The study of rabbinics (Mishnah and Talmud) at Solomon Schechter Day School immerses students in questions of Jewish law and ethics. Through the process of weaving together questions, reasoning, and different perspectives, Schechter students become Jewish thinkers capable of approaching situations with sophisticated methods of problem-solving. The novel ways of thinking will inspire students to be creative and engaged Jews who think methodically and critically about their world. 

Sixth through Eighth Grades

Our students begin study of Mishnah when they enter middle school using the Bonayich rabbinics curriculum, developed at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. They learn about the history of the early Rabbinic period and the ways in which our sages developed and codified the Mishnah.
In time, they begin to examine and compare parallel sources in Rabbinic literature. When students are ready, they learn to decode the logical structures and ethical lessons of Talmudic conversations. Students use a combination of published texts and curricular materials developed at Schechter to gain an understanding of the evolution of Jewish tradition.