Kehillah High
8th Grade
Wednesday evenings:
7:00 - 7:25 p.m. Dinner
7:25 - 8:10 p.m. Session A
8:10 - 8:15 p.m. Break
8:15 - 9:00 p.m. Session B
7:25 - 8:10 p.m. Session A
8:10 - 8:15 p.m. Break
8:15 - 9:00 p.m. Session B
Session A: 7:25 - 8:15 p.m.
8th graders will take all three classes by the end of the year.
OPTION 1:
So You Want To Be A Mensch - Katelyn Bleiweiss
What is a mensch? How are our decisions and actions in daily life rooted in Jewish values? We’ll answer these questions as we use Jewish ethics and culture to explore traits of a mensch. Join us to create your own personal mensch code where you define the Jewish values that are meaningful and important to you.
OPTION 2:
The Big 10: An Adventure in Core Jewish Values – Daniel Smith
Who knows 10? We all know 10! They are the The Ten Commandments, of course! The super important 10 that were listed on the tablets and given to us at Sinai. But what makes these 10 so special? In The BIG 10, we will find that if we do just a little bit of digging beneath the surface, we can find important lessons to live by. Discover the Jewish values hidden in each of the commandments and explore how we can each use these values to guide our everyday behaviors, priorities, and decisions.
OPTION3:
Words to Action: Empowering You to Address Anti-Semitism – Lisa Stone, Goldensohn Fellow at ADL
Would you know what to do if:
· You found swastikas on a door of your school?
· Someone gave you a “Heil Hitler” salute?
· Someone accused you of killing Jesus?
We're Jews because of all the good we experience as Jews. But we also have to deal with prejudice and hate directed at us as Jews. ADL's (the Anti-Defamation League's) Words to Action is an interactive workshop that empowers you with practical, safe responses to antisemitism and all forms of hate. Words to Action gives greater awareness of antisemitism and anti-Zionism while motivating you to respond with effective skills and strategies. We'll look at students’ experiences with antisemitism, stereotyping and prejudice in schools and in the rest of their lives.
So You Want To Be A Mensch - Katelyn Bleiweiss
What is a mensch? How are our decisions and actions in daily life rooted in Jewish values? We’ll answer these questions as we use Jewish ethics and culture to explore traits of a mensch. Join us to create your own personal mensch code where you define the Jewish values that are meaningful and important to you.
OPTION 2:
The Big 10: An Adventure in Core Jewish Values – Daniel Smith
Who knows 10? We all know 10! They are the The Ten Commandments, of course! The super important 10 that were listed on the tablets and given to us at Sinai. But what makes these 10 so special? In The BIG 10, we will find that if we do just a little bit of digging beneath the surface, we can find important lessons to live by. Discover the Jewish values hidden in each of the commandments and explore how we can each use these values to guide our everyday behaviors, priorities, and decisions.
OPTION3:
Words to Action: Empowering You to Address Anti-Semitism – Lisa Stone, Goldensohn Fellow at ADL
Would you know what to do if:
· You found swastikas on a door of your school?
· Someone gave you a “Heil Hitler” salute?
· Someone accused you of killing Jesus?
We're Jews because of all the good we experience as Jews. But we also have to deal with prejudice and hate directed at us as Jews. ADL's (the Anti-Defamation League's) Words to Action is an interactive workshop that empowers you with practical, safe responses to antisemitism and all forms of hate. Words to Action gives greater awareness of antisemitism and anti-Zionism while motivating you to respond with effective skills and strategies. We'll look at students’ experiences with antisemitism, stereotyping and prejudice in schools and in the rest of their lives.
Session B: 8:15-9:00 p.m.
Below are the 8th & 9th grade elective options.
Strategic Play: Mah Jongg for Teens – Suzie Daum
Dive into the captivating world of Mah Jongg, a Chinese tile game that has found a unique and enduring place within American Jewish culture. Led by experienced instructor Suzie Daum, this class goes beyond the basics, offering teens the chance to master tile recognition, strategic thinking, and the nuanced rules of the game. Explore the unexpected connection between Mah Jongg and Jewish tradition while enjoying a game that provides both mental stimulation and a social outlet. Discover how Mah Jongg transcends generations, providing a timeless opportunity for unplugging and connecting with friends while honing your skills in this beloved game.
Jewish Holiday Art Unwrapped – Beth Nelson
Get ready to unleash your creativity with Kehillah High’s brand-new art class. One way to sanctify and celebrate Jewish holidays is by creating beautiful works of art that symbolize and amplify each festival. The visual arts aren’t just decoration. They’re history and future, past and present, dialogue and action, knowledge and wisdom.
Every session will be a celebration of Jewish holidays through the art of crafting!
Values in Action – Lisa Stone
Judaism provides a unique lens with which to engage in community service, offering a strong foundation to apply both traditional values and nuanced teachings in a relevant way to the world around us. As students, you have spent hours of classroom time studying values such as chesed, tzedakah, and tikkun olam. Throughout this trimester, you will roll up your sleeves and implement those values. This trimester, you will pool your talents and work together on a wide variety of community service projects. We’ll be able to perform some projects on-site, while others will have us venture into the greater Houston community. By trimester’s end, we will have served many of our neighbors in need while representing ourselves as Jews and individuals who make a difference in the world.
Let My People Play – Sarah Williams and Rebecca Lindenbaum
While 'learning through play' has received praise for its crucial role in developing social-emotional and cognitive development and cultivating creativity and imagination in the preschool year, a critical group has been left out...teenagers! You need time to play too! Over the next six weeks, you will use play to deepen your understanding of Jewish values and upcoming holidays. Can you use Legos to display an understanding of Tikkun Olam? How could a mound of clay be transformed to represent Ometz Lev? The trimester will conclude with you working together and using class experiences to create a meaningful piece of the PJ Library Passover Kit.
Celebrate and Create – Chani Zajac
Get ready to bring Jewish traditions to life! Join Chani, where you'll learn to craft memorable celebrations from Rosh Hashanah to Chanukah. Dive into the traditions, stories, and significance behind each holiday, then put your knowledge into action by learning how to plan and execute an event from start to finish. We enhance mitzvot by making them aesthetically pleasing, an act called hiddur mitzvah. We will learn how to elevate mitzvot by turning small gatherings into purposeful events and discuss customs that might seem to be irrelevant to our modern lives. From designing invitations to beautiful themed decor, this hands-on course will teach you valuable skills. Let's make every holiday moment unforgettable!
Dive into the captivating world of Mah Jongg, a Chinese tile game that has found a unique and enduring place within American Jewish culture. Led by experienced instructor Suzie Daum, this class goes beyond the basics, offering teens the chance to master tile recognition, strategic thinking, and the nuanced rules of the game. Explore the unexpected connection between Mah Jongg and Jewish tradition while enjoying a game that provides both mental stimulation and a social outlet. Discover how Mah Jongg transcends generations, providing a timeless opportunity for unplugging and connecting with friends while honing your skills in this beloved game.
Jewish Holiday Art Unwrapped – Beth Nelson
Get ready to unleash your creativity with Kehillah High’s brand-new art class. One way to sanctify and celebrate Jewish holidays is by creating beautiful works of art that symbolize and amplify each festival. The visual arts aren’t just decoration. They’re history and future, past and present, dialogue and action, knowledge and wisdom.
Every session will be a celebration of Jewish holidays through the art of crafting!
Values in Action – Lisa Stone
Judaism provides a unique lens with which to engage in community service, offering a strong foundation to apply both traditional values and nuanced teachings in a relevant way to the world around us. As students, you have spent hours of classroom time studying values such as chesed, tzedakah, and tikkun olam. Throughout this trimester, you will roll up your sleeves and implement those values. This trimester, you will pool your talents and work together on a wide variety of community service projects. We’ll be able to perform some projects on-site, while others will have us venture into the greater Houston community. By trimester’s end, we will have served many of our neighbors in need while representing ourselves as Jews and individuals who make a difference in the world.
Let My People Play – Sarah Williams and Rebecca Lindenbaum
While 'learning through play' has received praise for its crucial role in developing social-emotional and cognitive development and cultivating creativity and imagination in the preschool year, a critical group has been left out...teenagers! You need time to play too! Over the next six weeks, you will use play to deepen your understanding of Jewish values and upcoming holidays. Can you use Legos to display an understanding of Tikkun Olam? How could a mound of clay be transformed to represent Ometz Lev? The trimester will conclude with you working together and using class experiences to create a meaningful piece of the PJ Library Passover Kit.
Celebrate and Create – Chani Zajac
Get ready to bring Jewish traditions to life! Join Chani, where you'll learn to craft memorable celebrations from Rosh Hashanah to Chanukah. Dive into the traditions, stories, and significance behind each holiday, then put your knowledge into action by learning how to plan and execute an event from start to finish. We enhance mitzvot by making them aesthetically pleasing, an act called hiddur mitzvah. We will learn how to elevate mitzvot by turning small gatherings into purposeful events and discuss customs that might seem to be irrelevant to our modern lives. From designing invitations to beautiful themed decor, this hands-on course will teach you valuable skills. Let's make every holiday moment unforgettable!