Many Hebrew schools have major issues with accountability and with a wide range of student backgrounds and motivation. To this issue the Reform movement has recently designed a new Hebrew curriculum (MITKADEM – moving forward) which enables students to progress at a comfortable pace, to see clear signs of accomplishment and for the teachers to meet the student where s/he is in reality and not where they hope they should be.

After initial consultation with the Union of Reform Judaism Director of Curriculum Development in our region, Robin Wood and Ellen Fasman recently attended workshops in St. Louis to learn this more customized method. After an experimental first year in Ellen’s 4 th grade, we hope to implement MITKADEM in grades 3 -7. Most of our membership is already aware of what an excellent resource Ellen has been in her 13 years at B’nai Tikvah. With her enthusiasm and this new program I think Hebrew can become less of a chore and more of a catalyst for prayer competency and enthusiasm.

Our congregation as a whole spans many competency and entry levels, and my approach has always been to welcome you where you are and not at some imagined level where you think you should be. There is always the possibility of some negligence along the way, but more often than not there are sound personal reasons why you or your children have had a hiatus from Jewish learning and the Jewish community and why you now want to move forward.

In the years to come please support the MITKADEM program for your children, and at this time of renewal the Cantor and I would be happy to explore any areas in which to move forward with your own Jewish learning, where you’re at, and at your own pace.

May this be a good, sweet year for you and yours.