Hebrew and Jewish Studies

Beginning in Kindergarten, culminating in the 8^th Grade journey to Israel, we teach our students Hebrew language, Judaic Studies and connection to Israel in dynamic ways.  We are committed to providing a truly integrated curriculum, making Hebrew, Judaic Studies, and Israel come alive for each student.

Language 

In Kindergarten, we lay the foundation skills our students will need to master Hebrew—phonics and reading fluency, taught on a daily basis.  In 1^st through 5^th Grades, we build upon that foundation by teaching Ivrit b’Ivrit (Hebrew in Hebrew), enabling our students to develop conversational skills, and add Hebrew writing to our program.  Tal Am is used in 1^st and 2^nd grades while Chaverim b'Ivrit is used in Grades 3-5.

In 6^th through 8^th Grades, our students achieve conversational fluency through the NETA Hebrew curriculum and explore essay writing to refine their language mastery.  Daily immersion in spoken and written Hebrew position our students to engage in meaningful exchanges with their Israeli peers through our twinning program with the Reali School in Haifa, and to absorb what they hear and see on their journey to Israel. 

We invite students to apply to Wornick for entry at any grade level, regardless of prior Hebrew language exposure.  We have enjoyed tremendous success in integrating students into the grade level Hebrew class of all levels through individualized support .  We offer extra Hebrew instruction in order to help such students reach the language competency of grade peers.

Judaic Studies

Our Judaic Studies program draws from rich tradition, while fostering advanced critical thinking.  Judaic Studies at Wornick includes Jewish History, Jewish text analysis through the study of Tanakh (Bible), T’fillah (prayer), Jewish values and Israel education.

As a community, we celebrate Jewish festivals and share in Jewish traditions.  Our youngest students are introduced to Jewish rituals, holidays and Shabbat.   

Our 2nd through 5th Graders develop Siddur (prayer book) skills, study Jewish ethics, and learn Torah Trope.  In 6th through 8th Grades, our students lead the school in T’fillah, and expand their critical thinking skills by examining the teachings of Jewish commentators and performing Tikun Olam (social action), Tzedakah (righteousness), and Gmilut Hassadim (deeds of kindness).

In addition to our pioneering Reali School twinning program, through which our students gain an appreciation for and strong connection to modern Israeli culture, we are partnering with specialists in Israel education to create a ground-breaking, integrated Israel curriculum.  True integration requires our General and Judaic Studies teachers to work together to expose our children to Israel through Science, Literature, Social Studies, Math, and Technology, as well as through traditional Judaic Studies and Hebrew.  Our students graduate with strong Jewish identities, core Jewish values, and genuine connections to Israel.