Talmud

The high school student body is divided into three groups - regular and accelerated tracks in the freshman year, and the introduction of an honors track in the sophomore year. The regular track classes meet for five periods per week, while the other two levels meet for nine periods per week. In the junior year, one of three accelerated tracks meets for thirteen periods per week, as does the honors class, known in that year as the Beit Midrash program. Primary in all tracks and all classes is the establishment of an atmosphere conducive to the internalization of the ethics, openess and thoughtfulness embodied in the Talmud.

All students in the school will be studying sugyot/selections from massekhet Chulin. Fostering a spirit of universal discourse as well as intra- and inter- grade study are two primary reasons for this decision. The depth of study will vary by grade and level.

Durring the first semester, topics from the first chapter of massekhet Chulin will be studied. These include issues of human responsibility and reliability in the performance of ritual mitzvot, the relationship between certainty and probability in Jewish law and the question of the permissibility of deriving benefit from a prohibited act.

The second semester will revolve around topics from the eighth chapter of massekhet Chulin, which addresses the primary Kashrut issue of separation of meat and milk. Classes will examine the definitions, sources and applications in this realm of Halakhah as well as the relationship between Biblical law and Rabbinic legislation as it affects the modern kitchen.

Depending on the grade and level, focus will be on different skill sets, all geared to creating varied opportunities depending on background and motivation. These range from acquiring an appreciation of the relevance of Talmud study to contemporary society, to developing independence in Talmud study (making a leigning) by the time they graduate. In advanced sections, that much more attention is paid to pronunciation, punctuation, intonation, vocabulary, identifying the structure of a sugya, the systemic study of Rashi, and the development and literacy in the classic commentaries (Rishonim) and how and when they are employed.

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