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Tichon Online Learning--Added 4/21

We were so excited to see so many of you on Sunday! Below is material from Mr. Bender which includes videos to watch and think about in anticipation of our next class.

Materials for this week

Tichon Online Learning--Added 3/18

Hello to our 8th and 9th graders! Take a look at the first link below for a message from Mr. Bender about the activity he's created for you. Once you've read the instructions, use the second link to view the video. You may want to invite your parents to watch it too and see what they think!

Instructions from Mr. Bender

Video Link

Tichon

Updated 2/21/20

Mr. Bender’s Comparative Religions Class continued our exploration of Judaism by visiting Rodef Shalom Congregation, a Reform Congregation that warmly welcomed our students and provided us with a tour of their beautiful sanctuary (in the shape of metaphorical tent). As part of our upcoming transition to explore Christianity, we examined the various sects and branches of Judaism in Jude’s during the time of Jesus. We specifically examined the roles of the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes (the people who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls). Next, we will focus on the life of a Jewish carpenter from the Galilee and how his life and teachings would be used to shape a new world religion, Christianity.

Since we have returned from winter break our class has engaged in some interesting and insightful discussions each week.  We watched a short film entitled Alternate Math. (I encourage you to look it up on YouTube and discuss with your teen). Some themes that arose from this movie included tolerance, opinion versus fact, and right versus wrong.  Continuing on the theme of opinion versus fact, we discussed the anti vaccination movement, specifically religious freedom versus the greater good.  We looked at Jewish text as the base of our conversation. Upcoming topics include creative property rights, Israel, gun ownership, and other current events.

December/January

The students in the Tichon class with Melissa continue to discuss and debate “hot topics” - current events and topics relevant to their life. Recent discussions have included religion in schools, ableism, and freedom of speech. Upcoming topics include responsible use of social media, anti vaccination movement, equality in sports. Our discussions reference Jewish values and text in order to shape our opinions.

Mr. Bender’s Comparative Religions Class continued our exploration of Judaism by visiting Rodef Shalom Congregation, a Reform Congregation that warmly welcomed our students and provided us with a tour of their beautiful sanctuary (in the shape of metaphorical tent). As part of our upcoming transition to explore Christianity, we examined the various sects and branches of Judaism in Jude’s during the time of Jesus. We specifically examined the roles of the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes (the people who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls). Next, we will focus on the life of a Jewish carpenter from the Galilee and how his life and teachings would be used to shape a new world religion, Christianity.

October/November 2019

Mr. Bender’s Comparative Religions course is off to a great start. We have been starting our comparative analysis of the three Abrahamic faiths by looking more closely at Judaism. We started with a class trip to the OT Sanctuary where we engaged in a 360 view of the physical sacred space we pray in. Then we explored the similarities and differences between the three main branches of Judaism (Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform). We also explored the Torah’s Noahide Laws (the Biblical laws applicable to non-Jews) and compared them to Maimonides 13 Articles of Faith and the 10 Commandments. As we progress we will be visiting a Reform Congregation to visit their sanctuary and learn about their practices.

The students in Melissa’s Tichon class have been having spirited discussions on such topics as forgiveness, free speech, and our response to items of hate or hate speech. We have been using tools such as Facebook posts, YouTube videos, and the current news to aid in our discussion. It has been a pleasure hearing their viewpoints.

September 2019

Mr. Bender’s Comparative Religion Class got off to a great start! After an ice-breaker game, we started our exploration of the three world faiths that started with Abraham (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Students have received their “How to be a Perfect Stranger” books and last week we had our first class trip — a visit to the Olam Tikvah Sanctuary. We look at the sanctuary and described the religious symbols and their significance. We will be conducting future class trips to a Reform Jewish Temple, a Roman Catholic Church, a Protestant Church and a Mosque, where the students will get to see the similarities and differences in the various Houses of Worship.

The Tichon program has channeled our student’s gift of gab into tackling the tough topics of our time.  We have so far covered gender and pay inequality in sports and diversity in Hollywood. We use the anti bias curriculum from the ADL as well as current headlines as a springboard for our discussions. Coming up we will be discussing free speech and identity all the while bringing it back to Jewish values. They have a lot to say and I have really enjoyed hearing their thoughts.  

Thu, April 25 2024 17 Nisan 5784