Senior Year

Honors Class: AP United States Government and Politics 

This interactive course gives students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. The course includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. government and politics and the analysis of specific examples. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs and ideas that constitute U.S. government and politics. In the course, students will become acquainted with the variety of theoretical perspectives and explanations for various behaviors and outcomes. The following topics are discussed as part of the course: the Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government, American Political Beliefs and Behaviors, Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass Media, Institutions of National Government such as Congress, the Presidency, the Courts, Bureaucracy, Public Policy, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.  

Israel Advocacy Course

The Israel Advocacy course is designed to teach seniors about a variety of issues that will prepare and motivate them to be passionate and active supporters of Medinat Yisrael. Much time is spent on educating students on effective ways to respond to common anti-Israel slander. One of the texts that we use is Alan Dershowitz's "The Case for Israel”; students evaluate his arguments as well as criticism of some of his approaches. Students learn about the activities of outstanding pro-Israel organizations such as NORPAC, AIPAC and CAMERA. The Religious Zionist approaches of Rav Kook and Rav Soloveitchik, as well as the delicate issue of Christian Zionism, are discussed. The goal of this course is to inspire students to care about their five million brethren in Israel and to actively support Medinat Yisrael.

 Modern Jewish History:  The Holocaust

A noted historian once observed that in order to really understand the Holocaust, one must take a long journey through not only history, but literature, art, memoirs, human psychology and many other disciplines which could shed some light on its origins and its horrific results. Just as there are different types of learners, the meanings and truths discovered through this course will vary for each student. For some, art or poetry will make the Holocaust real, for others class visits with survivors will have the most impact, and still others will want to understand the historical process which led up to such a catastrophe.History is not dead. Issues currently confronting the world are ultimately the consequences of past decisions and actions. It is impossible to effectively deal with the issues and problems of today if we don’t understand how we have reached this point.

The course on Holocaust studies is presented in a multidimensional mode emphasizing the idea that the Holocaust was not simply the result of Nazi racism but also resulted from centuries of prejudice and anti-Semitism.This was further intensified by a burst of nationalistic fervor that spread across Europe in the late 19th century and was fueled by Germany’s defeat in World War I and further humiliation reflected in the Treaty of Versailles.It is imperative that the Holocaust be studied initially in the context of this period of European history so that students can gain a perspective on the circumstances and events that contributed to it. Sadly, anti-Semitism exists in every generation, including our own. Holocaust deniers would have the world believe that the destruction of European Jewry never took place. Our students must learn from the mistakes of past generations, in order to respond effectively to such allegations.Thestudy of the Holocaust is also the exploration of human behavior. Students will learn about the responses of various individuals, organizations, and even nations, to gain more insight into human nature. They will assess human behavior in light of prejudice, scapegoating and bigotry to see how it all contributed to Genocide. In addition to the historical data and resources available to us for this course, emphasis is placed on reviewing literature, art, and even music of the Holocaust to analyze the human experiences that they reflect. The course also relies heavily on reading assignments as preparation for class discussions. Students are asked to keep a personal journal and are allotted time at the end of each class to express in writing their impressions, questions, and thoughts of that day’s discussion. The goal of these journals is to chronicle each student’s own personal journey in “putting a face” on the Holocaust so that they never forget those who perished. Through a multidimensional focus which incorporates technology, literature, guest-speaker presentations, and special in-class projects we attempt to put a “human face” on the Holocaust for each and every student. We not only honor the memory of those who perished, and those who survived, but also sensitize them to contemporary examples of prejudice and discrimination and the potential for genocide within our own society. It is our goal that this instructional approach will reinforce the imperative that this chapter in human history will NEVER be repeated again.