Trope study
- Class Haftarah text study
Celebration Service
- Those that have become Bar/Bat Mitzvah take on leadership role in designing service
Theme is chosen-students work on modern day teaching from text learned. Creation of Storahtelling
Journal writing
- Introduction to Haftarah
- Class time provided to work on individual writings
Prayer Study
- Practicing leadership role in class and in school T’fillah
- Review of all prayers learned
Peer and outside tutoring
- Post B’nai mitzvah students given opportunity to
- Tutor peers and younger students
Vocabulary
- Games
- Building Milon
April
Parashat HaShavuah
- Torah Talk
Trope Study
- Class Haftarah text study
Celebration Service
- Class works on Service. Combining components of all area of learning from religious
- School experience/storahtelling writing
Prayer Study
- Practicing leadership role in class and in school T’fillah
- Review of all prayers learned
Peer and outside tutoring
- Post B’nai mitzvah students given opportunity to Tutor peers and younger students
Vocabulary
- Games
- Building our Milon
May
Parashat HaShavuah
- Torah talk
Celebration service on erev Shabbat.
- Class practices service they will lead on the Bimah
- Class perfects teachings given, prayers led, and haftarah chanted within the service
Review of all prayers learned. Storahtelling practice on Bimah
Peer and outside tutoring
- Post B’nai mitzvah students given opportunity to Tutor peers and younger students