This year, the fifth-grade Hebrew curriculum will begin where the fourth-grade program left off: at the end of the Torah with the Jews entering the land of Israel. We will cover notable eras in Jewish history from Biblical to modern times. Fifth grade students will study a diverse selection of historical Jewish texts, including Prophets and the Talmud. We will look at how Judaism adapted after the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, and how Jews in the Middle and Modern Ages survived persecution in Europe, Africa, and Asia. We will look at significant events, such as the Golden Age of Spain, the Spanish Inquisition, and the rise of ghettos and Shtetls in Europe. We will end the year with a look at the Age of Enlightenment, when Jews began to gain equal rights and citizenship. Our goals for the year are that students will understand that Jewish community, practice, and relationship with God adapted to meet the different challenges throughout our history. By studying Jewish history, we hope students will develop a connection to their Jewish heritage, and understand that the Jewish historical experience helped influence their own Jewish identity.