Apr 24
Children have been exploring the friendship of David (Dah-veed) and Yonatan. Yonatan is King Shaul’s son, and best friends with David. When King Shaul wants to kill David, Yonatan saves David’s life. Much, much later in the story (in a part we’re not reading), David becomes king. The story is from the book of First Samuel, …
Apr 04
(Adapted from www.jewfaq.org) “You shall count for yourselves — from the day after the Shabbat, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving — seven Shabbats, they shall be complete. Until the day after the seventh sabbath you shall count, fifty days…” (Leviticus 23:15-16) “You shall count for yourselves seven weeks, from when …
Mar 12
Lots of parents have been asking where they can get copies of the music we sing at Shirah/Tefillah (Singing/Prayer). Clearly, we’ll have to make our own recordings one year. Until then, here are a few CDs I’d recommend for your cars and ipods. The titles are links to where you can buy them. Let us …
Feb 15
Here are three versions of the story of Purim. Please share what your children think about the story! Megillat Esther – All the words from the Scroll of Esther (in the Bible!) in Hebrew and English Megillat Esther for 3-4 year olds - a really abridged and gentler version Megillat Esther for Ages 6 and …
Jan 16
Long ago, the early rabbis said ברכות (berakhot – blessings) as they rose, got dressed, and ready for their day. Today, these ברכות are part of a Jewish morning prayer service. We’ve chosen a few of the ברכות to focus on. How do these ברכות relate to the things you do בבקר (baboker – in the morning)? Ask …
Oct 30
Want to spook yourself? Nitzanimers love to be just a little scared. Late in the day, we love to curl up with our friends and listen to a Jewish story about demons or witches. We’ve heard scary Jewish stories from Yemen, Eastern Europe, and Belarus, and an oldie-but-goodie from the Talmud. Our favorites: Hayyim’s Ghost, …
Mar 25
“QR Code” stands for “quick response.” It’s a box with code embedded to take you straight to a website, or a phone number, or even just text. I like them because they’re a quick way to transfer information, save paper, and can be scanned when your schedule permits. To scan a QR code, you’ll need …
Mar 24
In the שמע (Shema - Deuteronomy 6:4-9) we read: “And you should inscribe them on the doorposts of your houses and upon your gates.” As part of our שמע (Shema) exploration, Shorashim and Nitzanim children decorated the case of a מזוזה (mezuzah) and wrote the שמע (Shema) on a “parchment” that’s rolled inside. Here are some of the ins and …
Mar 23
Mah Nishtanah – mp3 - click to sing along! (Right-click to open in a separate window so you can still see the words.) For transliteration and singing line-by-line, click here.
