May 31
Both Shorashim and Nitzanim have been working on panels for their group quilts. These quilts have not only been a review of the main themes they have learned this year (Sukkot, Breishit, Shema, Pesach, and Tzedakah VaChessed), but a culminating project to be displayed in a public space over the summer. Shorashim children have been …
May 03
This week in Nitzanim… (click above for a video of our work!) In preparation for our final huge Yetzirah project of the year, Nitzanim spent a few days revisiting this year’s themes – Sukkot, Breishit, and Shema. We revisited through the lens of Tzedakah VaChessed. Nitzanimers received play כסף (kesef-money) to spend on playing and …
Dec 05
In Nitzanim the past two weeks, we’ve discovered that the children love to hear the story of Bereishit and provide their own feedback in the form of comments and questions. During our reading of Genesis, Ch. 2: [wind blows mightily outside against the walls and window] Boy 1: I thought God was blowing. Boy 2: …
Dec 04
Our exploration of the Adam and Chava story from Bereishit this morning in Shorashim was framed by a kibood-time discussion of the rules we encounter in our own lives. We started by naming some of the rules that affect us (including “No jumping on the bed,” No poking eyes,” and “No running in school”). We …
Dec 01
A conversation after reading the second Creation story in Genesis Chapter 2: Boy 1: Yikes! He took a bone out of him. If you took a bone out of yourself, wouldn’t you die? Boy 2: Yeah! Girl 1: Yeah, you would die. Boy 3: And your bones would fall all apart. Girl 1: ‘Cause God’s …
Dec 01
In order to engage with the second story of Creation (in Genesis, Chapter 2), the children played “story drama”. One child is the narrator, while the rest are actors. The narrator decides which characters each actor is (e.g. man, woman, animals). Then the narrator tells the second Creation story in his or her own words, …
Nov 29
The power went out at the Jewish Enrichment Center! We were in musika, everyone singing together, when all of a sudden we were singing David Melech Yisrael in the dark! Never one to miss an educational moment, we grabbed the opportunity to practice our opposites ערב/בוקר (erev/boker - evening/morning) and חושך/אור (choshech/or - darkness/light). Then we moved together …
Nov 21
The kvutzah stages an improvised play about Breishet at the end of the day; their play ends in a Torah dance. The play demonstrates how the kids are building positive relationships with the Torah, as well as with each other. Girl 1 is dressed as a Torah; the Shorashimers made Torah costumes in Yetzirah today. …
Nov 21
Right now, the ספריה (sifriyah - library) area in Beit Nitzanim is filled with books related to the days of בראשית (bereishit): books about insects, space, skeletons, the sea, carnivorous plants, giant animals, the stars, and more. We invite children to look through these books and choose something to share with their חברים (chaverim - friends) at …
Nov 20
As Shorashim began exploring the first creation story in Bereishit, the group’s fascination with animals quickly became evident. In response, one corner of our classroom has been transformed into a Peenat Chayot ( Animals Corner). The classroom menagerie of plush and plastic animals run free here, alongside a mug of animal stick puppets ready to put …
