Maisie Smith
Author's posts
Mar 08
Purim camp!
What a fun week of Purim camp so far! We’ve designed and made our own Purim costumes, played Megillat Esther and performed a Purim spiel, and today we’re making two different kinds of Purim treats for our se’udah (special Purim feast)! Yesterday’s spiel was a blast! From fabulous costumes to a detailed backdrop to expressive …
Feb 06
Tu Bshvat in Community!
On Sunday and Monday of this week, children of all ages came together to celebrate Tu Bshvat, the birthday of the trees! Days like these are where we really get to see the magic of mutli-age community in action. When we pair older children with younger children, both cohorts rise to occasion and bring their …
Feb 06
Yosef Theme Text: Genesis 43-46
Below are the final texts that children are exploring during our Yosef (Joseph) theme: Nursery and Kindergarten version: בְּרֵאשִׁית מ“ג Genesis 43 (Remember that there’s not enough food right now, because the land isn’t growing enough. The brothers went to Egypt and bought food from Yosef. They didn’t know he was their brother. Now the …
Feb 01
Do people change?
As we approach the end of the texts for our Yosef (Joseph) theme, the children in Nitzanim v’Anafim (“Buds” for 1st-2nd grades and “Branches” for 3rd grade) are coming up against some big, real life questions. They are thinking deeply about what causes someone to do something like throw their brother in a pit or …
Jan 30
Yosef Theme Text: Genesis 42
Here is the Torah text that children are exploring during week 4 of our Yosef (Joseph) theme: Nursery and Kindergarten version: Genesis 42 (בְּרֵאשִׁית מב) (Remember that there’s not enough food right now, because the land isn’t growing enough. People are hungry.) Ya’akov (Yosef’s father) heard that there was food in Egypt. So Ya’akov said …
Jan 23
Amazing Artists
The children in Nitzanim v’Anafim (“Buds” for 1st-2nd grades and “Branches” for 3rd grade) always get excited about trying out new art materials, and that excitement was BURSTING out of them when we started using chalk pastels last week – so much so that we just had to continue with them this week! Children were …
Jan 23
Yosef Theme Text: Genesis 40 and 41
Here are the Torah texts that children are exploring during week 3 of our Yosef (Joseph) theme. בְּרֵאשִׁית מ Genesis 40: Nursery and Kindergarten version א) וַיְהִי, אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, חָטְאוּ מַשְׁקֵה מֶלֶךְ-מִצְרַיִם, וְהָאֹפֶה–לַאֲדֹנֵיהֶם, לְמֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִםב) וַיִּקְצֹף פַּרְעֹה, עַל שְׁנֵי סָרִיסָיו–עַל שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים, וְעַל שַׂר הָאוֹפִיםג) וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם בְּמִשְׁמַר, בֵּית שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים–אֶל-בֵּית הַסֹּהַר: מְקוֹם, אֲשֶׁר …
Jan 19
Yosef Theme Text: Genesis 39
Children in 1st through 5th grade were offered this text this week to provide them with some context before moving on to Genesis 40. 1st-3rd grade version: א) וְיוסֵף, הורד מִצְריְמָה; וַיִקנֵהו פוטִיפַר סְריס פַרעֹה שַר הַטַבָחִים, אִיש מִצְרי, מִיַד הַיִשְמְעֵאלִים, אֲשֶר הורדהו שָמָה 1) Yosef was brought down to Egypt. An Egyptian called Potiphar, …
Jan 17
Yosef Theme Text: Genesis 37:12-36
Here is the Torah text that children are exploring during Week 2 of our Yosef (Joseph) theme. בְּרֵאשִׁית לז:יב–לו Genesis 37:12-36 יב) וַיֵּלְכוּ, אֶחָיו, לִרְעוֹת אֶת-צֹאן אֲבִיהֶם, בִּשְׁכֶם. יג) וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל-יוֹסֵף, הֲלוֹא אַחֶיךָ רֹעִים בִּשְׁכֶם–לְכָה, וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ אֲלֵיהֶם; וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ, הִנֵּנִי. One day, Yosef’s brothers went to Sh’chem to take care of their father’s sheep. Ya’akov, whose …
Jan 10
Bursting with ideas!
This week at the Jewish Enrichment Center, we started our new theme: יוֹסֵף (Yosef)! After hearing the text (Genesis 37:1-11) for just the first time, the children in Nitzanim v’Anafim (“Buds” for 1st-2nd grades and “Branches” for 3rd grade) were absolutely bursting with questions and ideas. “This is Ya’akov and all his children. Everyone except …