The Jewish Studies program at Kehilla High School offers a comprehensive education in Jewish texts, culture, and religious practice.  Our unique program is specifically designed to accommodate students from a diverse range of Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds.  KHS Jewish studies faculty work closely with students to help them develop the language, conceptual, and hermeneutical skills they need to engage deeply with traditional Jewish texts.  We encourage students to examine how Jewish teachings connect with other intellectual traditions and to think about how these ideas might illuminate their own lives. Finally, we inspire our students to live Jewishly.

 

Jewish Ethics

Judaism has a long history of wrestling with 'big' moral questions, responding to them in a way that considers all sides of an issue. From political scandals and financial improprieties to rapid progress in biomedical science and AI, the complex issues of modern society are, at their core, issues of moral and ethical concern. In this seminar, we provide our students with a solid understanding of how Jewish ethics informs our discussions and decisions about the critical questions of the day.

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Talmud 1 

In this course, we focus on building skills through the underlying principles that guide Jewish law, including lo bashamayim hi (independence through creativity), eilu v’eilu – (diversity in thought), lo yehe k’shtei torot  (Jewish unity), and halakha l’moshe misinai (transmission of the tradition).  In addition, we explore the nature of rabbinic authority and the topic of leniency in Jewish law.

 

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Talmud 2

In this course, we continue to develop skills learned in Talmud 1 and will spend more time with Rashi, Tosfot, and other Rishonim. We will study mitzvot aseh she-hasman grama (time-bound mitzvot) as well as explore the role that minhag plays in legislation and practice.

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Hebrew

The KHS Hebrew language program is designed to serve students at all proficiency levels, from true beginners to advanced.  Our small class sizes facilitate individualized attention as students work to develop their Hebrew listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

 

KHS faculty use the highly acclaimed Bishil Ha-Ivit curriculum, which was created by Hebrew language curriculum specialists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.