The Jewish Studies program in the Maimonides Upper School is organized around core topics within Jewish studies: Text, History, Rituals, Values and Israel. The goal is to provide robust opportunities to study Jewish text, history, rituals, values, and connection to Israel in ways that are personally meaningful to each individual student. Our 9th-grade course is designed as a survey of these five topics in order to take what students have learned in the MS program, build on it and provide means for further exploration. In the 10th and 11th grades, students will study Rabbinic Literature, Jewish Ethics, Jewish Thought and the American Jewish Experience. Within these core courses, students design an individualized learning program that is aligned with their Jewish identity, curiosity and interests. In each of these two years, students choose from one of three courses per semester. In addition, we offer a selection of yearlong electives for students who wish to add more Judaic studies to their schedule.
Our students come from a wide range of Jewish backgrounds, and we take pride in fostering each student’s intellectual and emotional Jewish development. Judaic Studies students engage in learning through a variety of methods, including journaling, discussion, debates, and projects that bring traditional ideas into modern-day relevance. We actively encourage critical thinking, reflection, close textual reading, and other skills that serve them well in all disciplines.