Judaic studies at Bialik High School 2010 - 2011

Students in every year of Bialik study four subjects in Jewish studies: Hebrew, Tanach, Yiddish and Jewish History.

Hebrew

In 2010 - 11, we are adopting the NETA Hebrew program. The goal of Hebrew at Bialik is to develop in the students effective real proficiency in using the Hebrew language, as opposed to decontextualized or theoretical grammatical knowledge. In choosing NETA, Bialik joins some of the top Jewish high schools in North America in using a professionally-developed and produced curriculum designed to be part of the students' progress toward fluency. In the coming year, Hebrew classes will be fully streamed across the grade to allow the best possible fit for students' Hebrew language level (this means five or six streams in each grade).

Students have Hebrew 5 periods per cycle in secondary 1-3, and 4 periods per cycle in secondary 4-5.

Tanach—Bible Studies

Tanach study at Bialik seeks to develop students' connection to the history and moral values of the Jewish people as embodied in the Tanach. Students in secondary 1-4 will have, beginning in the coming year, the same Tanach teacher that they have for Hebrew in order to maximize class-teacher relationships, and to allow the teachers to use Hebrew as much as possible as they know their students' Hebrew language capabilities. The main goal continues to be ability to read the biblical texts. Students in secondary 1-2 study primarily the historical books of Samuel and Kings, students in secondary 3 survey prophetic literature including Johah and Amos, and students in secondary 4 and 5 study thematically (this year trials of faith in secondary 4 and biblical models of leadership in secondary 5).

Students have Tanach 2 periods per cycle in secondary 1-3, 1 period per cycle in secondary 4 and 3 periods per cycle in secondary 5. This represents a decrease in the Tanach offering from prior years, in necessary response to increased provincial course obilgations. In response to this undesirable loss of hours, provision has been made in a plan for the Jewish Studies Program to restore these hours and even add to them by restructuring Jewish Studies in the Senior grades.

Yiddish

Yiddish is a key part of the history of Montreal's Jewish community and of the JPPS-Bialik school system. With the exception of students with documented learning difficulties, all students at Bialik study Yiddish. The goals include the development of facility in the language, and the familiarization of students with Yiddish literature and cultrue. Yiddish is taught by provincially-certified teachers, and students receive credits on their official transcripts for its study.

Yiddish is taught 4 periods per cycle in secondary 1-3, and 3 periods per cycle in secondary 4-5.

Jewish History

Taught in conjunction with the provincial ERC (Ethics and Religious Culture) program by our Jewish History teachers, the goal of the study of Jewish history at Bialik is the familiarization of students with the experiences of Jewish communities in various places and times of the Diaspora from the Babylonian Exile in the 6^th century BCE up until the reestablishment of Jewish independence in Israel in our day. Processes of historical thought are taught, and the Jewish experiences of being minority cultures, of religious integration, and of tolerant and intolerant interaction with other communities offer effective connections wih the ERC curriculum seeking to build in Quebec students awareness of the need for tolerance in living within an increasingly diverse society. Students in secondary 4 have a year-long class focused on ethical issues laid out along the framework of, and teaching familiarity with, key aspects of the Jewish life cycle. Students in secondary 5 study the factors and history of the Holocaust, as well as the history of Zionism and the modern State of Israel. There is no concurrent ERC instruction offered in secondary 3, where it is not provincially required.

ERC and Jewish History are offered in 4 periods per cycle in every grade, and in French for students in our section Francaise.