Judaic Studies

These are the things for which a person enjoys the dividends...
They are: honoring parents, loving deeds of kindness, and making peace
between one person and another, but the study of the Torah is equal to them all.

— Talmud Shabbat 127a

 

 

Denver Jewish Day School faculty aim to create within their students a commitment to lifelong learning, inspired by knowledge of and appreciation for the wisdom, spiritual depth, and ethical guidance of Judaism and traditional Jewish texts.

Beginning in kindergarten, our students engage in study of parashat hashavuah (weekly Torah portion), focusing on the timeless lessons of the text. As students continue through the Lower Division, they commence Chumash (Bible) study, learn about the holidays, and begin finding their place in Jewish history.

In the Upper Division, our students study traditional texts, Jewish philosophy, and Jewish history and are given the opportunity through options classes (electives) to go deeper into the areas that interest them. Courses also include a focus on developing the skills to write and deliver thoughtful divrei Torah (words of Torah), sharing thoughts on the weekly Torah reading and its connection to today’s world.

Through student-centered and interdisciplinary teaching approaches such as project based learning, students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning, making personal meaning and applying it to their own lives. Examples include learning about natural disasters and their impact in science class while also exploring instances of Biblical disasters in Judaics in elementary school or learning about medical ethics from both a Jewish and biomedical ethics standpoint in high school.