Course Description: Chumash Bamidbar Part 2

Course Description: Chumash Bamidbar Part 2

Course Name: Chumash Bamidbar Part 2
Teacher: Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Text Studied: Sefer Bamidbar, Chapters 12-20
For Grades: 5-8
General Course Description:
Sefer Bamidbar chronicles the counting of the Jewish people, as they make the slow transition from a nation of slaves to an army capable of conquering the Holy Land.

This course covers:

  • The punishment of the rabble-rousers
  • Miriam’s lashon hara and punishment
  • The meraglim, their sin and the punishment of the Jewish peole
  • The mitzvah of tzitzit
  • Korach’s uprising and punishment
  • The well of Miriam and her death
  • Moshe hits the rock

The student will learn the following during this text-based course:

  • How to read and translate the text of the Torah
  • How to divide up pesukim in order to better understand the chumash
  • How to recognize and decode verbs in the chumash and identify shorashim (roots)
  • Understanding selected comments of Rashi, Midrash and selected mefarshim
  • How to identify key words (milah manchah) that repeat in the text and understand their importance

The student will learn the following Judaic knowledge

  • What caused the nation to believe the spies’ wicked report?
  • What are the forces that lead to challenging of leadership?
  • Lashon hara: About Moshe, about the Land of Israel: Why do we do it, and what’s so terrible about it?
  • Why did Hashem prevent Moshe from entering Eretz Yisrael?

Number of lessons: 20
Sample Lesson: To view a sample lesson click here

Course Description: Chumash Bamidbar Part 1

Course Description: Chumash Bamidbar Part 1

Course Name: Chumash Bamidbar Part 1
Teacher: Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Text Studied: Sefer Bamidbar, Chapters 1-11
For Grades: 5-8

Number of lessons: 20
General Course Description:
Sefer Bamidbar chronicles the counting of the Jewish people, as they make the slow transition from a nation of slaves to an army capable of conquering the Holy Land.

This course covers:

  • The counting of the Jewish people
  • The structure of the camp in the Midbar
  • The Levi’im, their camp, counting and swapping for the first-born
  • The Nazir
  • Birkat Kohanim
  • The Gifts of the Nesi’im
  • Travels in the desert
  • Moshe and Chovav
  • Signs of trouble – the complainers and the Asafsuf

The student will learn the following during this text-based course:

  • How to read and translate the text of the Torah
  • How to divide up pesukim in order to better understand the chumash
  • How to recognize and decode verbs in the chumash and identify shorashim (roots)
  • Understanding selected comments of Rashi, Midrash and selected mefarshim
  • How to identify key words (milah manchah) that repeat in the text and understand their importance

The student will learn the following Judaic knowledge

  • What was the purpose of dividing the Jewish people into camps?
  • How long should it have taken the Jewish people to reach the Land of Israel?
  • Why would a person become a Nazir? What are the drawbacks?
  • What caused the Jewish people to question Moshe’s leadership?

Sample Lesson: To view a sample lesson click here

Chumash Shemot 1 Course Description

Course Description: Chumash Shemot Part 1

Course Name: Chumash Shemot
Teacher: Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Text Studied: Sefer Shemot, Chapters 1-9
For Grades: 5-8
General Course Description:
Sefer Shemot is the story of the birth of the Jewish nation. The Jewish people transform from a tiny family to a huge nation, and suffer through centuries of slavery before Hashem chooses Moshe to free them from Par’oh and the Egyptians.

This course covers the enslavement of the Jewish people in Egypt, the birth of Moshe, his flight to Midyan, and his encounter with Hashem at the burning bush. It also covers Moshe’s return to Egypt, the initial failure to free the people, and the first series of the Ten Plagues.

We will learn the structure of the first half of the Sefer

The student will learn the following skills during this course: 

  • How to read and translate the text of the Torah
  • How to divide up pesukim in order to better understand the chumash
  • How to recognize and decode verbs in the chumash and identify shorashim (roots)
  • Understanding selected comments of Rashi, Midrash and selected mefarshim
  • How to identify key words (milah manchah) that repeat in the text and understand their importance

The student will learn the following Judaic knowledge

  • The early history of the Jewish people as described in the Torah
  • Why was Moshe chosen as the leader of the Bnei Yisrael? What were some of his important qualities?
  • What was the purpose of Yetziat Mitzrayim? Why did Hashem free the Jewish people?
  • The struggle between Moshe and Par’oh

Number of lessons: 20
Sample Lesson: To view a sample lesson click here

Navi Shmuel 1 Course Description

Course Description: The Road to King: Navi Shmuel 1

Course Name: The Road to Kingship
Teacher: Mrs. Ariella Nadel
Text Studied: Sefer Shmuel Aleph, Chapters 1-15
For Grades: 5-8
Number of lessons: 20
General Course Description:
In this course, students will learn the chapters of Shmuel Alef from the birth of the prophet Shmuel through the rise of David as future king . We will learn about the process through which the tribes of Israel became a unified nation under a single king.

Our studies will be centered around the main characters of our Sefer: Shmuel, Shaul and David and how their actions impacted the character of our nation. 

Students will learn about the criterion guiding the inclusion of a story in TaNakh, Nevuah SheHutzrecha L’Dorot (a story with an eternal message). They will learn how to reflect on each story we learn through the lens of those words -reflecting on how the lessons imparted by these stories were both relevant to the time of Navi and their lives today.    

Students will grow more comfortable reading text in the original Hebrew,  and navigating through the pesukim and chapters of TaNakh.

Students will learn the following skills during this course: 

  • Text reading and comprehension
  • A comfort navigating through the pesukim and Chapters of TaNakh. 
  • Identification of key shorashim and their translations
  • Quoting from the text to support themes and opinions

In this course, we’ll see many different maps to learn about areas mentioned in the Navi

Students will learn the following Judaic knowledge: 

  • They will become familiar with some of the most famous stories and characters in TaNakh.
  • They will have an opportunity to discuss some of the fundamental concepts of Judaism: such as prayer, sacrifice, holiness, prophecy, the nature of miracles and the character of a Jewish king.
  • They will learn to  make the connection between modern day Israel and the stories and characters present in our Sefer.

The text of the Navi is punctuated and organized for easy comprehension

Students will learn come to understand: 

  • The eternal relevance of the stories of TaNakh and how its stories and heroes have guided us throughout our history.

Sample Lesson: You can progress through the lesson to get a sense of how we present and organize Kitah materials. To access the sample lesson click here.

What is Teshuvah? A Kitah High Holidays Lesson for Families and Children

How does Kitah work? Each video lesson is divided into smaller sections, with questions after each section.

Watch this lesson with your children, and then answer the questions together. You can find other Kitah holiday lessons here.

What is Teshuva Graphic

Lesson Description:
As we look forward to the High Holidays, Teshuvah (Repentance) is on our minds. What is Teshuvah, and how do we do it? In this lesson, we look at the pesukim that teach us about the Mitzvah of Teshuvah, and Rambam’s explanation about the elements of Teshuvah.

Mishnah Sukkah Course Description

Course Description: Mishnah Sukkah

Course Name: MIshnah Sukkah
Teacher: Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Text Studied: Mishnah Sukkah, Chapters 1-3
For Grades: 5-8
General Course Description:
Mishnah Sukkah is one of the first tractates taught to children beginning their study of Torah She’beal Peh. It introduces students to basic concepts fundamental to Mishnah study, including the notion of arguments, applying halachic logic, and understanding rabbinic terminology. It’s also an area of halachah that kids are familiar with, making the study more approachable and fun.
In this course, we’ll cover the first two chapters of Masechet Sukkah, which cover the laws of the construction of the Sukkah, and many other aspects connected to the fulfilment of the commandment to “dwell” in the Sukkah over Sukkot.

The student will learn the following skills during this course: 

  • How to read and translate the Mishnah texts
  • The connection between the verses in the Torah and how the rabbis in the Mishnah interpreted them
  • The application of the rules in the Mishnah in the real world
  • How to chart an argument in the Mishnah
  • Basic fundamental Mishnah terminology and vocabulary
  • Basic commentary of Rav Ovadia of Bartenura on the Mishnah
In this course, we’ll see many different diagrams and pictures of the Sukkot we learn about in the Mishnah

The student will learn the following Judaic knowledge

  • The basic halachic requirements of a Sukkah
  • What are the halachic qualities of kosher Schach? How much schach does a Sukkah need?
  • How many walls must a Sukkah have? How high must they be?
  • Can one eat outside the Sukkah?
  • Must a person sleep in the Sukkah?
  • Can you put a Sukkah on a truck? What about a boat?

The text of the Mishnah is punctuated and organized for easy comprehension, and charts help understand arguments in the Mishnah

Number of lessons: 18
Sample Lesson: You can progress through the lesson to get a sense of how we present and organize Kitah materials. To access the sample lesson click here.

Gemara Baba Metzia Course Description

Course Description: Gemara Baba Metzia – Eilu Metziot

Course Name: Baba Metzia – Perek Eilu Metziot
Teacher: Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Text Studied: Gemara Baba Metzia
Chapter 2, Pages 21a – 22b
For Grades: 7-9
General Course Description:
The second chapter of Baba Metzia is a foundational text for the beginning Gemara student. The chapter deals specifically with issues of ownership, property and “lost and found” – topics relevant to students in their daily lives. Students begin to think in a legal framework: Why is your bicycle “yours”? What does it mean to own something? When is it considered lost, so that someone who finds it can keep it? These questions introduce the student not only to the topic of the Gemara, but also to the way that the Gemara teaches us to think about ideas, issues and concepts.

The student will learn the following skills during this course: 

  • How to read and translate the Mishnah and Gemara texts
  • How to identify different source texts that appear in the Gemara
  • The difference between Tanaim and Amoraim, and how they interact in the Gemara
  • The flow and logic of a Gemara text
  • How to chart the flow of questions and answers in a Gemara text
  • Basic fundamental Talmud terminology and vocabulary
By using flowcharts, students can learn the not just what the Gemara says, but how the Gemara thinks

The student will learn the following Judaic knowledge

  • The Mitzvah of Hashavat Aveidah – returning lost items
  • Aspects of ownership in Jewish legal thought
  • What is yiush and when does it happen?
  • The famous argument about yiush shelo mida’at – and the extensive sugya that deals with the debate between Abaye and Rava
  • What is a siman and how does it work?
  • The debate about a temporary siman

The student will understand:

  • How to relate to their own property
  • How to care for the property of others
  • The importance of returning lost items to their original owners
The Gemara is studies with vowels and punctuation, and is color coded and blocked for visual learning

Number of lessons: 20
Sample Lesson: You can progress through the lesson to get a sense of how we present and organize Kitah materials. To access the sample lesson click here.

Special Sukkot Lesson Graphic

Kitah Sukkot Lesson: Understanding the Four Minim

Welcome to this free Kitah lesson prepared by Rabbi Reuven Spolter!

To access the lesson, click here;

If you are a teacher, we invite you to share this lesson using Google Classroom or any other online e-learning platform. You can find the link to the editable form here.

About this lesson:
In this lesson, Rabbi Spolter analyzes the source in the Torah for the taking of the Four Species. We all know that the Four Species are the Lulav, Hadasim, Aravot and Etrog. Yet, many people do not realize that the names of the those plants don’t appear in the Torah the way we describe them! The Torah uses different words entirely. How did the Sages decide which branches to take on Sukkot?

In this lesson, we’ll study the verse in the Torah as well as the Midrash Halachah that derives the meanings of the words very carefully. We also use the words to understand not only which plants we take, but how we hold them as well.

Suggestions for Class Discussion:
Here are some suggested classroom activities for a classroom lesson, after the students have watched the lesson and answered the questions.
1. What do you think that we can learn from the words ביום הראשון – “on the first day” – about the taking of the Four Species?
2. Can a parent give his or her Four Species to use on Sukkot? Why or why not? How is this connected to the words of the Torah?

3. Why does the Torah connect the taking of the Four Species to happiness on Sukkot?

4. What is the connection between the Four Species and being “Before God” in the Beit Hamikdash?

How to Share the Lesson with Your Students
To use this lesson, you can access the editable version of the form with this link.
It will prompt you to make a copy of the form which you can save and share with your students. Feel free to add or change any of the questions, as you see fit.


Feedback
We’d love your feedback on this lessons. Please take a moment to send us an email and let us know how the lesson went with your students at feedback@kitah.org. You can view the lesson below!

Kitah Rosh Hashanah Lesson For Teachers: Simanim and Tashlich

Welcome to this free Kitah lesson prepared by Rabbi Johnny Solomon! We invite you to share this lesson using Google Classroom or any other online e-learning platform.

About this lesson:
In this lesson, Rabbi Solomon studies the sources in the Shulchan Aruch about why we eat special foods on Rosh Hashanah, as well as why we “cast” our sins into the sea during Tashlich. You can assign the lesson as homework, or as an in-class assignment (if the students have their own devices)

Suggestions for Class Discussion:
Here are some suggested classroom activities for a classroom lesson, after the students have watched the lesson and answered the questions.
1. Does your family have an unusual simanim that make special use of words either in Hebrew or English, or have some type of experience?
2. Divide into groups, and try and “create” three new Simanim that will have special meaning for us for this year: What foods would you use? What blessings would you offer.
3. What is the most unusual place you’ve done Tashlich? Did you feel like you “threw” your sins into the water?

How to Share the Lesson with Your Students
To use this lesson, you can access the editable version of the form with this link.
Click on “Use Template” in the top right corner, and save it in your Google Drive to share with your students. You can also feel free to add or change any of the questions, as you see fit.


Feedback
We’d love your feedback on this lessons. Please take a moment to send us an email and let us know how the lesson went with your students at feedback@kitah.org. You can view the lesson below!

Gemara Berachot Course Description

Course Description: The Basic Building Blocks of Gemara – Berachot Chapter 4

Course Name: The Basic Building Blocks of Gemara
Course Teacher: Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Course Details: Gemara Berachot Chapter 4 – Tefillat HaShachar
Pages: 26a – 28
For Grades: 6-8
General Course Description: The fourth chapter of Berachot is generally one of the first texts studied by beginning students as the enter the world of Gemara study. Through the study of the text of the Gemara, we will learn how Gemara study “works” – what questions does the Gemara ask, and how does it answer those questions. We will learn basic elements of the Amidah, as well as a very famous story that appears in this chapter.

The student will learn the following skills during this course: 

  • Text reading and comprehension
  • Key Gemara concepts
  • Differentiation between Tanaitic and Amoraic statements  (i.e. when is the Gemara quoting a text, and when is it asking a question or giving an answer)
  • Fundametal Gemara terms and basic vocabulary

The student will learn the following Judaic knowledge

  • Basic halachot about the Amidah for Shacharit, Minchah and Arvit including the times when they are recited, what happens when one makes a mistake, additions for holidays and other times, and more!
  • The basic structure of the Amidah
  • How one must act during Amidah

The student will understand:

  • Different understandings for the rationale behind the Amidah
  • How halachah stretches time for Amidah and other concepts
  • The complicated nature of Jewish leadership

Number of lessons: 20
Detailed Lesson Plans: A detailed lesson plan list is coming soon
Sample Lesson:

We are excited to present a sample of the first lesson in Gemara Berachot. You can progress through the lesson to get a sense of how we present and organize Kitah materials. To access the sample lesson click here.