This week Shorashim (roots for nursery) and Shteelim (saplings for kindergarten) started our new theme, שבועות (Shavuot).
We have been playing מגילת רות (Megillat Rut- The Book of Ruth), which is a special Jewish book that some Jews read or hear on שבועות (Shavuot). Much of our play has focused on three main characters – Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz – and we have been playing the whole text. Ruth picking food dropped by harvesters during a harvest, or “gleaning,” is the main feature here.
Painting wheat for our harvest play area, everyone’s brush strokes are unique!
“I’m harvesting wheat!”
When they got to Judah, Ruth decided that she should do some kind of work. It was harvest time, so she worked in the fields following behind the harvesters and picked up any barley/wheat that they had dropped.
Harvesters!
Boaz went to talk with Ruth, and he said to her, “Don’t go work in any other field. Stay here with the other servant girls. I will make sure you are safe. Whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink of water from the jars.” When Ruth heard Boaz’s words, she bowed low to the ground and asked, “Why are you being so kind to me, when I’m not even from here?”
Boaz said, “I know what you’ve done for Naomi. You left your family and came here to a place you’ve never been. May God reward you for your kindness.”
Ruth took all the barley home and shared what she had with Naomi.
“This is their home in Moab, that is Rut, the gems are all of the food.”
“This is the field for the Harvest. The one with the blue shirt is Boaz he owns the field.”
