Theater

When we began our Teshuvah theme, this child said that the word was new to him.

A year later, we asked him to reflect on how teshuvah appears in his life. Astonishingly, he articulated that teshuvah can rebalance power in his relationship with his younger brother. Through our Teshuvah theme, the child came to recognize that power can be used in damaging and nourishing ways, and that teshuvah can rebalance the scales.

What a powerful understanding for an 8 year old!

The kindergarten children needed more. They were taking part in the nursery tunic-making project, but they were nearly bursting with wanting to grapple with the whole, complex Yosef story. We invited kindergarten children to design their own project.

The knowledge, creativity, and sensitive social attunement of the four kindergarten children expanded to fill every aspect of this project. From collaboratively retelling the entire text, complete with their own literary flair (from “There was once a boy…” to “And that was that!”) to making props, navigating disagreements, matching character costumes to the mood of the scene, and acting with movement, posture, and expression, children’s interpretation of the text emerged through hundreds of small details and collaborative decisions. This was their version.

When the kindergarten children saw the book they had created together, they knew they had accomplished something Big. “I feel like a twelfth grader!” one boy said. And indeed, these young children showed as much dedication, collaboration, enthusiasm, and deep thought about Torah and human relationships as Jewish people of any age. Kol hakavod – way to go – amazing kindergarteners.