Kadimah Scholars Overview
The Kadimah Scholars Program launched in 2019 and represents a relationship that transitioned Kadimah Academy from being an independent school to an education program and scholarship fund with classes, students, and teachers integrated into our vibrant community.
Established for students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 and funded by the Buffalo Jewish Federation, the program also adds to Park’s curriculum and programming. With classes in Hebrew and Judaic Studies, our students have more opportunities to learn about the wider world, encouraging a global perspective and enhancing our commitment to diversity.
The objective of Kadimah Scholars instruction at Park is to promote cultural awareness of the Jewish religion through Judaic Studies and communicative skills in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in the Hebrew language. The overall goal is to develop competency toward attaining mastery in language and historical knowledge of the Jewish culture.
As part of the World Languages Department, Hebrew classes focus their instruction on the development of global citizens by fostering verbal communication skills and cross-cultural understandings. This is accomplished through the development of effective oral and written communication, building a curiosity regarding the world outside of one’s own community, and promoting critical thinking through investigation and project-based experiences.
Another goal of the is to encourage students to work cooperatively with others, both in class and cross-curricularly, to improve interpersonal skills in an effort to imitate real-life work settings.
courses offered
Hebrew Language, Intermediate/Advanced
Language instruction at the Upper School level continues to spiral in content from both lower and middle school levels, while preparing students for the Hebrew language mastery final examination. At the end of this level students are expected to express themselves both verbally and in writing, as well as demonstrate reading and listening comprehension of Hebrew in a variety of contexts. Students are introduced to the other verb tenses and moods necessary for natural speech. Current events related to Israel and globally are used as springboards for conversation, vocabulary development, and writing.
Judaic Studies
The core curriculum concentrates on Jewish history through the ages starting from Abraham and the first monotheistic religion and continues into present days. Students learn about geography and customs of the Middle East region, and the influence on Jewish communities that lived there. Other topics covered are Jewish rabbis, philosophers, artists, scientists, and poets who left their mark on Jewish communities all over the world. Some skills learned in class are bible text analysis and interpretations and how to apply them to modern life.
