Helene Granof

Helene Granof has three children who went to Temple Micah's Religious school and were Bar/Bat Mitzvahed at the Temple. Her career in the Montgomery County Public Schools as a second grade, and now 4th grade, teacher - 27 years in all - and before that as a nursery school teacher at Adas Israel Nursery School have prepared her well for her new adventure at Machon Micah. She love being with the kids, and her goal is to turn these children on to a positive Jewish experience at Temple Micah. Her husband, Gene, and she have been "turned on" to Temple Micah since 1966. It's the only Temple their family knows, and they love it.

Dena Hart

Dena Hart came to DC a few months ago after studying Psychology and Judaic Studies at the University of Kansas. In addition to her teaching at Temple Micah, she works full time as a preschool teacher at the Washington DCJCC teaching 2-year-olds. She has been enjoying getting to know your children throughout the year loves spending time together at Machon Micah!

Margy Levinson

Margy moved to Washington DC a few months ago, and couldn’t be happier! She is originally from Evanston, Illinois, but has spent the past four years living in St. Louis, Missouri while attending Washington University in St. Louis. She grew up spending every summer at the OSRUI URJ camp in Wisconsin from 1997-2008. While in college she was very active in both Hillel and Jewish Student Union activities, and she also taught at a reform synagogue in the area. She is very excited to be a part of the Micah community!

In Kindergarten, all of the teachers work together to teach the various curricula. 

Building Jewish Life: Beginnings

The BJL Beginnings series combines the discovery and exploration of Jewish holidays, the Jewish home, synagogue and the family with Hebrew reading readiness in twenty-four full-color student folders and eight parent folders.

BJL: Beginnings is a foundation for the beginning of Jewish learning. It introduces students to the celebratory aspects of home, family, synagogue and community. It talks about God. It matches each of these celebrations to a Hebrew letter via a key word. In addition, parents are invited into this process through a series of send-home folders that enable family celebration.

Let's Discover Israel

This curriculum offers an age-appropriate introduction to the Jewish Homeland. Micah Kindergarteners learn core concepts about our biblical and modern ties with Israel, the country’s major cities, and the diversity of Israel's people and geography. Students learn Hebrew words such as Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel), Shalom (Hello, Goodbye and Peace), and Magen David (Shield of David or Jewish Star), and gain a basic understanding of core Jewish values, including Ahavat Tzion (Love of Israel), Bal Tashhit (Conservation), and Sh'lom Bayit (Peace in the Home).

The booklets include many photographs and illustrations, and an array of creative activities and questions that stimulate critical thinking and help students make meaning of what they learn. For example, students are asked to imagine what it might be like to start a new school and learn a new language as a new immigrant in Israel, and they respond to the question, "What might be some differences between the city of Haifa and a farm in the Galilee?"

Teach Me Torah: 1

A richly illustrated Bible program for young children, Teach Me Torah introduces eight classic Bible texts, from Genesis to the story of Joseph, and the Jewish values that can be drawn from them, such as taking care of God’s world and asking for forgiveness. Each story is told in simple yet dramatic language and is presented in its own folder. The back page of the folder includes an “Ask at Home” section with discussion questions based on the biblical story or Jewish value for students to explore with their parents. For example, the Rebecca folder, which introduces the value of showing kindness, invites parents and students to explore the question, “What does kindness look like to you?”

Teach Me Torah: 2

A richly illustrated Bible program for young children, Teach Me Torah introduces eight classic Bible texts, from Exodus to the Book of Esther, and the Jewish values that can be drawn from them, such as taking care of God’s world and asking for forgiveness. Each story is told in simple yet dramatic language and is presented in its own four-page, full-color folder. The back page of the folder includes an “Ask at Home” section with discussion questions based on the biblical story or Jewish value for students to explore with their parents. For example, the David and Goliath folder, which introduces the value of being brave, invites parents and students to explore the questions, “Who is the bravest person you know? Why?”

Set Two Stories and Values: