May 27
Third through fifth grade Anafim (“Branches”) children are writing and producing our own play! Our play is based on legends about an early rabbi, Rabbi Akiva. It has been tremendously exciting. We divided into teams (loosely) and got down to business. Writing Team: We collaborated on an entire script! “I didn’t know it was so hard to …
May 26
This week in Yetzirah (creativity – art), Anafim (“Branches,” for 3rd – 5th grades) worked on creating large scale paintings for a secret project that will be shown on June 5th! The way they translated a small rough draft into a huge canvas was very impressive. There was such a positive energy in the air. …
May 23
In our last few weeks before summer vacation, Nitzanim is trying to finish the year strong with our Hebrew knowledge. Every child has been working on different Hebrew skills this year. Check out just a few of the ways our Hebrew has grown this year: We can read whole words in Hebrew! We can write the …
May 16
In Beit Nitzanim, we’ve started to look back through photos of our year together. We’re trying to jog our memory as we start our final reflection project for the year. Children excitedly chatted about their favorite moments as they browsed through the photographs. Children presented photographs to their peers, sharing memories of what they are …
May 13
At the Jewish Enrichment Center, children figure out their own thoughts and beliefs about Judaism. Even as we’re exploring specific content, like an early rabbinic text in which Rabban Gamliel talks with Ceasar, we make room for children to wrestle with their underlying assumptions about Torah and about religious life. This week, I captured two …
May 12
For the past two weeks in Yetzirah (creativity – art), 3rd – 5th grade Anafim (“Branches”) children have been working on a large scale timeline with the important dates from Temple Judaism through Rabbinic Judaism. They have been working together to have a group of four pieces (date, title, image, text) for each …
May 09
One of Nitzanim’s community expectations is, “Take care of each other.” Today it was so clear how caring for each other is an important part of our community. Children take care of each other during זמן שקט(zeman sheket–quiet time) by choosing a quiet reading or drawing activity. When we give each other the gift of …
May 05
When I reflected on our week in 3rd – 5th grade Anafim (“Branches”), I noticed that children collaborated so easily throughout the week. What a wonderful demonstration of the skills we now have for working in different ways with different people! Building Puzzles: figuring out the structure of Hebrew words by finding patterns and explaining our ideas …
May 02
In Beit Nitzanim, children are using small natural materials to imagine what Judaism would have looked like in Jerusalem at the time the Second Temple still stood. We’re using these materials to “build flat,” or design a scene that helps us really see the details in the Torah texts we’re exploring during כיבוד (kibud—snack). We’ve …
Apr 28
This week in 3rd – 5th grade Anafim (“Branches”), children struggled to understand what Judaism was like when the Temple in Jerusalem stood. Sacrifices, priests, no (or few) synagogues and rabbis – it was all so different from what we know today. We had to help each other understand this very different way of life. …
