Sara Grossman

This week, Nitzanim children heard Genesis 3:1-10 for the first time, and wow were they ready to dive right in! All of the work we’ve been doing over the last few weeks to listen to our inner voices (see post here) has prepared children to notice details in the text and ask big questions. In …

Tags: big questions, Nitzanim 5780, text interpretation

Oct 18

See you Sunday!

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Adam v'Adamah, Sukkot

We’ve been so busy preparing for our Sukkot Harvest Party. Making treats to share. Shaking the lulav and etrog. And playing some new Sukkot Ivrit (Hebrew) games. We can’t wait to celebrate the season’s bounty with you. See you Sunday at 9:15!

Tags: Alonim 5780, Anafim 5780, cooking, Hebrew, Nitzanim 5780, Shorashim 5780, Shteelim 5780

Oct 04

Interpretation in yetzirah (art/creativity)

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Today, a child was feeling stuck. He wanted to show Adonai Elohim (God) removing the rib bone from the adam (human) and building ishah (woman) in Genesis 2, but he wasn’t sure how to draw it. I posed the question to his peers, “How might Child A show this part?” and immediately we had a …

Tags: Conversation, Nitzanim 5780, text interpretation, Torah, yetzirah

Sep 25

“How come this one is the same thing?”

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We’re a few weeks into our Adam v’Adamah Torah theme, and Nitzanim first and second graders have been working hard on listening to their “inner voice” when we read and discuss text together at כיבוד (kibud–snack) Their inner voice is a reaction to the text that might come in the form of a question, feeling, …

Tags: careful listening, Conversation, Nitzanim 5780, Torah

Sep 11

Turning toward each other

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All year we work to build community in our kevutzot (groups). A foundation of trust, respect, and safety allows children at the Jewish Enrichment Center to wrestle deeply with text, ask profound questions, and create a Judaism that is personally meaningful and connects them to the ancient and ongoing Jewish conversation through the centuries. Even …

Tags: collaboration, collage, Nitzanim 5780, partnering, Torah

Sep 06

A Discovery-Filled First Day

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We started our VERY FIRST theme of the year on the VERY FIRST day of Nitzanim with a trip to visit the Torah! And guess what else?!? Our text is the VERY FIRST words of the whole Torah! Wow, that’s a lot of firsts! Nitzanim first and second graders were ready with their keen skills …

Tags: child-initiated, curiosity, Nitzanim 5780, Torah

May 30

Short and sweet

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Uncategorized

It was a short week in Beit Nitzanim, but we filled it it up with joyous Hebrew play… … and designing a masterpiece. See you next week!

Tags: Hebrew, Nitzanim 5779, yetzirah

May 20

A new project

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Uncategorized

It’s hard to believe that we only have a few weeks left before we say goodbye for the summer. Nitzanim children are beginning to reflect on all of the learning, playing, and growing we’ve done as a community this year. Today we started working on a final project that makes visible the immense kindness and …

Tags: community, Nitzanim 5779

May 09

Searching for examples

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Nosei v'Ol Im Chaveiro

This week, Nitzanim children are diving into the Book of Ruth to search for examples of נוֹשֵׂא בְעֹל עִם חֲבֵרוֹ(nosei v’ol im chaveiro–helping a friend carry a burden). After hearing the text read aloud, children created comics, buildings, and collages. This second pass at the text is an opportunity to extend their thinking, use their …

Tags: Conversation, Nitzanim 5779, text interpretation

May 01

Sharing stories

Categories:

Nosei v'Ol Im Chaveiro

We’re on the second day of our new theme, נוֹשֵׂא בְעֹל עִם חֲבֵרוֹ(Nosei v’ol im chaveiro–Help a friend carry a burden), and today children told stories of times they helped a friend with something difficult. We’re beginning to generate examples of different kinds of burdens like the burden of chores or tasks, hurt feelings, injuries, …

Tags: Nitzanim 5779, storytelling