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Judaic Studies at Westchester Hebrew High School focus simultaneously on the centrality of Torah in our lives as Jews, as well as on the importance of Chessed, acts of kindness and ethical behavior. Our educational goals are to make Torah relevant to students and to make the connection between Torah/Halacha and Chessed. Our teachers and Rabbis are attuned to these educational goals as well as the best way to achieve them with each and every student. We focus on intense learning, which includes skill building, questioning and analysis. In addition, students are encouraged to become independent learners. We select relevant curricular themes, study texts and make the link between the texts and our lives in the 21st century. Torah is only a part of the complete Judaic Studies picture. Our teachers and Rabbis strive to create a deep connection with students and instill within them a love for learning, a zeal for knowledge and a desire to take their places in the world as caring and committed Jews, upstanding citizens of the world.

Chumash (חומש)

Students delve into the Books of Bereshit, Shemot, and Devarim and analyze texts with the help of classical commentaries and Rishonim (medieval commentaries) such as Tirgumei Unkelos, Yonatan ben Uziel, Yerushalmi, Rashi, Nachmanides and Ibn Ezra.  More recent commentaries, such as Ohr Hachayim, Sfat Emet, Malbim, Hirsch, Netziv and Lebowitz are studied as well.  Students are encouraged to discover the textual and/or logical bases for the different viewpoints of mefarshim and ultimately acquire all of the skills required to engage in independent Chumash study.

This year we are studying the parshiot of Chayei Sara through Vayechi in Bereshit.  We focus on a number of critical topics, studying the texts and commentaries.  Classroom discussions explore the implications of some of the topics for our lives today.   Students in regular classes will be studying these Parshiot, through a focus on a number of interesting themes.  We consider issues such as Kivrei Avot (graves of the forefathers), the relationship between Yaakov and Eisav, Kivrei Avot, Chessed, Hevron and Eretz Yisrael, the sale and redemption of Yosef (מכירת וגאולת יוסף), and Yosef and the promise of remembering (פקידה).   Honors classes will study the parshiot in sequence, using a wide range of commentaries to gain greater understanding of the text and its meaning.

 

Navi / Halacha (נביא / הלכה)

Each year we alternate between studying Navi and Halacha.  By the end of four years of high school, each student studies two years of each subject.  During the 5768 school year, we are studying the laws of Jewish lifecycle events, holidays and “every-day” basics such as kashrut and Berachot.   The goal of our study of Navi is to sharpen the exegetical and literary skills of students and to examine themes such as leadership, prophecy, Chessed, Eretz Yisrael, reward and punishment (Sachar Ve’onesh, שכר ועונש), and the concept of being ‘a light unto the nations’ (אור לגויים).   

 

Honors & Regular

Both honors and regular classes focus on written and spoken Hebrew as well as Modern Hebrew literature. Prose and poetry by Chaim Nachman Bialik, Shai Agnon, Leah Goldberg, Y.L. Peretz, Yehuda Amichai, Jonathan Geffen, Miryam Yelen and others, serve as a springboard for in-class discussion and written assignments. Students read Hebrew language journals and publications, as well as Israeli newspapers such as Yediot Acharonot and Maariv, in order to become familiar with current events and contemporary Israeli society. Course work includes preparation and presentation of multi-media projects in Hebrew, as well as critical and creative writing pieces. Students are encouraged to write articles for HaKesher (הקשר), the WHHS Hebrew newspaper. The content of the regular class is similar to that in the honors course; the difference lies in the degree of difficulty and complexity of the material.

 

Basic

A strong emphasis is placed on the Ulpan method of study in order to improve conversational skills. Students also hone their language facility by studying the most recent publications developed by Tel Aviv and Hebrew Universities for their students of Hebrew as a second language. The etymology of the Hebrew tongue and its resurrection as the living language of the modern State of Israel is stressed through the study of the life of Eliezer ben Yehuda. Students focus on the centrality of Hebrew and its role as the cornerstone of the political and ideological development of the State of Israel.

 

Jewish History

This survey course covers the history of the Jewish People; ideas, institutions and major personalities from the period of the Second Commonwealth through the 19th Century. Among the topics covered are: Judea and Rome, the origins of Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism (the Mishna and Talmud), the Gaonic Era, Medieval Jewish Philosophy, the Crusades and their aftermath, the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain and the Holy Inquisition, Kabbalah, East European Jewry, the Sabbatean Heresy, Chassidut and Hitnagdut, the Jew in a modern world, and the origins of Zionism. Original sources in Hebrew and English are studied. The course of study is complemented by field trips and term projects.

Texts: A History of the Jews, From the Babylonian Exile to the Present, Grayzel; A History of the Jews, Graetz.

 

Jewish Life Cycles

Another goal of the Judaic Studies Department is to bridge the gap between our commitment to Judaism and our role in the modern world. In this course, senior students acquire vital skills needed to mesh commitment to Judaism with their role in contemporary life. This course helps seniors prepare for the challenge of college life by tackling such issues as relationships, sexuality, Kashrut, Zionism, medical ethics and commitment to community from the perspective of Halacha. The goal of the class is to produce well-adjusted and grounded members of the Jewish community and future leaders of society.

Course Instructors: Dr. Nancy Block, Ph.D. & Rabbi Wesley Kalmar

 

Seminars in Talmud

Upon request, students are offered a variety of courses on topics and texts which hold a special interest to them (i.e. chapters of the Talmud not studied by the other students in the Yeshivah, a different tractate or works such as the Yad Hachazakah and Minchat Chinuch. Eligbility: Available upon request.

Course Instructor: Rabbi Jeffrey Beer

 

Seminars in Jewish Law

A series of courses that use the Shulchan Aruch as text and cover topics such as Orach Chayim, the Synagogue and the Jewish holidays; Yoreh Deah, kashrut and the Jewish home; and Choshen Mishpat, business ethics. Eligibility: availability upon request.

Course Instructors: Judaic Studies Staff

 

Beit Midrash

This is an elective course of advanced Talmud study open to select students in the senior grade. Students are exposed to Talmudic methodology and encouraged to further develop the independent ability to analyze texts on their own. Topics to be covered include festivals, torts, Halachic categories, monetary damages and property rights. Eligibility: available upon request.

Course Instructor:: Rabbi Jeffrey Beer