Judaic Studies and Hebrew

At the Shoshana S. Cardin School, the Mishnah (the code of Jewish law, edited by Rabbi Judah HaNasi after the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 200 CE) serves as our faculty’s manual.

The Mishnah values the question over the answer, encouraging different points of view and interpretation. It also emphasizes the process of argument, rather than its outcome. The Mishnah can be considered commentary on the Torah, or even the continuation of the Torah. The Mishnah is a combination of tradition and innovation. Rather than presenting a single opinion, the Mishnah is replete with a variety of strong voices.

These values and practices are present in every Judaic studies class at Cardin, where lively discussion and debate, respect for different perspectives, exploration and openness rather than opinions bound by doctrine, the study of Torah, and the creation of our own modern commentary all come into play.

Just as the rabbis of the Mishnah sought to create a new beginning for the Jewish people, so the Cardin School, through its commitment to pluralism and inquiry, is educating its students to create a new Jewish reality.

Our Judaic studies curriculum is divided into two main areas of study, each offered over a three-year period:

Mikra v’Aggadah (Text and Telling) provides us with the knowledge of who we are. Mikra v’Aggadah text-based courses at Cardin include:

Introduction to Genesis
Exodus and Numbers
Prophets and Social Justice

Netivim v’ Halakhot (Paths and Practices) teaches us how to live our lives in accordance with who we are. Netivim v’Halakhot text-based courses at Cardin include:

Introduction to the World and Literature of our Sages
Jewish Law: Evolution and Application
Jewish Theology

In addition, senior seminars offer students the opportunity to delve more deeply into Jewish texts and thought.