Rohr Bais Chaya Academy in Tamarac, FL, is tearing down the walls. Too many assume there is an unbreakable divide between Limudei Kodesh and Limudei Chol. RBCA’s cross-curricular agenda makes rubble of these walls, rubble with which the students can build steps to climb ever higher in their appreciation and recognition of Torah as a guide to all aspects of life, while advancing academically and intellectually.
This year, the 11th Grade English Language Arts class will be reading Joseph Telushkin’s book Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History. The focus of 11th Grade English class is American literature, and Telushkin’s tome places the Rebbe squarely in the American tradition of religious figures of influence far beyond the scope of their followers. Students will study the book as a biography, and will produce papers and projects expounding upon Telushkin’s story of the Rebbe.
Most importantly, the girls will present anecdotes and aspects of the Rebbe’s leadership as they speak directly to current issues, both global and personal. Gaining recognition of the Rebbe’s teachings in Torah and Chassidus as lessons and ideas that enhance and address practical living as part of an English class is just one example of a unique educational mandate: Providing a complete education that is steeped in Yiddishkeit, and that is meaningful and relevant to the students’ own lives.
This relevance was just evidenced during the war in Eretz Yisrael, when one of Rohr Bais Chaya’s teachers, Mrs. Chaya Mushka Yaras, decided to organize a school-wide conference call for the safety of Eretz Yisrael. Interrupting their busy summer schedules, students from all over called in to join together in Torah, Tefila, and Tzedaka, because they have learned to apply the concepts of Ahavas Yisrael and the power of our actions to their world.
The style of meaningful learning will be continued during the upcoming school year in other subjects as well. As part of their Hebrew language class, the girls will be writing letters of encouragement and thanks to the families of soldiers in the Israeli Defense Forces. In preparation, they will read Hebrew articles about the politics, history of, and miracles that have taken place during Operation Protective Edge. This unit will aid the students in their reading and writing of Hebrew while learning about an issue that is relevant right now, and most valuable, reinforce the principle of using our learning and abilities to bring joy to a fellow Jew.
For more information on Rohr Bais Chaya Academy please call 954-788-8781 ext. 218 or visit our website at www.baischaya.com
elevating secular studies 🙂