Yesodot has developed a variety of curricular materials for different age groups.

• Yachad
• Beit Midrash
• Jewish Thought
• Gender Equality
• Talmud
• Special Seminars

Yachad
Yachad stands for Yahadut (Judaism), Chevra (Society), and Democratia (Democracy). This curriculum is designed as a program for grades 5 & 6 for use in the weekly homeroom class. It includes 10 units on Judaism and Democratic Values on the following topics: Human Dignity, Equality, Tolerance, Rule of Law, Human Rights, Liberty, Responsibility toward others, Leadership, Communication and Elections. Click here to download a sample unit.

Beit Midrash
Yesodot has developed three Beit Midrash (cooperative learning) curricula for grades 4-7 on the topics of Human Dignity (8 units), Gender (9 units) and Responsibility (8 units), and each topic is designed to be studied over the course of one year. We have also developed a Beit Midrash curriculum for junior high schools on the topic of Human Rights. Click here to download a sample unit.

Jewish Thought
The Yesodot high school curriculum on Jewish Thought takes as its theme “Man Created in the Image of God”. It focuses on four topics: human dignity, the moral basis of democracy, tolerance, and religion and autonomy. We anticipate this curriculum’s recognition by the Ministry of Education as one elective unit for matriculation.

Gender Equality
This Yesodot program for high school students assists religious school educators to examine issues relevant to gender equality and its impact on the family. The program aims to sensitize both male and female educators to issues of gender equality and the changing role of women in the family and society, and provides them with a curriculum of Torah sources which they can use to explore these issues with their students.

Talmud
Yesodot has developed innovative Talmud curricular materials in Tractate Bava Batra for grades 9 and 10 and Tractate Sanhedrin for grades 11 and 12.

Our curricular materials start with a running commentary and explication of the Talmud to help students understand the text. It then shows t he Talmud’s relevance by leading students through the Talmud’s conceptual and philosophical discussions concerning civic, social and political issues. It is through this dialogue that we expose the support of the Talmud and the Halacha for democratic values and arrangements.

The Talmud programs have been approved by the Ministry of Education for matriculation.

Special Seminars
Yesodot conducts seminars for special events, such as Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day, Human Rights Day, and before national elections, to enable teachers to help their students analyze the implications of these events on the Israeli democratic process and on the religious community.

The following are examples of our Special Seminar materials – click on the title to download.

Disengagement & Responsibility
This program was originally designed for use in schools on Yitzchak Rabin Memorial Day. Through discussion of different viewpoints, the class is encouraged to consider whether violence can be justified and whether groups should respond to struggles over ideology by ‘disengaging’ from society or by trying to influence its decisions while adhering to democratic procedures.

Human Dignity
Yesodot’s study session on the origins of human rights takes as its starting point the Torah principle of B’Tzelem Elokim – that man is created in the image of God. Material is presented from the Talmud, Midrash and later Torah commentators, together with excerpts from Israel’s Basic Law of Human Dignity and Liberty. Through discussion and comparison of these modern and Torah sources, it is demonstrated that the Jewish religious approach to human dignity has many similarities with the principles set out in the ‘constitution’ of the State of Israel.