Sara Grossman

Author's details

Name: Sara Grossman
Date registered: August 18, 2014

Latest posts

A sweet start to the new year — September 10, 2021
לְהִתְרָאוֹת (L’hitraot — See you later) — June 8, 2021
The Small Moments — May 25, 2021
Prayer and Bikur Cholim (Visiting Sick People) — May 13, 2021
COVID-19 and Bikur Cholim — April 27, 2021

Author's posts listings

Sep 10

A sweet start to the new year

Categories:

Rosh Hashanah

by Sara Grossman

Shanah tovah u’metukah! (A happy and sweet new year)! I can’t think of a sweeter way to start the new Jewish year than by having children onsite for our FIRST in-person afterschool session since March 2020! One third grader looked around with eyes open wide and called the building, “the new old building.” How sweet …

Tags: Anafim v'Alonim 5782

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Jun 08

לְהִתְרָאוֹת (L’hitraot — See you later)

Categories:

bikur cholim

by Sara Grossman

We’ve come to the final week of our year together, and in Anafim (“Branches” for 2nd-3rd grades) we’re spending it telling each other warm fuzzies and playing games that make us laugh. It’s been the weirdest year ever, but these tremendous children have shown up week after week ready to care for each other, be …

Tags: Anafim 5781, community

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May 25

The Small Moments

Categories:

bikur cholim

by Sara Grossman

It’s hard to believe that we’re coming to the end of another year of Jewish Enrichment Center. What a beautiful year it’s been! In previous years when we were together in-person, I took for granted all of the tiny moments of connection that were possible throughout the day–checking in with every child as they entered …

Tags: Anafim 5781

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May 13

Prayer and Bikur Cholim (Visiting Sick People)

Categories:

bikur cholim

by Sara Grossman

We’re coming to the final weeks of our Bikur Cholim (Visiting Sick People) theme. Each week I have been moved by the way that children are thinking so deeply about our theme and sharing such empathetic insights. The depth of their ideas speaks not only to the individual children themselves and their amazing brains, but …

Tags: Anafim 5781, Conversation

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Apr 27

COVID-19 and Bikur Cholim

Categories:

bikur cholim

by Sara Grossman

Anafim (“Branches” for 2nd-3rd grades) children are deep into the heart of our Bikur Cholim (Visiting Sick People) theme. As in any other theme, children are bringing their unique perspectives and experiences into dialogue with our Jewish texts within a community of their peers. Throughout the year we’ve seen glimmers of the way that children …

Tags: Anafim 5781, building, yetzirat torah

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Apr 13

Big Octopus

Categories:

bikur cholim

by Sara Grossman

Sunday was a GORGEOUS day to explore our new theme בִּיקוּר חוֹלִים (Bikur Cholim – Visiting sick people) together outdoors! Anafimers are bursting with ideas to share about our text from Talmud Nedarim 40a. In our text, a student of Rabbi Akiva’s gets sick and doesn’t have any visitors. Rabbi Akiva visits the sick student …

Tags: Anafim 5781

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Apr 01

We’re back!

Categories:

Pesach

by Sara Grossman

It was so wonderful to see Anafim (“Branches” for 2nd-3rd grade) back together today after Spring Break! We had so much to catch up on, like visits with grandparents, travels to a cabin, eagle sightings, and first days back at in-person school. We celebrated being back together with a silly Pesach (Passover) Mad Libs and …

Tags: Anafim 5781

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Mar 11

Pesach, Matzah, Maror for 2021

Categories:

Pesach

by Sara Grossman

In the maggid (narrate) section of the haggadah (“the telling,” the Seder text) we read a text from Mishnah Pesachim about Rabban Gamliel. Rabban Gamliel said that a Jewish person should talk about פֶּסַח (pesach – the Passover offering), מַצָּה (matzah – unleavened bread), and מָרוֹר (maror – bitter herbs) every year at the Seder. …

Tags: Anafim 5781, interpretation, Pesach, Seder

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Feb 25

Happy Purim

Categories:

Purim

by Sara Grossman

Chag Purim Sameach! Happy Purim! As we closed up our eight week Shehecheyanu theme, children in Anafim (“Branches” for 2nd-3rd) got to play Purim! We went on a Purim treasure hunt in the snow. Built (or rather, tried to build) Purim character snow people. Drew pictures of scenes from Megillat Esther (The Book of Esther) …

Tags: Anafim 5781, Purim

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Feb 11

Final project time

Categories:

Shehecheyanu

by Sara Grossman

It’s final project time for our Shehecheyanu theme in Anafim (“Branches” for 2nd-3rd). This week I had the absolute pleasure of meeting 1:1 with every single Anafimer just to chat about their big ideas. What a gift! (Didn’t make for great photos, though.) I can’t wait for the children to share their projects with you! …

Tags: Anafim 5781, big ideas, final project

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