Jewish Life and Learning

At the heart of Sholem Aleichem College is the study of Yiddish language and culture, Hebrew, Jewish history, traditions and ethics.

This Yiddish core makes us unique and distinguishes us from any other Jewish Day School in Australia.

The Jewish Studies curriculum reflects the secular approach of Sholem Aleichem College towards Jewish life. We place particular emphasis on:

Yiddish language and culture
Hebrew language
Jewish culture
Jewish history, customs and traditions, ethics and values.

Our purpose is to cultivate in our students a passionate sense of Jewish identity and a sense of belonging to the worldwide Jewish peoples, with strong ties to the Australian Jewish community and the State of Israel.

Jewish Studies

Our secular Jewish Studies program aims to foster a strong sense of Jewish identity in each of our students.

All students from the ELC through to Grade 6 study Jewish Studies in formal and informal sessions. Yiddish is also integrated into all Jewish Studies lessons.

In the ELC, students explore Jewish Studies in their daily Yiddish/Jewish Studies sessions. From Prep to Grade 6 students enjoy Yiddish, Hebrew and Jewish Studies lessons. The Grade 6 Jewish Studies program also incorporates our bespoke secular Bney-Mitsve program.

At Sholem Aleichem College, our students explore Yiddishkayt (Jewishness) in their Jewish Studies classes. Throughout their time at the College, students undertake a deep exploration of Jewish festivals, traditions, culture, ethics, Biblical stories, history and more. The themes of the yomtoyvim and other aspects of Jewish culture are often also woven into other subject areas. Our students are also engaged in our informal Jewish Education program which aims to provide opportunities to further connect with their Jewish identities outside of the formal classroom setting. This is seen in the celebration of the Jewish festivals (yomtoyvim), a highlight for all students.

Importantly, as a part of our Jewish Studies program, we foster an understanding of their place and role within the broader Jewish community, and our students enjoy a myriad of opportunities to participate in their community as College representatives via musical performances and other community engagement programs.

Jewish Studies Watch Here

Yiddish

All students from the ELC through to Grade 6 study Yiddish.

Yiddish is also integrated into all Jewish Studies lessons.

In the ELC, students are immersed in Yiddish language daily in their Yiddish/Jewish Studies sessions.

In these sessions, they explore a variety of themes and topics, including Jewish festivals (yomtoyvim) in Yiddish, incorporating spoken Yiddish, games, songs, poems, stories, art and other forms.

In Prep, students encounter Yiddish/Jewish Studies lessons 5 times a week; in Grades 1-2, students encounter Yiddish lessons 4 times per week and Jewish Studies lessons twice a week; in Grades 3-5, students encounter Yiddish lessons 5 times per week and Jewish Studies lessons twice a week; and in Grade 6, students encounter Yiddish lessons 5 times per week and Jewish Studies lessons 3 times a week.

Sholem Aleichem College delivers a specially designed Yiddish curriculum in line with the latest in LOTE pedagogy.

Incorporating a rich treasure chest of Yiddish literature, song and expression, as well as games, technology, new resources and more, students learn to express themselves in Yiddish in their daily lives, mastering reading, writing, speaking, listening and even dreaming in Yiddish.

When our founders dreamt of building our College, they did so with the vision that all of our students would have the opportunity to learn Yiddish and we continue this vision through our approach to differentiated learning.

Yiddish Video Watch Here

Hebrew

Our College implements our unique Hebrew curriculum, which draws on state-of-the-art programs and resources from Israel and around the world.

Our program aims to immerse students in the vibrant world of Hebrew language, fostering reading, writing, listening and speaking skills through stories, songs, dance, drama, poems, games, art, ICT and various other resources.
Importantly, our Hebrew program is designed to maximise cross-collaboration with our students’ Yiddish studies. This helps to reinforce skills or knowledge that are shared across both languages (such as the formation of the letters of the alphabet).

Hebrew Video Watch Here