Kehillat Limmud 2026-2027

A “Punim” in Yiddish is a face – a particularly sweet face!

We invite all of our punims (ages 0 to 3) and their families to join us one Sunday each month to learn, sing, play, and be together at NVHC! Click here to learn more!

Siyyum L’Yom (Closing of the Day) – On mornings when there is Punims, families are invited to join their K-2nd grade student at 11:40am (not 11:30am) for Siyyum, a beautiful moment of prayer, singing, and a little learning that brings each school day to a close.

We love being able to welcome in our youngest learners each year! Our Bonim (Builders) program is designed for Pre-K students and Kindergarteners. They meet each Sunday to learn about the Jewish holidays, with heavy emphasis on Shabbat, Jewish values, and different aspects of the synagogue.

Siyyum L’Yom (Closing of the Day) – Families are invited to join their K-2nd grade student at 11:40am (not 11:30am) every Sunday for Siyyum, a beautiful moment of prayer, singing, and a little learning that brings each school day to a close.

Tzofim students meet weekly on Sunday mornings for a combination of indoor and outdoor learning. They expand on their Jewish learning and relationship-building through crafts, play, hands-on activities, stories, music, drama, and more!

1st grade places special emphasis on the holidays, especially Shabbat. Students are also introduced to the Hebrew alphabet through Aleph-Bet yoga and other activities to give them a taste of our shared Jewish language.

2nd grade delves into Torah stories, learning foundational stories from B’reishit (Genesis) in particular. Through music, drama, play, and the creation of their own artistic Torah scrolls (complete with their own commentary!), students discover central Jewish ideas, values, and characters they can understand at their level.

Siyyum L’Yom (Closing of the Day) – Families are invited to join their K-2nd grade student at 11:40am (not 11:30am) every Sunday for Siyyum, a beautiful moment of prayer, singing, and a little learning that brings each school day to a close.

Kehillah Time (Community Time)

3rd-5th grade students begin their day all together in Kehillah (Community) Time. The goal of Kehillah Time is to help students build friendships and connect with each other outside of class time, forming their own kehillot (communities) that will journey with them through their time at NVHC. Kehillah Time includes a variety of activities – shirah (music), youth group games, communal art projects, learning about specific topics (Israeli foods and Jewish sports figures, just to name two), and so much more!

Judaics

Judaics classes are where we help students explore what it means to be Jewish and to live a Jewish life. In addition to helping students build strong Jewish identities so that they have a solid foundation for adolescence and adulthood, our Judaics curriculum aims to also help students build their Jewish identities where they are right now. Students and their families explore how Judaism is relevant and speaks to them as 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, giving them a guidebook of values and traditions for navigating the pre-adolescent years and the transition into adolescence.

In 3rd & 4th grades, students follow a curriculum based on seven core Jewish values – teshuva (return), b’tzelem Elohim (honoring the image of God), gevurah (strength), achrayut (responsibility), hakarat hatov (gratitude), koach hadibbur (power of speech), and shalom (peace). 3rd graders study these values through the lens of “family” and 4th graders study them through the lens of “self.” Through these values and lenses, students explore Jewish text, history, prayer, holidays, community, and more.

In 5th grade, students continue to apply their knowledge and develop their ways of thinking from 3rd and 4th grade as they explore the cycle of Jewish life. Through a variety of projects and activities, they learn about the traditions, rituals, and moments that mark growth in our community.

Hebrew

Hebrew is a signifier of Jewish community and peoplehood, and the way to access so many parts of our tradition, ancient and modern. Through the Hebrew in Harmony curriculum and new OnwardHebrew methodology, we use the power of music and sound-to-print learning to provide an easier on-ramp to Hebrew and engage students on an emotional level with all these aspects of the language. We also utilize Jewish Life Vocabulary to infuse everyday conversations with modern Hebrew, connecting students to Israel, Hebrew speakers worldwide, and Hebrew as a living language.

There are two components to our Hebrew program – a Sunday morning class, separate from students’ Judaics class, and a midweek session. All midweek Hebrew will take place online. Students in 4th and 5th grade will be able to choose either small group learning that meets with one of our Hebrew teachers or 1:1 Hebrew tutoring.

The levels below are a broad guideline. We welcome students at any Hebrew and grade level and will do everything we can to help them feel comfortable and confident in their Hebrew learning.

Students in Hebrew I (typically third grade) can expect to learn letter and vowel recognition, basic decoding skills, and foundational blessings and prayers, such as Bar’chu, Sh’ma, Havdalah blessings, and blessings over food.

Students in Hebrew II (typically fourth grade) can expect to dive a little deeper, learning Kiddush, V’ahavta, Ma’ariv Aravim/Yotzeir Or, Mah Nishtanah, and Mi Chamocha.

Students in Hebrew III (typically fifth grade) can expect to focus on the Amidah – Avot v’Imahot, G’vurot, K’dusha, Birchot Shalom – Aleinu, and Kaddish, following the lifecycle events learned in Judaics class. 

Hafsakah (Break)

Hafsakah provides students another dedicated time to connect with their peers, along with time to let their brains and bodies rest (or get the wiggles out!) between classes. Hafsakah includes allergen-friendly snack, social time, outside time, games, and more.

Our Chalutzim (Pioneers) program combines 6th and 7th grades to create an experience that is designed to support students as they move through adolescence, prepare to become B’Mitzvah, and continue their Jewish educational journey post-B’Mitzvah. Grouped based on their B’Mitzvah dates, students will move through 6th and 7th grade together as a cohort while still having ample time to bond with their peers as a full class.

This program focuses on important values and life lessons, and helps students develop and strengthen their own sense of Jewish identity. Every Sunday morning, students have the opportunity to take a Judaics class and a Hebrew component. The Chalutzim morning includes Kehillah (Community) Time where the entire Chalutzim cohort comes together for community- and connection-building activities.

Judaics

The Judaics component is on an alternating two-year cycle outline below. The 5787 school year is a “Bet” Year.

Aleph Year

• Jewish Middot (Values & Character Traits)
  • Learn various Jewish values and character traits.
  • Engage with primary sources (Torah, Mishnah, and Talmud)
  • See how they are relevant to students’ lives and the ways in which they exemplify the Jews that they are striving to be
• Telling the Jewish Story
  • Study major events in Jewish history, including the historical evolution of the modern state of Israel.
  • Explore their place in the long chain of Jewish tradition, their own personal histories, and what they hope to take into the future.
  • Engage with Israeli culture including songs, literature, and food.

Bet Year

• Inside Out: Jewish Feelings and Adolescence
  • Promote positive social, emotional, and spiritual health in our students.
  • Investigate Jewish texts that help give them the language and the tools to express themselves and their emotions.
  • Bring students into dialogue with each other and NVHC clergy and staff.
• TaNaKh: Wrestling with the Hebrew Bible
  • Gain fluency in the entire TaNaKh (Hebrew Bible) consisting of all the stories in the Torah, Prophets, and Writings.
  • Learn how to engage with primary source texts.

Hebrew

6th Grade Hebrew

6th grade students continue their prayer learning with a focus on the Torah blessings, Haftarah blessings, and entire Torah service. Students also begin to delve into what it really means to them to become B’Mitzvah. Student will continue with one-on-one midweek Hebrew tutoring (online only) with an experienced Hebrew tutor. 6th grade students often begin the year in 6th grade Hebrew, then transition to Torah Corps partway through the year.

Torah Corps

Torah Corps, led by Cantor Susan Caro, is a program in which small cohorts of students matched by B’Mitzvah date travel along the B’Mitzvah preparation journey together. It is integrated into Sunday mornings as a core part of the Chalutzim curriculum for both 6th and 7th graders, in addition to regular self (or parent)-directed practice at home. Torah Corps encompasses learning Torah cantillation (chanting), synagogue skills, the Torah service, and a review of all prayers students have previously learned, including and especially the Torah and Haftarah blessings. Learning is specific to each student, directed to help students prepare for their B’Mitzvah.

There is no midweek Hebrew for 7th grade students.

Tamid is our weekly program for 8th-12th graders. Click here to learn more!