Jun 08
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 …
May 25
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 …
May 13
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 …
Apr 27
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 …
Apr 13
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 …
Apr 01
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 …
Mar 11
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. …
Feb 25
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) …
Feb 11
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! …
Jan 28
Guess what?! At our session this evening, every single Anafimer (“Branches” for 2nd-3rd grade) shared an idea about our Shehecheyanu theme! Now let me be clear: Children in Anafim have many ideas–about our theme, about sledding in the snow, about being a third grader, and about lots more. Sometimes, though, they just don’t feel like …
