9th Grade
The 9th grade course offers an integrated approach to general and Jewish History. This allows students to understand the development of society through the ancient, classical and medieval periods and, at the same time, to explore the uniqueness of the Jewish people and our heritage within the context of time and place. Students study both the impact of the Jews on the societies in which they lived and the impact of those societies on the Jews. The course covers the history of the ancient Near East and Europe, from prehistory through the collapse of the Roman Empire, culminating in the late medieval period with the dawn of the Renaissance. It is from this heritage that the modern world has evolved its institutions, values, customs and ideals.
10th and 11th Grade
Frisch offers a two-year American History course, beginning with the discovery of America and ending with Reconstruction in 10th grade and then going through the late nineteenth century to the present in 11th grade. This extended course permits us to go into great depth and allows the student to examine not only the events of our history but also to analyze the critical issues faced by the nation. The course is taught in a chronological framework with careful attention to the recurring themes of our history. We include not only political history, but social, economic, and cultural history as well. Included in this approach are important lessons in citizenship, with focus both on the rights and the responsibilities of the citizen.
Students also have the option of taking American History as an Advanced Placement course.
11th Grade Jewish History and Electives
This course is a study of the Jewish Middle Ages. Students explore the political and social realities of Jewish life in early modern Western and Eastern Europe and the effects of the rise of the nation state, the Reformation and the rise of capitalism. The course also focuses on internal Jewish developments including: Medieval Jewish thought, Lurianic Kabbalah, the Shulkhan Arukh, and the Sabbatean movement.
Juniors may choose (beyond the required US History and Jewish History) to take one of two electives: Jewish Philosophy or Supreme Court Cases.
12th Grade
Seniors take an integrated course combining European History from the Renaissance through the fall of the Soviet Union and Jewish History from the mid-seventeenth century. The material is taught chronologically and thematically, highlighting the political, social, economic and cultural transition from Medieval to Modern times with emphasis on major issues such as the long-term political and socioeconomic repercussions of the Industrial Revolution. The Jewish History component of the course focuses on the Haskalah, Hasidut, Emancipation, political anti-Semitism, Zionism, the Holocaust, the establishment and development of Medinat Yisrael and major trends in Jewish life and thought in the twentieth century. Students have the opportunity to enroll in Advanced Placement sections of both Jewish and European History. A major component of this course is preparation of students to be effective advocates for Israel on the college campus. In the spring, the entire senior class is prepared for a lobbying trip to Capitol Hill. As part of this trip, seniors learn valuable lessons about civic responsibility, while at the same time, learn how to research issues and speak on their behalf.
Seniors may also take one of three electives: A.P. Psychology, A.P. Macro-economics, or Principles of American Business.
